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Lapford in N gauge.


Cowley 47521
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39 minutes ago, jcredfer said:

 

Centre of the Universe, just so true!!  The centre of a real civilisation, where peaceful folk could exist with mutual support, with sensible caution about the monoliths and much social fun in the village hall - something which suffers a natural diminishing return - inversly proportional to the distance from Eggesford. 

 

Also one of the start points for the RAC Rally, in 1971, which included an additional steam roller hazard round the second bend from the start.   Oooopps!!  It claimed the first three off the Mark.  The moral of the story is - don't mess with the Eggesford monoliths!!

 

julian

 


What an excellent little anecdote. Yet again you surpass yourself Julian!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Argh. I have a broken point in the middle of the layout tonight which has led to much sulking...

It’s the main point into the yard and I’ve frequently had problems with locos stalling on it. Unfortunately now though it seems like the spring has come loose underneath and having never had to deal with this problem before I’m a little stumped as to what to do. Any advice much appreciated and here’s a photo of the fun killing article...

 

65BAACFA-F919-4E81-ACC3-A20027705155.jpeg.687f912b4515a7f0c4f13ff1f534b08d.jpeg

 

The tie bar has gone out of centre and this is how it looked after I’d removed the motor and pin from underneath.

I’m considering cutting it out and replacing the entire thing at the moment. Not sure what to do to be honest?

 

 

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The spring isn't required with a motor drive.  If you can remove the spring, with a pair of pliers, the motor / points should be ok again.  I can't remember which motors you are using, but it would be easier to remove the spring / bits with the motor disconnected, if possible.

 

Julian

 

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7 minutes ago, jcredfer said:

The spring isn't required with a motor drive.  If you can remove the spring, with a pair of pliers, the motor / points should be ok again.  I can't remember which motors you are using, but it would be easier to remove the spring / bits with the motor disconnected, if possible.

 

Julian

 

How do you get the spring out with the point in situ?

 

Edit found here, about 14 mins in.

 

Edited by woodenhead
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4 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

How do you get the spring out with the point in situ?

In truth, I have only seen / used a pair of fine nosed pliers to grip it and pull it out.  It is rather crude and is better for looking at which direction to pull each end.  In truth it isn't subtle and benefits from some support for the tie bar.

 

Julian

 

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Thanks guys.

I’m not going to jump into it until I’m certain of what I need to do (for obvious reasons), but I’ve got your standard Peco point motors under the board with the long pins. If there’s a chance that it’ll work without the spring and I can find a way of removing it then I’ll probably give that a go first.

I just don’t want to make things worse!

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Hi,

If you are using the point blades to power the frog (point crossing vee) you may need to change the point motor for a 'latching' type such as the seep PM4. I had a similar problem on a previous layout, in the end I had to replace the point, not for the faint hearted... careful removal was the key. Installation of the replacement was relatively easy by comparison.

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2 hours ago, Duncan. said:

Hi,

If you are using the point blades to power the frog (point crossing vee) you may need to change the point motor for a 'latching' type such as the seep PM4. I had a similar problem on a previous layout, in the end I had to replace the point, not for the faint hearted... careful removal was the key. Installation of the replacement was relatively easy by comparison.


Yes I think it might end up being that changing the point is the best option really Duncan. 
The next issue though is I’m not quite sure what I need to order. It’s about 12.5cm long on the straight side and it’s a code 55 electrofrog. I’ll do a bit of research when I get home later but I think that’s basically the short length point that Peco do isn’t it?

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Nice video of the Barnstaple Mail.  [Must be a whole months worth of mail there.....    :jester:   Hat, coat, gone..... ]  

 

Peco, SL-391F - 12.3cm Code 55 Right.

           SL-392F - 12.3cm Code 55 Left.

 

According to AnyRail Track Libraries.

 

Julian

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4 hours ago, jcredfer said:

Nice video of the Barnstaple Mail.  [Must be a whole months worth of mail there.....    :jester:   Hat, coat, gone..... ]  

 

Peco, SL-391F - 12.3cm Code 55 Right.

           SL-392F - 12.3cm Code 55 Left.

 

According to AnyRail Track Libraries.

 

Julian


Very helpful thanks Julian.

Feel free to put your hat and coat back on the hook while I arrange for them to be cleaned and pressed (well maybe not the hat)...

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Either swap the point motor or swap the point. Personally I'd go for swapping the point motor first as it will cause less disruption to the scenics. 

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3 hours ago, Cowley 47521 said:


Very helpful thanks Julian.

Feel free to put your hat and coat back on the hook while I arrange for them to be cleaned and pressed (well maybe not the hat)...

 

Interesting to see that Peco are moving along with replacing their Electro-frog versions, with replacement Uni-frog versions.  I'm not sure how bang up-to-date the AnyRail track replications are, so it might be worth looking at the Peco site, or your local supplier, to see if the SL-E391/2 has been updated with a new Uni-frog replacement and may be available.

 

Julian

 

From the far side of the garden fence.........

 

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5 hours ago, Kris said:

Either swap the point motor or swap the point. Personally I'd go for swapping the point motor first as it will cause less disruption to the scenics. 


Thanks for your thoughts guys.

I’m going for a complete replacement as it’s been causing me problems for a while now and I think with careful use of a Dremel I should be able to extract it without too many problems. as I’ve got a little bit of track next to it that I can replace and use to slide the fishplates up hopefully.

I did look at the Uni-frog points but I wasn’t entirely certain that the dimensions would be exactly the same?

Apart from that issue has anyone tried to buy any of these recently? All of the main suppliers were sold out but I managed to find one on Amazon and one through a supplier I hadn’t heard of before. I couldn’t see anything in the Peco thread but it seems like they’re having some supply issues at Beer.

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Hi, as far as the AnyRail information goes, the shorter 12.3cm Uni-frog points are not yet available, but that may be not up to date.  However, the direct replacement for your problem points should be available.  

 

Good luck with the soaking of the ballast, to free the points from it.

 

J

 

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6 minutes ago, jcredfer said:

Good luck with the soaking of the ballast, to free the points from it.

 

J

 


I had to dig out some magnets from under the track before Christmas and in the end I dissolved the glue with some thinners which worked pretty well.

However if you hear any swearing coming from the Cowley Bridge area next week it’ll probably be best to look down at the ground and just hurry past  on the opposite side of the road...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Morning everyone. 
 

This is not an update but more a hope that someone can give me some advice really.

For a while now I haven’t been happy with the printed coverings of the brick warehouse on the layout, but at the time I couldn’t work out a way of doing it because on the real thing the windows are almost flush with the walls and there’s absolutely loads of them. 
B86EB060-313C-49CD-8AE7-9695264E13E3.jpeg.88e85c80f7f8e6139f7b517464be2bcc.jpeg

 

What I’d like to have done is maybe a 3D printed version but I’ve got absolutely no idea how to go about it and having spent a while looking through the 3D printing threads on here there’s some beautiful models but I just don’t understand how it’s done and the jargon is beyond me. 


The other option is to find (or have made) a load of windows that look the same as on the real thing and have a go at knocking up a better version out of plasticard.

The more stuff I see on here the more it makes me want to improve on what I’ve done.

 

Any thoughts much appreciated!

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So my thoughts would be that the models above show what I believe is printed details - you've designed something and printed it, to scale and added embellishments.  That displays you do have ability with computers, where am I going with this, hopefully not insulting you :)

 

At the moment I am looking a building a REST API to extract paginated data from a remote database using a new language I haven't used before, it is involves the same logic as a Do....While loop but in M language it looks nothing like Do...While.  Hear me out..... :)  I understand the basic concept but this new way of doing it is currently confounding me, but in a few days I will have got it working, there will be a dataset and I will be pleased with myself.  I'll do it by building blocks, I cannot expect to do it all in one go, so I will build my knowledge gradually.

 

Yes, the 3D modelling looks complicated, but lots of people are doing it, they weren't all experts in the beginning and they've now got to a point where they can happily make something that aids their model making.

 

My advice would be find a free CAD application and download it, begin by simply building blocks and getting used to how the system works, then embellish the blocks with things like corrugated or brick sides, put holes in and then add a window frame.  Go to Youtube and search 3d CAD and 3d printing, there will be lots of people out there wanting to share their knowledge, it's how I ended up doing DCC on my latest layout - I saw someone put a chip in a Farish 08, he sounded like me, and I finally began to believe perhaps I could do that too.  Last weekend I put a soldering iron onto the DCC board in a brand new Dapol class 50 and soldered in a wire no thicker than a hair to install a speaker, never tried that before but I'd seen enough instructional videos on youtube (and youchoos) to believe I could do it too.

 

Jump in, what's the worst that can happen?

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2 hours ago, woodenhead said:

So my thoughts would be that the models above show what I believe is printed details - you've designed something and printed it, to scale and added embellishments.  That displays you do have ability with computers, where am I going with this, hopefully not insulting you :)

 

At the moment I am looking a building a REST API to extract paginated data from a remote database using a new language I haven't used before, it is involves the same logic as a Do....While loop but in M language it looks nothing like Do...While.  Hear me out..... :)  I understand the basic concept but this new way of doing it is currently confounding me, but in a few days I will have got it working, there will be a dataset and I will be pleased with myself.  I'll do it by building blocks, I cannot expect to do it all in one go, so I will build my knowledge gradually.

 

Yes, the 3D modelling looks complicated, but lots of people are doing it, they weren't all experts in the beginning and they've now got to a point where they can happily make something that aids their model making.

 

My advice would be find a free CAD application and download it, begin by simply building blocks and getting used to how the system works, then embellish the blocks with things like corrugated or brick sides, put holes in and then add a window frame.  Go to Youtube and search 3d CAD and 3d printing, there will be lots of people out there wanting to share their knowledge, it's how I ended up doing DCC on my latest layout - I saw someone put a chip in a Farish 08, he sounded like me, and I finally began to believe perhaps I could do that too.  Last weekend I put a soldering iron onto the DCC board in a brand new Dapol class 50 and soldered in a wire no thicker than a hair to install a speaker, never tried that before but I'd seen enough instructional videos on youtube (and youchoos) to believe I could do it too.

 

Jump in, what's the worst that can happen?


That’s a great reply thanks for that. 
I actually got my stepbrother to design the front with some photos, print the paper out for the warehouse and he posted it down to me. He designs his own t-shirts so he’s good at that sort of thing.

I’ve already learnt something though in that I didn’t realise you could download a CAD application for free. We’ve got an iMac (not particularly new) so I’ll have a look at what’s available later and as you say, jump in.

Edited by Cowley 47521
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I haven’t had a chance to look at the 3D printing stuff yet but I have been busy doing other things for project Eggishford...

First up I finally bit the bullet and made a start on the station building roof. What a ridiculously complicated building to make from scratch this is. I knew it would be difficult and that I’d have to make a few compromises here and there (hence Eggishford) but even so it taxed me to the limit!

The nice thing though is that it barely cost me anything and it’s a bit unusual. 

Here’s the finished article although I have weathered some of the stonework since I took the photos:

 

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I also had a bash at the boxy signalbox and I’m not going to tell you that it hasn’t got the right amount of windows because if I don’t tell you hopefully you won’t notice (It’s the right amount of windows for Eggishford anyway):

 

835FCD04-0D0E-4977-BA45-F7811733575A.jpeg.ae093effd0f807eb83b23df856bd9333.jpeg
 

An interior I hear you say? Well of course! Even though nobody will ever see it...

I really enjoyed making this building actually, and it was done entirely out of bits from my scrap box. Compared to the station it was somewhat easier to make. Both buildings will have lights in eventually.
 

E70FF391-AAFB-4729-B1FA-A4F94DB10F8A.jpeg.ff63fb7c08f5b43520c1ebcb945c4e4e.jpeg
 

My friend said to me the other day “Nick, you have literally made the ugliest railway building in Devon. Well done.”

 

DF0017E6-5F10-4DD4-8DF7-1DD28B6A7115.jpeg.2cdde7f3f8a770fb0236b26e57cbe9bd.jpeg
 

Last but not least I decided to have a go at making this bridge which is near Nymet Roland, which will form part of the scenic break for the Barnstaple end of the Lapford section:

B4D4991B-33B2-45D4-A5B3-2E60536C1720.jpeg.cffcf8469b827f031aa1ed8d14a1100f.jpeg

 

The real one is between Lapford and Eggesford but I’ve used modellers license and moved it much much closer to Lapford. It’s a lovely structure and is actually formed of five arches, the furthest three to the right of the running line cross the river and associated banks. My river won’t be quite as deep but the bridge will step down and cross my stream/river in the same way. 
Here’s a couple of photos of it coming together, again entirely made of bits I had kicking around, which is why there’s a few joins here and there which I’ll disguise with undergrowth and ivy eventually:

 

ABD08294-A13E-4DF0-BE0F-7104AD77515E.jpeg.2a3cc8145a97a6656f062e7a07062125.jpeg

 

E552E653-2A09-452E-A7ED-5ADA3C8F6B31.jpeg.299b392f32eebfd0550a358a881b0928.jpeg

 

The railway arch is higher than the other arches on the real thing which is why I’ve done it like that and I’ve tried to give it a purposefully rustic look like the real one (honest!).

That’s decorators caulk around the arches by the way, once I’d primered it I cut the stones in with a blunt knife.

 

Here it is in its eventual resting place. Eventually there’s going to be a lot of trees around it so I’m not sure yet how much of it will be seen but hopefully you get the idea.


646F535B-4427-477B-AACC-1E706D544870.jpeg.6ace7b3765092f6264b8fc2e060e1ea3.jpeg

 

Thanks as always for reading guys.

 

Nick

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