RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted July 24, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 24, 2020 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! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted July 27, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 27, 2020 (edited) 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. I spoke to soon about the Cobalt IP Point Motors, after a couple of more shorts both lost their addresses. Edited July 27, 2020 by Savoyard 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted July 30, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 30, 2020 Today I think I think I may thought of a slightly different way to magnetic three link coupling. I've just started a new post on it here. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted September 14, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 14, 2020 (edited) 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. 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. I will hopefully have Greenwood Model Railway turntable built and fitted soon. 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. 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. 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. I am waiting for some more SMAILS and once these have arrived I will wire up the new Goods/Fiddle Yard area. Edited September 14, 2020 by Savoyard Correcting the text. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted October 11, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 11, 2020 (edited) 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. Edited October 11, 2020 by Savoyard 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggies1961 Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 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. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aldgate Box Boy Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Hi Julian, I use Marcway points and they are DCC ready they automatically switch polarity as they through, this is a great advantage especially in terms of 3 ways the wiring diagram scared the life out of me. Generally speaking I am very happy with mine best Tim 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted October 17, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 17, 2020 (edited) 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 Edited October 17, 2020 by Savoyard 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted October 19, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 19, 2020 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. 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. 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. 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. I will do a seperate thread on the conversion. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 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. 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 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted October 19, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 19, 2020 They look good John, you've reminded me I need at least two trap points on my layout! I have just done a thread on how I modified the points and made the tie bars at Improving Peco Points Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted October 25, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 25, 2020 (edited) 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. 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 October 25, 2020 by Savoyard 11 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold jcarta Posted October 25, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 25, 2020 That does look good 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted October 25, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 25, 2020 (edited) 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. 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! ) 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! Edited October 25, 2020 by Savoyard 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 Well done with the trackwork. It flows nicely and looks very good. John 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted October 26, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 26, 2020 Here is a video I uploaded earlier of a test run on the layout with a Class 31 and six Darstead Mk 1's, it gives an overview of the layout and the recent additions and changes. https://youtu.be/AhvaYvpzMuQ 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold jcarta Posted October 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 26, 2020 Looks very nice...... very smooth running 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan John Posted October 28, 2020 Share Posted October 28, 2020 On 09/05/2020 at 13:03, Adrian Stevenson said: Hi Peter, they look very nice indeed. Take the spring off the pony truck. My A3 has the same problem but only on points in reverse. This cured it. Cheers, Ade. Hi is it easy to take this spring off Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Adrian Stevenson Posted October 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 28, 2020 Yes, dead easy, just unscrew the bolt and take it off. Cheers, Ade. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted October 28, 2020 Share Posted October 28, 2020 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 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted October 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 28, 2020 (edited) 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. 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. I have a rake of four Bachmann Brassworks Maroon Mk 1's which I now want to replace with the similar Darstead coaches. Edited October 28, 2020 by Savoyard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
47606odin Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 Just remember, early Mark 1’s didn’t have the seperate window frames, so it’s detail difference rather than better detail Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted October 29, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 29, 2020 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. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted October 31, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 31, 2020 The turntable is up and running, not on DCC as yet but I am looking in to the options. Here is a short video of it working. Turntable on YouTube 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted November 10, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 10, 2020 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. I printed the codes on photo paper as it is thicker and seems to defuse the light better. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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