Heinz57

Looks great mate! The new extension is taking shape already!

Looking awesome mate. The shed looks massive, cant wait to see that finished!

11/07/2022 - Wires, Solder and burnt fingers Dear friends and followers. Although I post this on the 11th July, this post is more relevant to a week ago. Its been a busy week so I didn't get around to posting this update. Anyway, its here now! So as mentioned in the previous post, I decided to focus my attention to wiring the first two baseboards whilst I wait for parts to complete the inspection pits and hard standing on board three. I started by sitting down and making all the D connectors for the layout. These come in the form of a 25-way connector for each board fed directly from the control panel and either a 9 or 15 way as a cross board connector. These were completed over a couple of sittings consisting of boredome and burnt fingers. After that I proceeded to wire the boards up... Board one came first and as completed in one sitting... Board two followed and was completed over a further two sittings. I am using Cobalt Ip motors which are wired up in the traditional analouge way using a toggle switch. After fitting each motor was tested using a little 'test rig' I knocked together, basicaly a toggle switch mounted in a project box. So I know they all work eletricaly and after a bit of fine tuning with the fulcrum bar, they all throw perfectly too. Control panel is next on the to do list, my oh my how I hate this bit... Thanks for looking, Matt

Looks great, awesome idea hiding the displays behind the plasticard

Thanks Andy. I've examined the diagram and it looks a little complicated. I might have to use the one John posted the other day, it looks a little more straight forward. But thanks all the same, I appreciate the time you took to design it. I have a bit of vero board knocking around somewhere from my uni days... I think

Yeah at £30 a go they aren't cheap! They look absolutley fantastic and work reliably well. But when I need sixteen of them it'll cost far too much.

You managed to scrounge together enough Lego parts to do it then? 😂

Thanks buddy, welcome aboard!

Don't Stop Me Now! Good evening, Its been just over a month since I last posted but I've made some significant progress to the track laying and finished all of it on the first two boards. Progress was slow and it hasn't been without its hicups. I laid pretty much all the point 'ladder' and had to take it all up and relay it... twice... because it wasn't perfect and broke a point in the process. However, its finished and I'm very happy with it so its been worth the blood and tears. Note the two tracks that stop dead after the point. These two tracks curve over the board join to the shed board, so until I lay the tracks on that board I will leave them as they are. Speaking of which, I am still waiting on parts to alow me to do my pits inside the shed. I can't really do anything on that board until they arrive so for now track laying itself is at a bit of a stand still. Instead, I am going to turn my attention towards wiring. Whilst I wait for the stuff I'm going to get these first two boards wired and tested, and build the control panel. That's all for now. Thanks for reading, Matt

My question about the compatibility with the Absolute Aspect signals could be struck. I've been having a little think and I'm looking at making my own signals, it will cut down cost and will gurantee its compatibility with the circuit diagrams kindly provided for me. I'm not 100% sure. As far as I know they are their to warn of anything moving. In reality I don't think they are connected to any signals, I remember seeing them flashing away at the Etches Park open day a few years ago even though no stock was moving. I want to wire them to the signals on my layout just to simplify the operation.

Yes you apply a 12v DC feed to turn on the signals. I belive the LEDs inside are rated at 12v, I don't think there's any resistors inside the signal head.

Three wires - red signal, white (green) signal, common ground Cheers, Matt

Thanks for explaining, that makes more sense to me now. The signals I am using are rated at 12v (to be specific I am using the shunt signals from Absolute Aspects). Obviously these are usualy connected to the 12v supply without the need for an extra resistor but to make the above circuit work will I still need the extra resitors? Cheers, Matt

Thanks for the drawings. I have some SPSP on-off-on switches in stock already, making it cheaper! The only thing I can't quite get my head around is if the red aspects are connected to the centre pin on the switch, the same as the live wire. How will it turn the red off when the green is on? Matt

Cheers. Unfortunatly they don't have enough in stock for what I need (I need seven). But I'm guessing these would be a suitable alternative? They are SP3T ON-ON-ON https://uk.farnell.com/te-connectivity-alcoswitch/3-1825139-9/toggle-switch-sp3t-5a-120v/dp/3406892 Would I still need any diodes or anything or would the switch on its own do the job?

Thanks chaps, I have found these on RS, would they do the job? https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/toggle-switches/7347053 https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/toggle-switches/7347012 Wiring in diodes isn't a problem, but what size do I need and where would I need to wire them? Cheers, Matt

Those walkways look awesome. Definatly worth scratch building them from drinks stirrers instead of using some expensive kit

Hi all, I am in need of some assistance with some signal wiring. Basicaly, on each track into the shed on my layout I will have two opposing signals, one for entry and one for exit. Plus a flashing beacon inside the shed that is on should anything be moving. I am looking to operate the two opposite signals and warning beacon from the same switch, but I'm not sure on the best way to do it. My rather crude diagram below describes it best... So what is the best way to acheive this? I did originaly think of a standard on-off-on toggle switch, but I figured this would keep the red aspect on all the time even when the signal is green. Any advice you can give is very much appreciated. Matt

Looking good sir!

I can provide an HST... wrong blue though! EMT HST in Drabford? 😂

Awesome. You've got some patience you have mate!

Great stuff Shaun! The station modification looks awesome, like it was always there. Looking forward to seeing the extension progress...

Awesome mate, its starting to look like a layout now!

02/05/2021 - Getting back on track Dear friends and followers, It's been just shy of a year since any updates on here. Reason being was that I was still waiting for track to arrive, because I couldn't do anything until it did the project was put on hold. Anyway, a couple of months ago I had a large box from Hattons arrive on my doorstep containing eighteen shiney new Peco Bullhead points! So finally after a good year of waiting track laying has finaly begun on Venture Park! It is going at a snails pace because a) other commitments and b) I want to get it right! But this is not a race and I'm not bothered how long it takes me to lay the track as long as its right when its done! Here are a few photos of progress... First photo taken a month or so ago shows the first section of track laid which is the pointwork feeding the top storage sidings Second two photos taken today show the point ladders completed, this is the backbone of the layout feeding most areas. Having this section done is most of the pointwork now completed and laid. Thats all for now... Matt

Still here Just a quick one to say we're still here! Since my last update progress on the layout has pretty much stalled. I have painted the boards, but thats not worthy of an update. But that is about as far as I can get because I am still waiting on my points to arrive. I am using the Peco Bullhead points which are, like most track at the moment, in short supply. I have them on back order so its just a case of waiting for them to arrive. Sadly I can't do much else to the layout until they arrive! Hopefuly that will be soon! Stay tuned...