The Circle and the Stores (T-CATS)

[Stubby47]

Testing clearances.

 

[Stubby47]

Quite a good deal of progress today.

 

The upper board has had the necessary cutouts to accommodate the cuttings for the circle. These will be quite steep sided, so I'm thinking rock face rather than grass bank.

 

The correct height for the upper board has also been determined, an extra layer of chipboard raises the ply sides enough.

 

I'm also experimenting with two laminations of 5mm ply to create the folding section - not sure how strong this will be, so might need to use a piece of 9mm ply instead.

 

The two sides and back will be added once the lower level track is in place, ballasted and painted.

The upper level will then be worked on, with wire-in-tube extending backwards to allow some sort of mechanical operation off sceen.

With only two points, this won't be too onerous.  I'll re-use the Dingham magnets from DM4MS v1 as well.

 

The main scenic work will then be added, possibly using that lightweight rigid foam for building insulation.

 

So far, all is going to what I laughingly call a plan.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2019 by Stubby47

[Stubby47]

Lower level front section trackbed complete, upper level supports & baseboard complete, now making the folding rear loop.

 

[Stubby47]

I've now cut and fitted the folding rear loop.

 

 

 

Upon seeing which, No.2 Son proclaimed "Looks like you're making a giant toilet..."

Edited August 26, 2019 by Stubby47

[Stubby47]

Having roughly measured the circle of track, it works out at approximately 10ft.

 

That means several more clay hoods will be required at some point.

[St Enodoc]

10 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

I've now cut and fitted the folding rear loop.

 

 

 

Upon seeing which, No.2 Son proclains "Looks like you're making a giant toilet..."

Nice carrying handle.

[Stubby47]

The Circle and The Stores has been invited to the Hayle club's May exhibition next year.

 

Best get on with it then.

[NHY 581]

On Tuesday, August 08, 2017 at 15:14, Captain Kernow said:

Horse-drawn?

 

Just catching up with this project. Excellent stuff going on.

However, I have to take issue with the above from the good Captain.  These look like your handiwork, Stubbers. 

 

Too good to have been sketched by Dobbin and his mates and frankly I struggle to see how one could have made such a glaring  error. 

 

I strongly suspect that CK had been at the Beetroot liqueurs  before posting the above. 

 

Rob. 

 

[St Enodoc]

It might be just me, but apart from the extra rail there is a distinct family resemblance to the PSMT...

[Captain Kernow]

Dunno, it wasn't me, guv, I wasn't there, it was the others, honest and that's the truth and no mistake.

 

[Stubby47]

3 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

It might be just me, but apart from the extra rail there is a distinct family resemblance to the PSMT...

Absolutely, and this folding loop idea may well be added to the PSMT if it prooves to be reliable.

[Stubby47]

Today, if all goes to plan, I will be experimenting with servos, for point and uncoupler operation...

[MyModelRailway]

The folding loop idea what you have created looks great, an interesting little layout and one I will be following.

[NHY 581]

When are these guys turning up? 

[Stubby47]

Just after all your sheep arrive.

[NHY 581]

[Stubby47]

11 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

Today, if all goes to plan, I will be experimenting with servos, for point and uncoupler operation...

 

I'm using a MERG Ezi-Point module, which I built last year.

Having previously used a 9v battery as a power supply, which seemed a little under powered, I sorted out a 12v supply instead.

However, the servo then jumped about quite erratically when the on/off switch was used.

I then tried the 9v battery again and the servo was not moving. A 2nd servo was no different. 

 

I've either blown the board, or something , so I'll need to make another board.

[Stubby47]

Adding the cork to the loop.

 

[Stubby47]

50% of the track for The Circle is now laid, and extensive testing has been carried out.

 

[Ian Morgan]

On 29/08/2019 at 20:50, Stubby47 said:

Having previously used a 9v battery as a power supply, which seemed a little under powered, I sorted out a 12v supply instead.

However, the servo then jumped about quite erratically when the on/off switch was used.

I then tried the 9v battery again and the servo was not moving. A 2nd servo was no different. 

 

 

Servos only run on 5V (some use 6V), so upping the voltage would not help. 

 

Servos can take a couple of Amps to move, so it is more current that is probably required.

 

I suspect the battery was dead, or a low current one (as supplied for running clocks).

 

The EZ point module is designed to handle a 12V supply, but that would be a regulated 12V, and not the unregulated and unsmoothed output from an old train set transformer that is actually peaking at nearer 20V. However, the only potential damage would appear to be to the electrolytic capacitors. I don't know what voltage capacitors are supplied with the kit, but it they are only 16V they could blow, often quite spectacularly.

 

 

[Stubby47]

Thanks Ian, that explains a lot.

 

 

[Stubby47]

Meanwhile, The Circle is complete.

More testing has revealed I need hinges with less movement - the gate hinges have too much slop meaning the two levels ( baseboard & loop) are not aligned.

 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2019 by Stubby47

[Stubby47]

Having laid the Circle track, I know realise it's getting close to ballasting time.

 

This will done as a backwater line, rather than a full mainline, so smaller stones, with weeds and moss growing through, especially in the cuttings.

 

As I'm visiting Trelowarren Street anyway today, I might have to wander in to KMRC.

 

 

[St Enodoc]

2 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

As I'm visiting Trelowarren Street anyway today, I might have to wander in to KMRC.

How could you not - unless they were closed?

[Stubby47]

Ballasting has begun.