Jump to content
 

Ian_H

Members
  • Posts

    276
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Ian_H

  1. 2 hours ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

     

    I actually built this a couple of years ago.  It was pretty good, and a lot of fun to operate, but it had a couple of insoluble problems to do with fitting it into my shed ( two duckunders for a start) and I dismantled it.  I can post some pics if any one is interested.

    Yes ... Please post the photo pics

  2. 18 hours ago, martin_wynne said:

     

    Hi Ian

     

    You are jumping ahead a bit there -- this is still an experimental project. As far as I know the only finished working turnout so far is one in S scale.

     

    For the intended switch drive arrangements, see:

     

     https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/175840-is-track-building-making-a-come-back/?do=findComment&comment=5351199

     

    cheers,

     

    Martin.

     

     

    8 hours ago, hayfield said:

     

    Ian

     

    The timbers on which the first two slide chairs sit on have protrusions/guide strips which hold a slide bar between the base and these strips. a slide plate can be fixed to the switch rails using wire. Its up to the builder to decide how to move the slide bar . A piece of card with ballast stuck to it will cover the slide bar , 

     

    Edit

    Martin has come to my rescue with a diagram, as usual a well thought out method by Martin

     

    Please remember its an experimental method which is starting to take shape, anyone thinking of using it should check the machines which are being used by the group, these are ones trialed by Martin and known to work, including the Alkaid which is the cheapest resin printer on the market and under £90

     

    Sorry Guys,

     

    Jumping the gun as usual, I thought people were actually printing these for inclusion in a model, i've seen some of the videos of Bexhill, clearly I assumed that the concept was further along than it is and was curious to what stresses could be applied for the various methods of switching the points but nevertheless it is very interesting.

     

    Thanks

    Ian

  3. On 23/08/2023 at 19:45, NFWEM57 said:

    I purchased over 20 of these a while back and whilst they are a great design, hats off to James, they are just too bulky for my needs; they would not fit on the  cramped underside of my test track so the MERGs stay in place.  I have since switched exclusively to MP1s for turnouts and will probably used dingo's for semaphores.  Shame, like to support UK innovators, but physical size was the down side for me.

     

     

    What's a MP1, is it a servo point actuator?

     

    Thanks

    Ian

  4. 3 minutes ago, martin_wynne said:

     

    Hi Ian,

     

    Resin printer for the chairs. FDM (filament) printer for the timbering base.

     

    em_c_switch3-jpg.4205

     

    Martin.

    Hi Martin,

     

    Thank you for clarifying the situation re a pair of 3D printers. If you don't mind me asking what is the situation with the regard to the timber track bases using a CNC laser cutter, I seem to remember something about it ..... but I could be wrong.

    Ian

  5. Very sorry for my delay in coming back to you all but thank you for the information/knowledge together with the pointers to various documentation and web sites.

     

    Whereas, I have to do a lot more digging, if I'm spoon fed I simply won't remember, it is a very interesting subject which I turn causes a lot more questions ..... no doubt I will be back in a bit with those questions.

     

    Thank you

    Ian

    • Like 1
  6. Hello, I haven't started building  yet but I am considering DCC as the method of control, in this regard I have read a little about Automatic Brake Control. I understand that this is where a section of track is isolated and powered through a device that reduces the voltage by a couple of volts, I think three diodes provided the voltage drop, and that the DCC onboard chip recognises the voltage drop and slows the loco to a holt over a predetermined/programmed distance. This is great when approaching a stop signal but what about the situation where I simply want the loco to reduce speed after passing an amber signal or a restricted speed section of track. Is there an automatic break control system that can be employed in that situation?

     

    Thanks

    Ian

  7. 3 hours ago, hayfield said:

     to EM gauge, which is in my opinion is becoming rightly more popular, thanks to the EMGS rtr turnouts and Wayne's simple to build kits.

     

     

    Hi John, Without doubt, EM does look very good, as can be seen with your Barry Slip and, I would assume that the building of an EM Gauge Switchs/crossings will be no more difficult than building in 00. Unfortunately, the need, difficulty and cost to modify the wheel sets of locomotives will imho continue to make it prohibitive to the majority of modellers.

    • Like 1
  8. 53 minutes ago, martin_wynne said:

     

    Hi John,

     

    It's difficult to give costs for the Plug Track, but it will be a lot less than that for material costs. Some ball-park figures for 4mm scale:

     

    300 chairs, about £1 in materials.

     

    timbering base for a turnout, about 30p in materials.

     

    Plus rail.

    Hi Martin,

     

    Am I understanding this correctly, from your figures it would seem that the cost of the printed timber base for a B7  turnout would be less than £1.00 assuming approx. 100 chairs for a turnout. Is it really this cheap. I appreciate that the cost of the 2 printers would be a major investment but … wow, perhaps double wow!

     

    Best

    Ian

  9. 8 minutes ago, hayfield said:

    The down side is splicing two turnouts into a crossover !! and forming both into a curved complex. I am certain it can be done but will the builders skills be up to the same standard which the standard kit (simply) builds into.

    I hadn't thought about the complexities of constructing a curved crossover with Wayne's kits, again referring back to Eastwood Town, I don't think Gordon had a straight turnout on the layout ... everything curved and by golly, it looked good!

     

    You also mentioned the cost of copperclad strips which has gone up in recent years, Marcway have their "CCS4-GF OO/EM 4mm Wide PCB Glass Fibre Strip 18X12" at £16.50  whereas C&L strips are "12' 4MM X 1.6 MM X 220MM PACK 20" for, as you say, £19.00. It would seem that Marcway is better value on the amount of copperclad that they provide, perhaps enough to construct 4 turnouts? Clearly, from your pricing, a copper clad crossover would cost £14~£18, a significant saving but closeup won't look as good as Wayne's kits. An alternative that is being discussed is Martin Wynne's 3D Plug Track which looks like it could will be able to produce complexed formations but the cost of the printer maybe prohibitive at this stage.

     

    Ian

  10. Hi John, following your construction of the crossover, it would seem to be within my capabilities. I have tried before and made a complete hash of it but following your explanation I think I should perhaps give it another go. However there is another alternative being the kits from Wayne Kinney/British Finescale. Of course Wayne's kits look much better close up but we have all seen Eastwood Town and what Gordon achieved with his copperclad construction. Considering this, a B7 crossover constructed from Wayne's kits would cost £46.00, how does this compare with the cost of the copperclad construction, filing jigs and other tools aside.

     

    regards

    Ian

  11. 4 hours ago, Deev said:

    you'll probably need multiple NEMA17s, say four at least by my reckoning.  If I were building one, I'd use the best mechanisms I could find (8mm diameter, 8mm pitch, 4 threaded leadscrews with POM (not brass) nuts and use an Einsy Rambo control board, purely because all the hard work is done for you and it can run 4 steppers silently.  Having a noisy stepper driver would drive you insane after a while.  It would be annoying to build a traverser cheaply and then curse every time it jammed or stopped working.

    Hi Deev,

    Hope you don't mind me asking a question with regard to the 2500mm motorised traverser, I appreciate that your answer was to Hector, may I ask what a typical target price would be for all the hardware you propose?

     

    I've seen a few automated motorised traverser, some are good others seem to struggle a little. Selector plates are also a consideration and one that I particularly like is the one used on Liverpool Lime Street. Unfortunately not all the videos are available on RMWEB since the changeover but I've found this on youtube, it may be of interest.

     

     

  12. 22 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

    Apologies for obsessing about these suburban branches, they’d really be better as a system layout than T-to-FY, given the insane complexity of the operating patterns pre-electrification.

    Sorry, I'm lost, what do you mean by "a system layout".

  13. 8 minutes ago, Riverdart said:

    Hi guys , had to join the group to give my appreciation to Wayne for producing a product that one felt encouraged enough to give it a go .

    first attempt in making track and first time using a soldering iron.

    35F48025-E6C7-4C1F-B609-5ED3147B8F2C.jpeg

    Wow, to me, having never built any S&C (well perhaps once but we won't talk about that), that looks superb, I would be well pleased with that. Well done

    • Agree 4
  14. 8 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

     

    TR Track Relay (NB track circuit is energised when the track is unoccupied, so that it fails safe in the event of power cut etc)

    TSR Track Stick Relay

    GR  SiGnal Relay

     

    BS376   part 2 ... abbreviations explained after a fashion, and it shows standard symbols as well

     

    https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjG3OCLirr2AhW1oFwKHc23AEEQFnoECAQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fallcivilstandard.com%2F%3Fsmd_process_download%3D1%26download_id%3D5832&usg=AOvVaw0JA6g_TxGXORfuUs0kJg1S

    Hi Michael,

     

    Thank you for the link to BS 376, I did try to find a copy yesterday without success, I shall have a read over the followings days and see if I can lift my knowledge base from none existent to a basic understanding. Thanks once again.

     

    Ian

  15. 15 hours ago, LNERGE said:

    A very quick sketch and literally a screen shot. I will try to answer any questions. 
     

    31CF1085-2D14-44E5-BB05-7BBFC41962DB.jpeg.1ed1efd609d9934e5cae3cb77ff30b03.jpeg

    Hi, thanks for that .... it's made me feel a bit stupid because I'm not at all sure what you've shown me:blush: I've gathered that 1 GR and B TSR are relay coils but it's not clear what the three circuits are doing and I'm not sure what the notations TR/TSR/GR are referring to, I'm assumming that the V and the inverted V are perhap contact points?

     

    Ian

×
×
  • Create New...