Mattc6911

Was mulling it over myself Andy, realising it would be for DCC. I'm thinking 3 plates, two short and one long. Two short plates mounted on the SIDE of the main layout half inch apart but very near to the edge of the layout adjacent to the edge of the sector plate. First plate is wired to the controller, second plate is wired to the Bus. The Third LONG plate is mounted on the edge of the sector plate So it projects OVER the other two plates and wired to the bus ON the sector plate. When sector plate is closed the long plate touches BOTH Short plates completing the circuit Think of a latch gate, when you close the gate the latch that projects out from the gate drops over the hook. Latch is long plate hook is two short plates. On the other edge ( nearest the wall it can simply be a long plate wired on the main layout and a short plate on the sector plate that makes contact when its closed. You only have to have a double break ( 3 plates) on one of the two wires Sounds more complicated than it is

Andy is the sector plate going to be wired for power on the RHS of the door (pivot end?) Or from the left hand side of the door (curved edge) ? I wonder if you could use a couple of metal plates that make contact when the sector plate is closed, passing current TO the sector plate but also completing the circuit for the whole layout making it live. Opening the plate breaks the circuit cutting power to the layout. You could also use two lots so that you pass current through on one edge and return on tother edge of the sector plate completing the circuit

I would just like to add to this, Durability. . . The old Triang, Airfix, Hornby stuff you are using is HOW old ? Been played with and well used but can still be worked in to something half decent. I like taking old Lima Locos and breathing new life into them. How Many of these complicated, detailed,. Fragile modern models will be around for the same amount of time and be more than a glorified paper weight ? Wi bits missing !

Uhuh Uhuh I see where this is going lads. " Nice big flat step tp help Dee get in and out" " A light fitted outside so you can see out there in the dark". Notice how much the roof hangs over that convenient space ? Next it will be " I'm just going to raise the back wall a bit to cut down on the wind" . . " i'm just going to put in a bit of a sloping roof across from the main roof to the back wall to make it a bit more weather proof in winter". "I'm just going to put a door at each end as its like a wind tunnel in there" "Just thinking dear maybe we should move the front door to the front of the house so you dont have so far to go to get in the car it'll fit nicely next to the garage door love" Ooooo look a nice big covered space has appeared right next to my railway room, shame to waste it !!! I could run a track right out the door, turn right and run right down the side of the house to the back garden

Caution young one ( not picking on you just using you as an example ). I had some old junk train stuff years ago, I stripped it and binned anything I deemed not remotely useful. I have over the years bought more junk stuff which I have mucked about with. INCLUDING adding weights from the junk box which may or may not have been lead. So unless you can categorically say the weights are original ? Then they COULD. Be lead Having said that a few years of fishing as a yoof and and holding small lead weights in ones gobb while attempting to tie knots in fishing line with cold hands, didn't seam to do me any harm. . . Well not MUCH according to te Mrs

I would need stripe and police transfers, my spraying skills certainly wouldn't be up to doing the stripe ! Interesting little project for the winter though so would also be interested in a set

Picked yours as being one of the few that probably gives the OP as much information as he needs to know, to figure out which one to use. Gotta love the knowledgeable RM webbers who cant resist jumping in with ever more complex information that each is SURE is right, convinced of course everyone else is absolutely wrong, posting ever more complex technobabble, that comletely loses those of us with lesser knowledge, and probably scares the bejeesus out of anyone dipping their toe into DCC Thinking its Waaaayyyy too complicated !

This ^^. Check what voltage your box SAYS it should be putting out to the track, then using the black multimeter check the track voltage close to the box, if it's reasonably close to what it should be start moving round the track checking each section. If you get a drop in voltage on any section switch off the power and check the joints/ connections in that area for problems. Fix and check again. I made up a couple of leads with crocodile clips at each end. If I found a section with voltage drop I would clip a lead to one rail from an adjacent section of track and to the same rail in the problem section and see if that cured the drop. If not check the other rail. Its a quick way of identifying which rail/ connections might be giving you the problem. When you have finished get a cuppa and come back and read the information overload posted in your thread then go lay down in a dark room

A suggestion ? If the original decoder in the hst has had the motor functions damaged but the lighting circuit still works, is it worth checking the dummy power car to see what chip it has ? If its a full function chip you could swap it out for the damaged one as it only needs lighting functions anyway. That would give you a chip to use elseware

Ahhh ok sorry, was that through the doors and turn left, no right ummmm

Before you you guys disappear down yer rabbit hole can you just point out to me in the pictures above where I plug me wires in to check me track voltage ? I've ordered one of them in the top picture from Ebay but I'm a bit confused where I plugs me leads in !

I think at the moment we can all agree that ALL shows are suspended as they are not yet allowed to go ahead ? Some organisers have had to make the decision to cancel to mitigate losses, Some have moved this year's event to next year, providing conditions allow them to safely put on a viable show. Some are still to make that decision based on mitigating losses, viability, venue availability, and probably some who hope that if they CAN put on SOME sort of show they bloomin well will ! I'm sure the moment a decision is made to go ahead the message will come through load and clear to us. @Andy Y. Might it be worth adding a big red message to your first post stating that due to shear volume of cancellations you have suspended updating the list, for members to still keep posting CONFIRMED cancellations, and that to be sure as soon as ANY show is flagged as going ahead THAT Information will be promulgated. Then go take a well earned break.

My point exactly. Get the basics right and make sure it runs properly.

Whats the job of a model ? To look good ? Or to work ? Would you be happy with a watch that sort of kept time, (runs) looks incredibly accurate (detail) but bits keep falling off ( breaking every time you try to use it) A cheap basic model can run equally as well as a highly detailed expensive one OR just as bad My wish IS a reasonable, accurate representation of the original, that runs well and doesn't shed all that extra expensive detail every time its used.

I think we will have to agree to disagree. The thread is about design errors. My arguement is that by pushing the manufacturers into ever more complex and detailed 'perfect' models at the price those who want 'perfection' are prepared to pay, something has to give, which is quality control. Out of a run of 2000 models (number picked from the cloud) how many want that 'perfect' display cabinet model and how many want a good representation of the real thing, that looks right, has the right colour scheme and runs well straight out of the box ? My own thoughts ( with no factual evidence) is that the former group is smaller but VERY vocal in pushing manufacturers towards that 'Perfect' display case model to the detriment of those who want something that looks right and gets used. My suggestion about less detail isn't a return to Triang, its to make a good ' accurate model with less micro detail ( that falls off, breaks before you get it out of the box or disapears on the first run out) that sells for a reasonable price to the majority of purchasers ( ball park pie in the sky figure say £150) and then sell an addon detail pack for (again pie in the sky figure) £100 that the end user who wants the display case model, can add themselves, or commission to be added if their skills aren't up to it. Some manufacturers are all ready including some detail packs in with models, I'm saying take this to the next level. In Hornby's case they could do the basic accurate model run of 2000 and at the design stage commission Airfix to do the detail pack ? My point is scale back on SOME of the detail, get the bloomin basics right, sell at a price the majority are happy with and then add detail for the smaller number who want 'display case' models via addon packs at extra cost. Edit to Add, its almost a case of say Hornby, instead of using the railroad version as they do at the moment ( confused mishmash that no one really understands) make it the 'ready to run' standard version for all new models. . For the majority to purchase then do a 'Delux' detailed version at the higher price range. Consign all the old tooling runs to a lower priced 'classics' range