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A New Year, a New Layout


tender
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Having sold our exhibition layout 'Camel Quay' the intension was to build a new layout in 7mm to replace it. After a number of false starts and all the exhibitions having been cancelled, I've decided to take on a new direction for the layout.

It was originally to be 16' x 2' including fiddle yard (4 off 4'x2' boards) but as we have nowhere in the house to setup a layout permanently of that size a decision was made to reduce the length to something that could be left up and used at home, 11' ideally or 12' at a push, with possibly an option to add the last 4' board bringing it back to 15 or 16' for exhibition use.

Anyways work has now started firstly with a fiddle yard traverser on the first board. This being mounted on linear bearings and controlled by a DCC stepper motor interface.

 

IMG_0473.jpeg.6da84dd5b92f2b1f9b1ea9fc1de2dea7.jpeg

 

IMG_0475.jpeg.2a920a214b5cbbeeeb6d8b483361af2e.jpeg

 

I'll post a video of it in action shortly once i've uploaded it to Youtube.

 

 

Edited by tender
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Hi Ray, good to see you on here mate, and although that looks far to complicated for my little brain I do look forward to seeing it working and the rest of the Layout progressing.

 

All the best to you and Polly who I guess will be involved on the Scenics at a later date.

 

BTW tell Polly to get the boards done for Great West Road, because at this rate you will be up and running before her.:good:

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As promised, video of traverser in action. Excuse the noise, the motor is only temporally mounted on the end of the drive shaft so its acting like a sounding board. Once the toothed pulley's and drive belt arrive and fitted it should be a lot quieter. There's also some background noise from the kitchen.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Hal Nail said:

Obviously the pannier is a clue but what is the proposed setting?

 

An imaginary branch line off the DN&SR Winchester to Bishops Waltham Brickworks. BR(W)/BR(S) era. 

Details to follow.

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Hi Ray

 

Happy New Year to you and Polly.

 

Nice to see another 7mm layout. That traverser looks the real business. I did contemplate doing something like that for the sector plate on my 7mm plank but contemplation was as far as it got!

 

Good luck with your new venture.

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So, here's the back story supplied by Polly.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Branch Line from Winchester Chesil.


In 1885, the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway (DN&SR) opened as far as Winchester to carry heavy traffic from the Midlands and the North of England but funds ran out and the line did not reach Southampton. However, the DN&SR line joined the LSWR line at Shawford Junction. The GWR and the LSWR had running powers to Winchester from Didcot and Southampton, respectively, with change over of locomotives at Winchester.


In the late 1880s, a viaduct was built south of Winchester and was known as the Shawford Viaduct, later called the Hockley Railway Viaduct. The viaduct was built in concrete and faced with bricks from Poole Brickworks in Wellington, Somerset and blue engineering capping bricks from Blanchards brickworks in Bishops Waltham.

 

Enter our branch line into the planning:

GWR Large Investor: What if all the bricks were to come from Bishops Waltham instead...

And while we are at it, why not ship bricks out, ourselves, on GWR rails?

GWR Small Investor: Er...You mean build a new railway line?

GWR Large Investor: Exactly!

 

Thus the idea was born and the construction of the Cheese Hill and Bishops Waltham Railway was authorised by an Act of Parliament, but not in time for the building of the viaduct. Initially, it was a goods only line, but a station was built soon after on the western edge of Bishops Waltham.


This all took place around the same time as the line from Kemble to Tetbury so, it may be no surprise to know that our GWR branch line buildings will look familiar!

 

Although our branch line, as part of the DN&SR, became absorbed by the GWR in 1923, the LSWR had running powers over it. Then came Nationalisation and our line, being south of Newbury, was transferred to the Southern Region with GWR running powers. Thus, you may well see a Fratton (70F) Terrier operating alongside a GWR London Division Pannier Tank, GWR Railcar or Autocoach and, since this is 1954, a new Class 08 shunter out of Eastleigh (71A).

 

The line will soon be closed - Winchester shed has already gone - the track will be ripped up and buildings demolished but we do not want to think about that...not just yet, anyway.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now we just need a track plan! :rolleyes:

Edited by tender
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Hi Ray & Polly

 

Good to see work is moving forward with the replacement new project.

I have just watched the YouTube video of the new traverser operating ( Brilliant )

 

Well like everyone the club and exhibitions ceased in early March with the COVID although Camel Quay did manage two exhibitions in 2020 Kendal & Glasgow 

 

Unfortunately the next two exhibition outings were cancelled they being the 2020 York & Derby and I feel that the 2021 York Exhibition is unlikely to take place.

 

On hopefully a brighter note Camel Quay should be at the 2022 Stafford Exhibition 2022 York and possibly Warley as they have made a enquiry about it 

 

Presently CQ is all packed away in my nice warm modelling room (converted internal garage) but I’m hoping to erect it and have running session soon, possible with a extended fiddle yard so I am able to operate the layout from the front.

 

I’m just on the scenics of a small  lockdown project a micro layout, Western Region (Margaret Street) stabling point and a parcels depot around the end of steam in the early 1960s

 

Anyway all for now 

Keep Safe 

Terry 

 

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A little update....

 

The Toothed Drive belt, pulleys and rubber mount arrived yesterday so these have now been fitted under the baseboard.

 

IMG_0508.jpeg.39b355b9f72295dd5b749fb0854b90ba.jpeg

 

That and a few improvements to the software had quietened things nicely.

 

 

 

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To get power to the traverser tracks i found this useful miniature e-chain to run the wires through whilst allowing the traverser to move without any danger of the wires becoming trapped.

 

IMG_0510.jpeg.cf767f0d2d081dacb30e6d9816ae3999.jpeg

(for some reason this is getting posted upside down)

 

IMG_0511.jpeg.4468647fa61c4838cac5230464d04b88.jpeg

 

I also found a new driver chip for the stepper motor which has quietened it even further.

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've added a display panel to the traverser to give an indication of the traverser position. It also indicates that its stopped moving by displaying 'Locked'. Next is to modify the Arduino code so that i can use the keypad to select the exit tracks. Currently its via DCC accessory addresses.

 

IMG_0742.jpeg.b7a798da1c986504a014abe06eaac86b.jpeg

Edited by tender
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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi Ray,

 

it's good to see you back with a record of your exploits.  I always found your previous threads enjoyable.

 

I have developed a large traverser which works in similar manner.  Mine is for 4mm but is 5' 4” long, run by two similar lead screws and carries 10 tracks - the length being sufficient for a tender loco and 5 coaches around my layout.  The arduino software is a development of that you produced in your DCC turntable thread, although I do not use DCC.  Originally it was controlled by a push button screen using a TFT LCD display on a UNO.  Due to the lack of pins with the TFT shield, this was connected via I2C to a NANO which actually controlled the stepper motors.  This all worked really happily.  If you are interested I could share the code with you - although as I said, the code was developed from your original turntable.

 

For some odd reason, I did not like selecting the tracks from the TFT screen, so I recently re-engineered things.  I now have a Mega 2560 pro driving a TFT screen, and connected to a rotary encoder.  Turning the rotary encoder displays selected track on the screen and pressing the encoder knob starts the steppers running.

 

if you or anyone else is interested in either of these options, I could start a new thread to describe it, or post into SimonD's topic Arduino Applications and Programs.

 

Regards,

 

Colin.

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Thanks Colin, I've now modified the code so i can operate the traverser by DCC commands or the keypad on the LCD panel. 

I've also put in code so it can be operated from a more traditional push button type control panel but i doubt i'll use this.

The LCD panel/Keypad uses a I2C connection to the NANO.

I'll try and post another video over weekend.

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