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  • RMweb Gold
9 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

Have you got any physical locating device or mechanism to keep the non-hinge end of the board in its correct place?

 

When I first read this I took it to mean the non-hinge end when the flap is lifted.

 

P1010264.JPG.b16871ff1476ce00bb3c995edcfe30f6.JPG

 

Now that it has had time to sink in I think you probably meant when the flap is down. The answer to that is, at the moment, "No". The right-angle keeps it all lined up laterally, so that's not a problem at all. Vertically, there is a small amount of play, but thus far this is easy to keep under control because the fit is tight and the friction maintains the necessary alignment. Unless Mrs Mick comes in and leans on the flap while showing me photographs of the blackberry blossom.

 

Plans are afoot to rectify all this once I've completed all the testing of trains that's really, really necessary at the moment.

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  • RMweb Gold

Is this the New Improved Pre-fabricated Passageway  Lifting Entry System or 

 

N.I.P.P.L.E.S for short? 

 

Rob. 

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  • RMweb Gold

Easton is housed in a wooden building. Wooden floors, wooden walls, wooden legs (the layout!) and wooden baseboard surfaces. Although the building is insulated there is much scope for movement in amongst all of these and that has become apparent now that the decks are cleared and running has commenced in earnest.

 

While the baseboards were being completed everything was carefully measured and levelled using multiple spirit levels, but that was several years ago. When the track was being laid down over the last couple of months I became aware of some slight irregularities in baseboard surfaces, but thought that that would be sorted out later on.

 

With the lifting flap all wired up I assembled some trains that I thought would be suitable for testing continuity, level track and curves that flowed as well as I could make them using Peco geometry. We have available for testing:

  1. Bachmann C Class with 15 steel mineral wagons
  2. Hornby S15 with 6 Presflos
  3. Hornby Battle of Britain with 6 6-wheel milk tanks and a Stove R
  4. Bachmann Standard 4MT 4-6-0 with 3 Maunsell coaches and a GUV

Yes, I am fully aware that none of these would have been seen at Easton, with the remotely possible exception of the last one!

 

This is where they'll be running.

 

P1010301.JPG.23050c9993dc1c7e065e1002034bbeea.JPG

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  • RMweb Gold

There has been some recent discussion about lifting flaps, electrical supply and being careful. I have been unable to find the microswitches that I know I've got somewhere, despite some helpful suggestions.

 

I have been testing trains. More interesting than installing wire. I went to lunch, therefore lifting the flap to leave the room without crawling. I returned from lunch, sat down to power everything back up and run another train, but the phone rang. Concentration gone, I selected my train and off it went.

 

P1010309.JPG.db8013f8358d4e6c9cebaf0b6da9c360.JPG

 

Fortunately, the only damage done was to the cab doors, which were outside the door of the room. The locomotive is a Bachmann Std 4MT 2-6-0, so if you're ever going to drop a locomotive, this is the one!

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  • RMweb Gold
1 hour ago, Stubby47 said:

I have some micro switches I can send you.  If I can find them.

 

I'm not sure whether to click on 'Funny' or 'Thanks'. Both apply.

 

I have ordered some more, thanks Stu, because I'm sure to need some more before long. Just need to be sure to write down where I put them, and then not lose the piece of paper.

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  • RMweb Gold

I thought I knew exactly where there were.  They weren't there...  There are 20 of them, so it's a reasonable sized packet/box/bag/whatever they are in.

 

Ever since I was a cartographic draughtsman (aged 16), I've wanted one of these for myself:

 

https://www.bisleydirect.co.uk/bisley-15-drawer-non-locking-multidrawer-for-home-or-office-h-86-w-28-d-38-cm-h3915nl-dijon?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3uDvrZXZ6QIVBbDtCh1nmgw7EAQYBSABEgKl__D_BwE

 

It would really help me organise things.

Edited by Stubby47
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  • RMweb Gold

There have been a couple of other scenes created in a similar manner to that above, using a further two groups of characters. The first is 'Women Talking' and the second is 'Men Talking'. Similar methods and materials were used. The extremely heavy duty wooden fence across which the ladies chatter originated as coffee stirrers and I think I should have done a bit more work on them before sticking them down, like halving the thickness.

 

IMG_2550_Cropped.JPG.e2afca3ed0872f9ea85427b5ae7b428e.JPG

 

 

IMG_3810.JPG.424e5f20dd06105a732cdb9c8167c4f0.JPG

 

I should say at this point that the material now used for printing these figures is of a much higher quality (and grey rather than red) and does not need priming before painting.

 

I have just looked in my box reserved for figures and find that Easton will be having the highest population density  in the South of England.

Edited by Mick Bonwick
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28 minutes ago, Mick Bonwick said:

 

IMG_3810.JPG.424e5f20dd06105a732cdb9c8167c4f0.JPG

 

 

Looks like the Chairman's having a stern word with some slackers. The bearded bloke looks a bit shifty. ;)

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18 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

Looks like the Chairman's having a stern word with some slackers. The bearded bloke looks a bit shifty. ;)

And on top of that, the chap with the fag is selling sausages on LM.

Boy, he gets around a bit on that bike of his!

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  • RMweb Gold
20 hours ago, Mick Bonwick said:

I have just looked in my box reserved for figures and find that Easton will be having the highest population density  in the South of England.

 

Hmmm, that chimes with me - I have a drawer full of people all waiting to get out onto un-prototypically over-populated streets!

(But they appealed to me at the time of purchase!).

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12 minutes ago, Tony Teague said:

 

Hmmm, that chimes with me - I have a drawer full of people all waiting to get out onto un-prototypically over-populated streets!

(But they appealed to me at the time of purchase!).

How about a long que of them outside the cinema?

 

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