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My first O Gauge layout - Version 2


Savoyard
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  • RMweb Gold

Finally completed the circuit and had a few test runs, just a three way point and the cross over on the fiddle yard side and the new point on the station area to do. I've spent a lot of time getting another three way working with the Smail point motors, the point blades need to be freer to work with a slow motion point, they would probably be OK with a solenoid point motor but since I discovered Tortoise point motors I've never used them.

 

I've used all my Smails and even though I've got plenty of spare Tortoise point motors I don't want to have a separate power feed for LS150's, so I used two Cobalt IP Digital point motors which I am cautious about using as the have a tendency to reset their address after a short. Fortunately tonight the two have behaved themselves despite a couple of shorts on the layout. I contacted DCC Concepts today and they said to return the faulty ones and they will fix them, which I will do next week.

 

I will take some pics and possibly some video tomorrow as I will no doubt be testing different locos! :)

 

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  • RMweb Gold

I had running problems with the Fairburn Tank Engine with the rear bogie lifting on the curves, so this weekend I started relaying the curves at each end of the layout which I completed today and I also reworked the station head shunt.

 

The photo below shows the difference in the alignment of the original curve and the re-laid curve, to get the curve right I created some curved templates in AnyRail, printed them off and then laid the track on top of them.

 

Prior to the change the Hattons Flying Scotsman didn't run well, it now runs smoothly round both ends of the layout. 

  IMG_6056_R35C.jpg.8486af227053c98c7d2b92c5a7c7542f.jpg

 

I spoke to soon about the Cobalt IP Point Motors, after a couple of more shorts both lost their addresses.

 

 

Edited by Savoyard
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  • 1 month later...
  • RMweb Gold

I've not really done much on the layout over the last month or so with holidays and a site visit to Ramchester over the Bank Holiday, a truly inspiring layout, well done Rod and Howard.

 

I have been tinkering with some ideas and this last weekend I finalised these.

 

Firstly the station area, the track layout for this has changed slightly and I've made a mock of the station platforms, the station building has been borrowed from another layout.

 

20200914_001.jpg.fe1f52ae1b0025df0e435e65b175d940.jpg

 

20200914_002.jpg.8d32563d05234c7130f9d136eb3b9b3f.jpg

 

20200914_003.jpg.9fe1a8459e5fc08e067a1d6ea6b1ccea.jpg

 

20200914_004.jpg.331d5facf55ec5398a49fe3cbd9e787e.jpg

 

The next area which has been modified is the engine shed and turntable area, I've changed the position of the turntable so that there is a bigger gap between it and the main line. Here is a mock up.

 

20200914_005.jpg.60cac2025e4f4dfadf32ee0aa1f830fb.jpg

 

I will hopefully have Greenwood Model Railway turntable built and fitted soon.

 

20200914_006.jpg.6d4ca00dd15d2a6f7c5baa57b6ebf170.jpg

 

 

Over the weekend I decided to try and incorporate a passing loop to improve the operational flexibility and after a mock up I purchased another Peco RH curved point and relaid the track and it all works quite nicely.

 

20200914_007.jpg.f00308b151f498f2b4afdf60fdadc3da.jpg

20200914_008.jpg.68df8297e8dd0a9ec26f5c1f718a3984.jpg

20200914_009.jpg.b7195f7c3cbc185899609db4ad966cf4.jpg

 

This area was originally going to be the fiddle yard but I've decided to make it scenic and it will be another goods yard. I've also changed the track layout at the other end of this area as shown here.

 

20200914_010.jpg.dab62f73549c80549f7e3ad4830d77ef.jpg

 

I have decided not to use the Marcway points on the layout as I had to do a lot of modification to the three way point to get it to work with a SMAIL point motor, this will be replaced by a Greenwood Model Railway three way once I've built it.

 

Here is the Marcway three way showing the mods I had to make to get it to work and it still has running problems with some stock.

 

20200914_011.jpg.40a11d8cb2914ffe43e16a4af0a733ad.jpg

 

 

I am waiting for some more SMAILS and once these have arrived I will wire up the new Goods/Fiddle Yard area.

   

Edited by Savoyard
Correcting the text.
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  • 4 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

There has not been much activity on the layout building over the last few weeks but the last two days I installed the turntable and wired it up. The bridge still needs to be finished which I will do once I've got the motor and tested it.

 

IMG_7047c.jpg.36545e824ac55e46f589cd22f2aaef28.jpg

 

 

Edited by Savoyard
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Hi,

Please excuse what might be a daft question have you had to modify your marcway points electrically to get them to work on DCC?

I have some and am considering swapping my peco points for them but I’m not sure of exactly what to do with my limited knowledge of electrickery.

Regards

Julian.

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  • RMweb Gold

Julian,

 

Apologies for not replying sooner. Whilst the points are DCC friendly I didn't want to rely on the point blades for the correct polarity on the frogs so I modified the points in a similar way to the Peco points and use one of the switches on the SMAIL to switch the polarity. I will take some better pictures to show the mods better and post them on here.

 

Whilst the Marcway points are nicely made I found using them with slow motion points not ideal as soon as the point motor hits resistance it stalls, so it took a lot of tweaking to can them working but them I ran into other problems so I decided to use a Greenwood Model Railway 3 way point instead, which I am part way through building at the moment and I hope to have it completed and installed early this week.

 

Peter

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  • RMweb Gold

I have doing various work on the layout.

 

I am still waiting for the motor for the turntable but I've added the rails on the bridge.

 

475524933_IMG_7168c50pc(Copy).jpg.ab195e602b8d097651aa39da51f71d06.jpg

 

I started work on the replacement three way point from Greenwood Model Railways. I needed some details to do the point blades which I got today so I should be able to finish that tomorrow, here is the work so far.

 

207893842_IMG_7166c50pc(Copy).jpg.b57a345fba2caef76d2a6b1d9e891046.jpg 

 

 

There is a thread on the Gauge O Guild Forum about improving PECO points and came up with the following using double sided copper clad and a couple of pins, The photo shows a before and after.

 

1716087111_IMG_7112(Copy).jpg.18b07f1a80bfa5af42e4767ecc337ddd.jpg 

 

 

I've done some minor tweaks increasing the space between the point blades from 28 mm to 29 mm and drilled a hole in the centre for the wire from the SMAIL point motor.

 

The original conversion was on an older PECO point the one below is a current point with the box over the tie bar so I removed this and filled in the gaps with pieces of sleepers, with some weathering it will hide the joins.

 

452510216_IMG_7163c50pc(Copy).jpg.ce28c81696f68f21318700c08d7840f5.jpg

 

I will do a seperate thread on the conversion.

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Nice mod to the Peco turnout.  I've been using JLTRT etched tiebars, with double sided copper clad, which are a fiddle.  The tab that goes against the inside of the blade falls off if you screw up and have to redo.  I modded these with 0.9mm bent wire.

 

P1010153.JPG.1e86a40c1ab13a111db7b3ae3c32c1da.JPG

 

Here's a couple of trap points I made using the tiebars I mentioned.  These actually work and are interlocked with other turnouts.  Yes, I have derailed myself a couple of times.

 

The trickiest thing is to get the blade gap just right.  Peco have it way too wide.

 

John

 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

I finally got round to building the Greenwood Model Railway three way point and it is now on the layout and works quite well, it will probably need some further tweaking but without that it stock runs a lot better over it.

 

IMG_7211c50pc.jpg.2f00586d8514eb8b4a35e889cdf250aa.jpg

IMG_7212c50pc.jpg.80502a784ec4f90465856a4b25753abe.jpg

IMG_7213c50pc.jpg.7935595aa198600a79946185a2ef70ae.jpg

 

I have used the tie bar method on this point as on my PECO conversions. I have some track work to finish and taken the opportunity to realign the back two lines off the three way which should all be done by the evening.

 

On the PECO point conversions I have decided to use PECO Individually replacement sleepers instead of modifying the box sleepers, once they have arrived I will complete the conversions of all the points.

 

 

Edited by Savoyard
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  • RMweb Gold

After a couple of days working on the new three way point and the track around it, I had a tidy up and found I have a desk which has space! The new 3 way works OK a couple of running problems but I am sure these will be easily ironed out.

 

I had a running session and ran a rake of my six Darstead Blood and Custard Mk 1's, this is the first time I had run them all together. I was pleasantly surprised that the station and the passing loop easily accommodated the loco and six coaches.

 

IMG_7215r35pc.jpg.d820593e65fe4272eb7216c257f005a1.jpg

 

IMG_7220c50pc.jpg.98b626ecf6185f387c0d8266074ddfe6.jpg


The new three way gives an extra couple of inches or so on the outside road it can easily accommodate a six coach rake. 

 

The other end of the passing loop showing the new 3 way point (again! :D)

 

IMG_7222c50pc.jpg.0e1a0609dfa779be5c236b1bb4fba8d4.jpg

 

The passing loop gives more operation flexibility and freight can operate between the two goods yards whilst passenger trains are parked in either the passing loop or the station, the back road off the three way can be used for holding the passenger stock that will use the run round side of the station.  I think the layout as it now is will give a lot of running options, that is if I can stop trying out new ideas like magnetic couplings and tie bars! :lol:

Edited by Savoyard
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Hi Peter. Thanks for your valued comments on my Ramchester layout, they were very much appreciated. Next I enjoyed the video of the 31 and the Mark 1's. They look nice on your layout. I intend to buy a rake of Mark 1's but am waiting for the Dapol/Lionheart ones to arrive before I decide which ones to buy. I have now had more practice in controlling Ramchester from my phone using both Android and iphone and on balance I am favouring the former but both work very well. Your layout is coming along fine and you have made a lot of progress over the last few weeks and I am following this with a great deal of interest.

 

Keep us all in touch and more pictures please!

 

Rod

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  • RMweb Gold

HI Rod,

 

I must admit I was wondering about the Dapol/Lionheart but they have plastic sides and I believe are thicker sides and the windows on plastic models never look quite right, so I decided to stay with Dartstead and their brass sides.

 

I know this next bit may mean I have to seek medical help but I bought three more Mk 1's but in Western Region Chocolate and Cream on Monday whilst visiting Ellis Clarke Trains in Skipton.

 

IMG_7242c50pc.jpg.91705d3ebdb9330f1a9daa9af82a4327.jpg

 

These new Mk 1's are an improvement on my original Darstead Blood and Custard Mk 1's. They have improved detailing around the windows including beading, the two pictures illustrate this.

IMG_7247c50pc.jpg.2ab9a4e8e30c11d224362132da25f0d4.jpg

IMG_7246c50pc.jpg.03e9998b1f7aecc258e152eb42efe080.jpg

 

I have a rake of four Bachmann Brassworks Maroon Mk 1's which I now want to replace with the similar Darstead coaches.

 

Edited by Savoyard
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  • RMweb Gold
12 hours ago, 47606odin said:

Just remember, early Mark 1’s didn’t have the seperate window frames, so it’s detail difference rather than better detail

I wasn't aware of that, I just assumed they were just earlier production models, so another plus point to Darstead Mk 1's.  

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

The conversion of the PECO points is nearly complete, I've only three left to convert. I've decided not to convert the curved point on the lift up section for the time being as this is not intended to be a scenic section (yet!).

 

The turntable now works on DCC as well as the keypad.

 

I've been working on some locos. A couple of months ago I bought a DJH Warship from Ellis Clark Trains and this weekend I fitted headcode and tail lights. Today I fitted a Loksound V5 XL sound chip (thanks to Jeremy at Digitrains for the speedy service, I ordered it yesterday and it arrived today in the post).

 

The headcodes on the loco were not suitable as they were on black plastic, so I made my own. I'd downloaded a BR Headcode font from the UKTrainSim site many years ago and played around in Corel Draw, to get the right spacing and have some with the separate blinds slightly off centre which you can do by converting the text to curves and then move the individual characters up or down as required.

 

Here is an example, there is still some tweaking to do as looking at some photos of the real thing the font is a point or two too small, I will experiment further.  

 

IMG_7310c35pc.jpg.e97a6b7101c053fba92ca670a574abd2.jpg  

 

I printed the codes on photo paper as it is thicker and seems to defuse the light better.

 

 

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