monon Formerly Round and Round a new beginning - now CHIRM

[enginelane]

I have enjoyed building Vimes Street and learnt a lot about layout building. However lack of planning at various stages has in built restrictions to the layout developing further. Opportunity at the club arose where a club layout had come to the end of its life and I was successful in bidding for its baseboards. The baseboards are well built and will create a firm foundation into which a new layout will be built. The main difference will be that baseboards will create an oval so round and round running can occur and more spacious fiddleyard can be accommodated. The main railroad will still be Monon but with an interchange line being added to allow another railroad to feature. It will require some remodelling of the garage space once more but will allow a further development in skills. Baseboards will not become available for awhile and until then will enjoy running Vimes Street.

Edited November 22, 2021 by enginelane
Change of topic title

[NickBrad]

Hmmm, it will be interesting to see what track plans develop for this

[enginelane]

Measured up the maximum space in the garage and the boards are 4 ft by 2 ft. Length wise 12 ft can be accommodated and leave space for tools, storage and width wise 7ft 11 in! There will have to be a lift out section at the garage door end to enable the mower, work mate etc to be moved in and out. 

 

So lots of decisions to be made and what to incorporate. 

[long island jack]

Your first major job, is getting SWMBO to ok it.

 

Ray

Tip, move any throwable objects ie hammers, chisels etc when you ask!!!

[enginelane]

That bit was not meet with universal approval and her impending retirement from work - tomorrow, is not filling me with 100 % happiness, eg when to get my parcels of goodies delivered etc. Vimes Street has gone as far as it can go. There are too many inbuilt construction errors to make it worthwhile modifying it, not magazine material it appears, 9 hrs last week in hospital having heart rate brought down and prospect of heart being rebooted to factory settings in the future means grasp the opportunity. 

[enginelane]

Heart problem seems to have settled down and this is a hobby can do if cannot be as active as wanted to be. So little and often might be the way. Took the down time to think of what I wanted to achieve and bearing in mind Vimes Street is 5 years old as of last Wednesday since it was started less is more balanced with being able to sustain interest once it’s completed.

 

 

 

 

 

[rodshaw]

On 21/05/2019 at 07:16, enginelane said:

That bit was not meet with universal approval and her impending retirement from work - tomorrow, is not filling me with 100 % happiness, eg when to get my parcels of goodies delivered etc.

"Ooh, goodness me, I'd forgotten all about this, I ordered it cheap weeks ago...did you think it was those clothes you ordered?"

[enginelane]

Heavy rain has meant planned work whilst wife in Germany has had to be changed as plan was to decant inside of garage outside and give good clean etc. However has given opportunity to review the space and in order to get in the necessary tool storage, paint pots and general storage layout will have to be 10 ft by nominal 8 ft. Stir crazy cats who have been trapped in the house for 2 days meant a Verny early get up of 4.30 but time to think about plans.

 

so far the cunning plan is

 

Double track leading into single track over the removeable garage door end. There is space to put in an interchange junction at the garage door end which could lead to a removeable off scene fiddleyard.

 

small depot

 

stone working works as Monon did carry a lot of limestone

 

timber yard

 

chemical works

 

Warehousing.

 

baseboards awaiting being stripped off reuseable parts at the club rooms as currently has code 100  DC wired track on it.

 

 

 

 

 

[NickBrad]

I look forward to seeing the latest plans emerge into a physical layout

[enginelane]

Very wet week so plans to clear out garage etc did not happen so decided that the lift out section will include a road underpass. Also discovered behind a piece of board 6 boxes containing freight cars as well as an Atlas H15 16-44 that is dual mode decoder pre installed. Works fine on DC but not DCC. Anyone had experience of this form of decoder? 

[Prof Klyzlr]

Dear EngineLane,

 

RE Atlas Dual-mode decoders

 

NB that some Atlas "Dual mode" (NON Sound!) locos are "dual mode" by dint of having a physical "amalog/DCC" jumper,
(likely Just ABOVE the Arrow-head TIP of the "DCC P.C. BOARD 345" arrow on the diagram below)

 

 

 https://www.hoseeker.org/assemblyexplosionAtlas/atlasfmh151644pg1.jpg
(A direct clickable link, as the auto-embedded image version seems problematic.
Also attached standalone, see below)

 

Once you have the jumper configured so that the decoder _is_ actually "in circuit",
follow the provided info below to configure the decoder,
inc enabling the more-typical CV29 "operate on analog" mode
 

http://download.atlasrr.com/pdf/HO_H15-44Manual_Atlas.pdf

 

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

 

 

Edited June 18, 2019 by Prof Klyzlr
Infuriating auto-embed image system failure

[enginelane]

Hi, Cannot Open the jpeg and should have attached these images before. The blanking plug has only 4 pins and the socket has only 6 holes. It made that the circuit board is not the chip and I have mis understood what dual meant. 

[Prof Klyzlr]

Dear EngineLance,

 

No, you understand correctly. That is exactly the jumper plug in question.
(It is _NOT_ a "8-pin decoder plug" for installing a seperate/new/other-manuf decoder,
|it is a "Operating mode switch/jumper")

NB that as the plug has 4 (two pair) of pins,
it can be placed in _either_

 

- "closest to the Truck" position

OR

- "closest to the Fueltank" position
(the position shown in your second image)

 

One of those positions is "hardwired for analog, decoder is NOT in circuit"
(I suspect this is the position the jumper was in when you reported "Analog works, DCC not-so-much")

 

the other is "Decoder IS in circuit, should operate on DCC"
(Yes, the board _is_ a Motor+Light decoder,
assuming the Jumper is in the correct position! ;-) ) 

 

SO, try moving the jumper "to the other position",

and retest...

 

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

 

PS remember that Atlas tends to ship "DCC equipped" locos with the decoder address the same as the cab number,

so be sure to try _both_ the typical NMRA default "Address 3", _and_ the loco cab number...

Edited June 18, 2019 by Prof Klyzlr

[long island jack]

18 hours ago, enginelane said:

Hi, Cannot Open the jpeg and should have attached these images before. The blanking plug has only 4 pins and the socket has only 6 holes. It made that the circuit board is not the chip and I have mis understood what dual meant. 

where you've got the plug (above) is DCC mode, as Prof said, try loco number, even better do factory reset

[DCB]

A well engineered lifting or lift out section is key to the enjoyment of this sort of layout.  I had many months of extreme difficulty in getting in the shed, possibly 18 months, during which I barely did any modelling at all.  However we rebuilt the lift sections, its two level one above the other, using car bonnet hinges and some sound engineering instead of household door hinges and applied bodgery, and now we can lift the decks and get someone in or out within 30 sec without actually stopping the train.   The end rails have to be adjusted with temperature summer / winter but its no big deal.   If you want to duck under put the sides above the base, I slotted one with a plough plane and had 2X1 sides projecting 1" above the tracks.   Engineer in the lift out at an early stage to avoid troubles later.

Well worth using second hand timber for the lift out, as a GWR notice from 1895 advised as it is less likely to warp!

[enginelane]

On 18/06/2019 at 10:31, long island jack said:

where you've got the plug (above) is DCC mode, as Prof said, try loco number, even better do factory reset

 

 

Thanks just back from a stay in hospital as heart decided to race away so when get sorted will try as suggested 

[enginelane]

On 18/06/2019 at 11:34, DavidCBroad said:

A well engineered lifting or lift out section is key to the enjoyment of this sort of layout.  I had many months of extreme difficulty in getting in the shed, possibly 18 months, during which I barely did any modelling at all.  However we rebuilt the lift sections, its two level one above the other, using car bonnet hinges and some sound engineering instead of household door hinges and applied bodgery, and now we can lift the decks and get someone in or out within 30 sec without actually stopping the train.   The end rails have to be adjusted with temperature summer / winter but its no big deal.   If you want to duck under put the sides above the base, I slotted one with a plough plane and had 2X1 sides projecting 1" above the tracks.   Engineer in the lift out at an early stage to avoid troubles later.

Well worth using second hand timber for the lift out, as a GWR notice from 1895 advised as it is less likely to warp!

 

 

Yes it will be tricky but unless I have it then cannot lawnmower out, work mate etc. I do have some seasoned timber stored away to use

[enginelane]

On 18/06/2019 at 09:24, Prof Klyzlr said:

Dear EngineLance,

 

No, you understand correctly. That is exactly the jumper plug in question.
(It is _NOT_ a "8-pin decoder plug" for installing a seperate/new/other-manuf decoder,
|it is a "Operating mode switch/jumper")

NB that as the plug has 4 (two pair) of pins,
it can be placed in _either_

 

- "closest to the Truck" position

OR

- "closest to the Fueltank" position
(the position shown in your second image)

 

One of those positions is "hardwired for analog, decoder is NOT in circuit"
(I suspect this is the position the jumper was in when you reported "Analog works, DCC not-so-much")

 

the other is "Decoder IS in circuit, should operate on DCC"
(Yes, the board _is_ a Motor+Light decoder,
assuming the Jumper is in the correct position! ;-) ) 

 

SO, try moving the jumper "to the other position",

and retest...

 

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

 

PS remember that Atlas tends to ship "DCC equipped" locos with the decoder address the same as the cab number,

so be sure to try _both_ the typical NMRA default "Address 3", _and_ the loco cab number...

 

 

Thanks and I have it working, it was numbered as per the body it came on! It’s a very sweet runner. Many thanks for your assistance, much appreciated 

[enginelane]

On 18/06/2019 at 10:31, long island jack said:

where you've got the plug (above) is DCC mode, as Prof said, try loco number, even better do factory reset

 

It is working! Thanks for the help! 

[enginelane]

3 day stay in hospital and a lot of time to reflect and plan. Space is confirmed as 10 ft by 7 ft 11 in and the radius of the curves is going to be the key element . Less is going to be more, fiddleyard will originally be left with no scenery but will at later date become a yard.

 

Timber yard with building supplies, chemical works, some warehousing, repair depot .

 

branch, interchange line to include some quarry traffic

 

single line over the removeable section

[enginelane]

3 day stay in hospital and a lot of time to reflect and plan. Space is confirmed as 10 ft by 7 ft 11 in and the radius of the curves is going to be the key element . Less is going to be more, fiddleyard will originally be left with no scenery but will at later date become a yard.

 

Timber yard with building supplies, chemical works, some warehousing, repair depot .

 

branch, interchange line to include some quarry traffic

 

single line over the removeable section

[enginelane]

3 day stay in hospital and a lot of time to reflect and plan. Space is confirmed as 10 ft by 7 ft 11 in and the radius of the curves is going to be the key element . Less is going to be more, fiddleyard will originally be left with no scenery but will at later date become a yard.

 

Timber yard with building supplies, chemical works, some warehousing, repair depot .

 

branch, interchange line to include some quarry traffic

 

single line over the removeable section

[enginelane]

Had a play with AnyRail whilst a very boring French Grand Prix was on this afternoon. Yes I know you can Dee the joins!

 

i think this is basically what I have in mind but not necessarily in the final positions. Large curves at 36 in others at 33 in. Fiddleyard not really detailed 

[enginelane]

3 baseboards from the an old club layout have been stripped and laid out is the length of 10 foot and half the width which will be 8ft. Awaiting king board to be stripped so can erect at the moment. Boards are well made seasoned wood,  have pattern maker dowels and suitcase fasteners so firm foundation to build up.

[enginelane]

Illness has slowed down progress but time spent whilst in hospital finalised track plan. After club Open Day this weekend further boards can be stripped of useable parts and the bare baseboards added to the pile in the garage.