Stubby47's Project #1 - DM Four Mill Something

[BG John]

I got a similar system working nicely with one point on one of my layouts, but the others wouldn't work. They had a longer cable run, so some sloppiness in the tube must have been enough to cause the problem. I'll be replacing them with Arduino controlled servos!

[dhjgreen]

I thought I would do my good deed for the day and find you chaps some bigger slide switches with longer throws (Don't need them myself, EM) no luck everything I found was either the same size as I use or smaller!

 

Anyway I did remember someone on here using full size toggle switches for their turnouts. If you drill the hole quite near the end of the toggle you will get quite a good throw,worth a try? ISTR he put arms on the toggles too to resemble 'Box levers.

Edited May 14, 2017 by dhjgreen

[Stubby47]

I thought I would do my good deed for the day and find you chaps some bigger slide switches with longer throws (Don't need them myself, EM) no luck everything I found was either the same size as I use or smaller!

 

Anyway I did remember someone on here using full size toggle switches for their turnouts. If you drill the hole quite near the end of the toggle you will get quite a good throw,worth a try? ISTR he put arms on the toggles too to resemble 'Box levers.

 

Aren't the toggles made from a very hard metal ? How easy are they to drill into (especially without a pillar drill) ?

[dhjgreen]

Aren't the toggles made from a very hard metal ? How easy are they to drill into (especially without a pillar drill) ?

Mostly brass when I was using them. Easy to drill if you have some form of vice. I use a dremel, been a while though. Worth a try?

 

Edit to say: the person I refer to above did not mention any difficuly either. I do not expect that I could find the post, it was a couple of years ago.

Edited May 15, 2017 by dhjgreen

[Stubby47]

[dhjgreen]

Stu,

 

I was editing my post while you were thanking me, further info.

[Stubby47]

Thanks David, will dig a few of mine out and have a look.

[Robin2]

Aren't the toggles made from a very hard metal ? How easy are they to drill into (especially without a pillar drill) ?

Slide a bit of brass or plastic tube over the toggle switch and connect your turnout wire to that? Glue it when you have figured out the correct position for the throw that you need.

 

...R

Edited May 15, 2017 by Robin2

[BG John]

Rather dusty I'm afraid, but rescued from a long scrapped layout. I don't remember having problems drilling them. The hole is probably much lower than you would need, as the layout was to P4 standards.

 

[dhjgreen]

Rather dusty I'm afraid, but rescued from a long scrapped layout. I don't remember having problems drilling them. The hole is probably much lower than you would need, as the layout was to P4 standards.

 

DSCF7409.JPG

Thanks BG, that is the exact post I was referring to.

[dhjgreen]

For OO it would probably be better to drill the hole 90o to that and bend the wire at 90o otherwise the wire would be bent.

Edit to clarify, because of the increased throw, the wire would tend to flex as there would not be enough slack in the hole due to the rotation of the toggle.

Edited May 15, 2017 by dhjgreen

[BG John]

The end if the wire was a bit sharp, but being close to the bottom, there was still plenty of lever to avoid impaling myself too often .

[St Enodoc]

Rather dusty I'm afraid, but rescued from a long scrapped layout. I don't remember having problems drilling them. The hole is probably much lower than you would need, as the layout was to P4 standards.

 

DSCF7409.JPG

Nice work with the weathering powders.

[Stubby47]

Father's day has come slightly early as I was knocking on Kernow's door at opening time this morning to purchase two sets of Peco 009 wagons- GR310 twin bolsters and GR321 braked slate wagons.

 

These will be used on the munitions trains, running from underground, via the lift shaft, to the off-scene airfield apron.

[Ruston]

Aren't the toggles made from a very hard metal ? How easy are they to drill into (especially without a pillar drill) ?

They're usually made from chome-plated brass and are easily drilled using a pin vice. All those I have done were anyway.

[Stubby47]

They're usually made from chome-plated brass and are easily drilled using a pin vice. All those I have done were anyway.

 

That makes a big difference, thanks Dave.

[Stubby47]

Baseboard cutting plan defined :

 

 

Which should give me a 48" long, 27" high, 21" deep three shelf layout, including a 3" front projection for the lighting pelmet.

 

 

There will be a projecting Fiddle Stick at one and a fiddle yard at the other end, wood cut patterns for these are still to be completed.

 

With the middle and lower shelf scenic areas only being up to 11" wide, there is then a hidden shelf area behind the middle shelf (resting on the lower shelf), on which to store the fiddle yards.

 

 

Edited July 11, 2017 by Stubby47

[teaky]

Baseboard cutting plan defined :

 

baseboard_cuts.jpg

 

Which should give me a 48" long, 27" high, 21" deep three shelf layout, including a 3" front projection for the lighting pelmet.

I may be reading it wrongly but I'll ask just in case.  Is one of the 48x21s a backscene?  If so, should that be 48x27?

[Robin2]

I'm always intrigued by the use of 9mm ply for model railways. 9mm ply is for making objects at 12" to the foot scale.

 

...R

[Stubby47]

I may be reading it wrongly but I'll ask just in case.  Is one of the 48x21s a backscene?  If so, should that be 48x27?

 

No.

 

24" is the depth of the layout (front to back, with 21" baseboards set back by 3"), 27" is the height of each end piece.  The backscenes for the lower two levels will be a curved wall (like the Underground), for the top level it will be a wrap-around vinyl-type sheet.

 

The three 48" long pieces are the three baseboards.

[Stubby47]

I'm always intrigued by the use of 9mm ply for model railways. 9mm ply is for making objects at 12" to the foot scale.

 

...R

 

As I want all the pieces cut from one 8ft x 4ft sheet, I went for 9mm over 6mm for strength.  There is still a chance the whole unit will 'move', but if so back board can be fitted (with a suitable access hole) to provide stability. 

 

I'm not expecting to need any cross bracing, so eliminating any issues with siting point motors.

[teaky]

No.

 

24" is the depth of the layout (front to back, with 21" baseboards set back by 3"), 27" is the height of each end piece.  The backscenes for the lower two levels will be a curved wall (like the Underground), for the top level it will be a wrap-around vinyl-type sheet.

 

The three 48" long pieces are the three baseboards.

I see.  You must have been editing your post to add the final diagram whilst I typed my question.  That final diagram makes it crystal clear.

 

A further question if I may.  Will the lighting be sufficient on the lower two levels?

 

(I'm not trying to catch you out here Stubby.  The whole concept is intriguing.)

[BG John]

I'm always intrigued by the use of 9mm ply for model railways. 9mm ply is for making objects at 12" to the foot scale.

 

...R

I used 18mm ply on one of my layouts. It's certainly built like a brick version of those objects that Stubby is famous for! It was free though, so that's what really counts .

[Stubby47]

Lighting for the lower levels will be deliberately darker, only using a string of Xmas LEDs. Or possibly 2 strings to provide quiet/in use atmospheres.

[Stubby47]

Would a narrow gauge loco ever have shunted a standard gauge wagon ( open or van)?

 

I'm debating whether just using the ng loco on the hoist would be a better scenario, but this means dual gauge track on the middle level as well as the ground level.