Heath Town and other signalling diversions

[Sasquatch]

Hi Paul.

 

Wonderfully neat wiring job, one can only dream of achieving such order!

 

Hope that you are enjoying your new home especially the railway room.

 

Regards Shaun

[melmerby]

On 24/04/2021 at 14:57, ISW said:

Paul,

 

 

 agree with the sentiments regarding chocolate-block connectors. Yes, I did use them for the board-to-board jumper cables, but I did take the additional step of soldering all the copper strands together on each wire before clamping into the blocks. That solved the 'stray strands' issue, plus it gave something more positive for the screw terminal to clamp onto.

Ian

Soldering the strands is considered bad practice as solder creeps over time and you get poor connections.

That's the theory, however my thinner multistrand cables are soldered else I couldn't get a decent bite on them.

[ISW]

10 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Soldering the strands is considered bad practice as solder creeps over time and you get poor connections.

That's the theory,

That's a new one on me. Looks like I'll be going around the layout with a screwdriver tightening the chocolate block screws every once-in-a-while. Thankfully, the jumper cables see no movement or flexing in 'normal' operations, so it 'shouldn't' be an issue. Famous last words ... Now where did I put that Sods Law manual?

 

Ian

[melmerby]

15 minutes ago, ISW said:

That's a new one on me. Looks like I'll be going around the layout with a screwdriver tightening the chocolate block screws every once-in-a-while. Thankfully, the jumper cables see no movement or flexing in 'normal' operations, so it 'shouldn't' be an issue. Famous last words ... Now where did I put that Sods Law manual?

 

Ian

When I first heard about it I was puzzled as I had been working in electronics since the 1960s and tinning stranded cables was normal practice when putting them in terminal blocks.

Mind you, quite a few wired on 13A plugs still have tinned stranded cable ends.

 

Ideally a crimped end should be the way to do it, but I never found I have the correct size crimp.

 

The best choc block type terminals are the ones with a springy metal strip which the screw clamps the wire with.

Edited April 26, 2021 by melmerby

[5BarVT]

12 hours ago, Sasquatch said:

Hi Paul.

 

Wonderfully neat wiring job, one can only dream of achieving such order!

 

Hope that you are enjoying your new home especially the railway room.

 

Regards Shaun

Thanks Shaun.  Wiring is the one thing I can do; we’ll see what happens when I get to the scenery stage . . . But as my main enjoyment is recreating operating sequences it may only be rudimentary.  As ever, there is a broad range of interests in this hobby.

We are enjoying our new home, getting more and more settled as time passes.  And not just the house, the locality is less urban than before and within walking distance of two wooded areas (country park and nature reserve) where you can get away from traffic noise and hear only the birds (plus the occasional passing aircraft).

Paul.

[5BarVT]

PRODUCTION LINE

I cleared my workbench last week (cleared, not tidied - it just got moved to a new 'dumping ground' shelf).

Three DCC/Track Circuit interfaces and one power distribution board for the new power box.

Today's task was to make up the first of four MERG District Cut Out Boards (DCOB).  Nice to make with clear instructions and test procedures.  A smaller tip will make the next one easier to solder, so one has been ordered (complete with iron attached . . .).  Now I will be able to swap between fine work and track droppers without having to change tips, just plug in the other iron.

Paul. 

[ISW]

2 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

Today's task was to make up the first of four MERG District Cut Out Boards (DCOB).  Nice to make with clear instructions and test procedures.  A smaller tip will make the next one easier to solder, so one has been ordered (complete with iron attached . . .).

Paul,

 

I had to Google 'MERG DCOB' to find out what it was, only to discover that it's MERG Kit #57 of which I recently assembled 8. Yes, nice kit, good instructions. Just don't put too much solder on the components. The pads are very small and get 'bridged' if you use too much. Now, I wonder how I found that out?

 

I had to set mine to 6ms delay (the lowest, other than 0ms ...) to avoid 'false' detections of short circuits when 'some' rolling stock passed through 'some' electrofrog crossings.

 

Ian

[5BarVT]

56 minutes ago, ISW said:

I had to set mine to 6ms delay (the lowest, other than 0ms ...) to avoid 'false' detections of short circuits when 'some' rolling stock passed through 'some' electrofrog crossings.

Thanks Ian.

I was going to start at 0mS and see what happens.  I will eventually have two diamonds in one district and I was thinking that might need a higher setting.  Time will tell.

Paul.

[5BarVT]

EARTHQUAKE DISRUPTS RAILWAY

Our Express and Star transport reporter advises that following the incidents of fly tipping on the Heath Town station site, what appears to be an earthquake has caused ground level to drop by about 40 feet between Heath Town station and Heath Town junction.  A railway engineer advises that this will further delay the temporary resumption of services but in the long term might be of benefit as there is now a large flat area suitable for preparing track components for other parts of the scheme.

 

 

Paul.

Edited May 10, 2021 by 5BarVT
Photo added

[5BarVT]

Two further baseboards built - into the paint shop tomorrow (hopefully).

Paul.

[5BarVT]

MEASURE TWICE CUT ONCE

No paint shop activity as I decided to construct the next board first.  This is the most difficult of the flat boards (gradients come later) as it has angled edges defined by the squareness of the room (fairly good) and warping of the IKEA supports (worse!) so it needs to be knife & fork’ construction rather than ‘as designed’.

I very carefully measured and cut - a perfect fit.

Then glued on with the end piece upside down . . . 
Very well glued on too, so I wasn’t going to get it off without damage to the end piece.  Nothing for it but to cut off the old side piece and build new (also carefully measured and a perfect fit).

 

Old corner piece on the left, new side on the right.

Paul.

Edited April 2, 2022 by 5BarVT
Photo reload.

[St Enodoc]

13 minutes ago, 5BarVT said:

MEASURE TWICE CUT ONCE

No paint shop activity as I decided to construct the next board first.  This is the most difficult of the flat boards (gradients come later) as it has angled edges defined by the squareness of the room (fairly good) and warping of the IKEA supports (worse!) so it needs to be knife & fork’ construction rather than ‘as designed’.

I very carefully measured and cut - a perfect fit.

Then glued on with the end piece upside down . . . 
Very well glued on too, so I wasn’t going to get it off without damage to the end piece.  Nothing for it but to cut off the old side piece and build new (also carefully measured and a perfect fit).

Old corner piece on the left, new side on the right.

Paul.

Measure twice, cut once, throw away, measure again...

[Clive Mortimore]

Flat and level baseboards are the hardest to do. Gradients are dead easy, just ask the passengers at Sheffield Exchange what the roller coaster is like. Woodwork and me are not the bestest of mates.

 

As for getting things to fit, don't you have a selection of 'ammers?

[5BarVT]

37 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

As for getting things to fit, don't you have a selection of 'ammers?

If I'd taken the photo at a different angle you would see the imprint of the Brummagem Screwdriver that gave rise to the 'very well glued on phrase'!  I did try.

Paul.

[5BarVT]

PAINT SHOP PROGRESS

 

The extra board has been finished so all three have entered the paint shop.

 

Sez who I don’t need empty Pickfords boxes.

Paul.

Edited April 2, 2022 by 5BarVT
Photo reload.

[5BarVT]

EARTHMOVING PART 2

Four more IVAR supports have been cut down to their final size so the station boards are now sitting at their design height.

Still being used as dumping grounds mind.

Paul.

[5BarVT]

AND OUT OF THE PAINT SHOP

. . . the head of foam moves relentlessly onwards.  Not only is RM a good read, it is a good construction tool too.  (As is MR!)

Underneath that lot the Head of Closed Cell Foam is about to meet up and I will no longer have any excuse for putting off track laying.

 

 

Paul.

Edited April 2, 2022 by 5BarVT
Photo reload.

[5BarVT]

TRACKLAYING 

 

 

Paul.

Edited April 2, 2022 by 5BarVT
Photo reload.

[Clive Mortimore]

On 20/06/2021 at 13:00, 5BarVT said:

AND OUT OF THE PAINT SHOP

. . . the head of foam moves relentlessly onwards.  Not only is RM a good read, it is a good construction tool too.  (As is MR!)

Underneath that lot the Head of Closed Cell Foam is about to meet up and I will no longer have any excuse for putting off track laying.

 

Paul.

All very neat and tidy.

 

1 hour ago, 5BarVT said:

TRACKLAYING 

Paul.

Now you beginning to look like a real modeller.

Edited June 23, 2021 by Clive Mortimore

[Graham T]

That's a level of organisation and tidiness that I can only aspire to ... 

[5BarVT]

LE TOUR SEASON

Progress will be even more glacial for the next three weeks - it’s Le Tour.  Shaping up to be quite entertaining this year.

Today’s minor progress is starting the supports for the next baseboard.  Not because it’s anywhere near production, but because they support the cable run to the boards where I’m track laying.

Paul.

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, 5BarVT said:

LE TOUR SEASON

Progress will be even more glacial for the next three weeks - it’s Le Tour.  Shaping up to be quite entertaining this year.

Today’s minor progress is starting the supports for the next baseboard.  Not because it’s anywhere near production, but because they support the cable run to the boards where I’m track laying.

Paul.

Two big crashes always make good entertainment!

[5BarVT]

8 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Two big crashes always make good entertainment!

Yes and No: for me it’s more a feeling of sadness - same as when Alun Wyn had to go off and is out of Lions tour.

<Rant on>

And incredulity/frustration at the eejit spectator who caused the first crash.

<Rant off>

The raw emotion when Matthieu van der Poul not only won the stage yesterday but got the yellow jersey too, having calculated that he needed the bonus points from the last climb as well as the stage victory to get yellow, was quite something.

Cycling is a funny sport as it’s individuals who win, but can’t do it on their own.  It took me a while to get used to breakaways that know they have no chance of making it to the finish (usually).  We have the benefit of ITV4 coverage here in the UK and I’ve learnt a lot from the insights of the ex pro cyclists.

Paul.

[37Oban]

Hi,

 

I've "converted" a football fan to the delights of Le Tour!  He's grown fed up of the myriad excuses of over-paid wusses who complain about being tired if they play two games a week!  He watched the stage yesterday and was blown away by the riders, and has trouble getting his head around that they are doing the same again today.  I wonder what he'll think when they reach the mountain stages!?

 

Roja

[5BarVT]

Some progress has been made as well as childcare and Tour watching.

 

 

The track has been laid and droppers wired up, apart from two cross board sections to go in lower left.  Both have been purchased and one is stuck down ready for droppers.  The other is mislaid!

More work on power distribution to get DCC to this board and data cabling for the loconet signal.  once that is done it will be complete and a train might just move.

Paul.

Edited July 10, 2021 by 5BarVT
Adding words to photo.