Chuffnell Regis

[Graham T]

On 27/05/2021 at 23:05, MrWolf said:

 I connected five to a CDU and they all work with a very positive action. 

 

 

 

How many points can a single CDU run?  I will have ten.

[MrWolf]

It shouldn't have any problems, because you are only ever actually switching one for a siding, or two for a loop or crossover at a time when you are setting the road. It only discharges when you throw a switch, the rest of the time it is dormant.

[Graham T]

That's a very good point.

 

 

 

 

I'll get my coat.

[Gedward]

But there are two ways to look at it.

[Graham T]

Depending on your point of view, I suppose?

[Gedward]

Seriously though, I used PL-10 on my last layout. They worked OK, but did have a few alignment problems setting them up.

 

Have gone with Cobalt motors this time round. Yes they are rather expensive, but they are rather good too. No need for CDUs or polarity switches. But the main reason I got them was for their slow/quiet operation.

[Alister_G]

31 minutes ago, Gedward said:

But the main reason I got them was for their slow/quiet operation.

 

That's true, if you are ever planning to either exhibit or take video of your layout in the future, the bzzzzzz-CLUNK of solenoid motors rather destoys the illusion of reality.

 

Al.

[Gedward]

Budget model railway = oxymoron. 

[Graham T]

I suspect I have some time before I need to make a decision anyway.  News to come later from the PW department...

[Graham T]

It's a terrible thing, peer pressure.

 

Pagoda hut now with rudimentary hinges and padlock on the door (it's a store, not a shelter.  For storing things).  And remarkably it's even in focus!

 

[Alister_G]

Nicely done. As I have found many times, to realistically portray a hasp and padlock to 4mm scale is much harder than you would think, but yours looks spot on.

 

Al.

[Graham T]

It looks better with a quick blast of rattle can primer.  Except that you can see marks from the glue where I added the hinges....

 

[MrWolf]

1 hour ago, Alister_G said:

Nicely done. As I have found many times, to realistically portray a hasp and padlock to 4mm scale is much harder than you would think, but yours looks spot on.

 

Al.

 

The doors that I scratch built this shed around had a padlock moulded on. I still ended up hacking it around though.

 

 

[Graham T]

I like that one; think I might need something similar to sit on the platform.

[Graham T]

In shock news from Chuffnell Regis earlier today, it has emerged that the PW department were even more incompetent than had been feared.  Their track planning software has been taken away, and they are now allowed nothing more dangerous than wax crayons (that they were later seen eating).

 

Here's what happened.  As I thought I had finally managed to get together all the points that I needed (you can probably see where this is headed) I decided to try laying out the trackwork to see how everything fitted onto the baseboards.  Surprisingly enough, things didn't go exactly according to plan, and it turns out - haha - that I need another medium radius right turnout for the goods yard, rather than the left hand one that I have.  In the words of the bard, b*gger, as I will have to wait a while for said turnout to arrive from the UK.  C'est la vie.

 

That being said, I think that I can make a start on laying the cork beds for the track from the fiddle yard up to and including the station throat, and probably also the bay and the three lines running along next to the platform.  I can't actually start laying the track itself yet though, as I need to figure out where to put insulating joiners...

 

This is how it looks, seen from each end of the layout.

 

 

You can see where the engine shed will eventually find its home.

 

 

The siding with the wagons on it will actually be a little longer, and will run through the goods shed.  The missing right hand turnout will sit more or less where the closest clerestory coach is.  The lamp hut you can just about make out in the distance is about where the end of the platform will be, all being well.

 

 

Edited May 29, 2021 by Graham T
Caught by the filters ...

[Graham T]

Is it just me, or is fitting Peco rail joiners to their bullhead rail a bit of a trial?  If anyone knows a good technique for doing this, then I'd love to hear it!

[Alister_G]

Ah, well you know what @Gedward was saying earlier about expense? It appears Peco do specific rail joiners for bullhead track. Are you trying to use the normal ones?

 

https://peco-uk.com/products/bullhead-rail-joiners

 

However, if it's those you've got then inserting the end of a small flat-bladed screwdriver into the end of the joiner to open it out slightly does help. WARNING! risk of injury or death! you will stab yourself in the finger at least once.

 

Al.

Edited May 29, 2021 by Alister_G
Warning

[Graham T]

I'm using the normal ones to join the bullhead to the Code 75 points; I didn't have the patience to wait for the bullhead points to become available

 

But I will be using the bullhead joiners for joining lengths of plain track, and may even add cosmetic ones if I have any lengths greater than 60 feet.  The bullhead joiners aren't quite in the "hens' teeth" category, and I've managed to get some, they're in the post from the UK.

 

Thanks for the screwdriver tip - I should have thought of that...

[Graham T]

 

To keep the scattergun approach going, I had a play around with ballasting on a piece of scrap track yesterday.  This is based on 2mm cork, which I worried might not be deep enough, and then Woodland Scenics fine grey ballast.  I think it looks reasonable, but the light grey would have been a better choice.

 

I'd be very interested to hear other views please.

 

[5BarVT]

Agreed, that looks a bit dark for a starting colour.

Paul.

[Graham T]

Thanks Paul, I'm going to go for the light grey instead.

[Graham T]

I'm trying to get my head around the wiring.  Eek.  The plan is to use DCC and have droppers from each point and section of track, all the points are electrofrog.  I'm trying to figure out where I need to put insulated joiners, and would really appreciate some help from any electric string gurus please.  In the schematic the red tracks are +ve and the blue -ve, with insulating breaks indicated by the white rectangles.

 

Have I got the insulated joiners in the right places?  Do I need a break in both rails, or just one, and if so, which one?

 

Am I barking up completely the wrong tree?

 

[Alister_G]

As a general rule, on any of your turnouts, the two inner "V" rails should be fitted with insulated joiners. Other than that, unless you want to create an isolated section of track for some reason, you shouldn't need any insulated rail joiners anywhere else.

 

 

 

 

[Graham T]

So, like this?  Please excuse my utter ignorance of wiring!

 

 

I should have added that I will have more than one loco on the layout at a time, but will only ever be running one.

[Alister_G]

Yes that's right.

 

Here's another picture, similar to Chris's earlier one.

 

 

It's not immediately obvious to get your head round, but on a DCC layout, all of the track is energised (powered) All Of The Time!

 

But because the DCC commands are addressed to a specific loco, only the one you tell to do something will move.

 

So you can have many locomotives, all on the same bit of track, and only one will move. Hopefully you pick one at the end of the queue, and not one in the middle...

 

Al.