Trelothen - a Cornish fishing harbour

[bgman]

3 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

 

Dr Kananga, The Solar Plexus voltage reduction units have arrived, ready for Operation Main Strike.

 

 

 

That's nearly as bad as CK ! 

 

Nanoo Nanoo ! 

[Stubby47]

The fixing position for the 5th point motor has been determined.

 

My method is somewhat different to that recommended:

1. Before the motor is tested and as supplied, the fulcrum bar is positioned in the centre of the throw

2. I fix on the actuating wire and pivot slider, then poke the wire through the tie bar

3. Moving the motor I can then change the point, so mark the baseboard along one edge of the motor casing. 

4. Moving the point motor the other way, changes the point again, so I mark this extremity of movement

5. A few more back & forth movements to check the two marks are accurate, then I mark the mid point between these and that is the fixing position of the motor.

 

I tried to do this for the 6th point and found the 10mm hole was not in the correct position for the point above, so this will need to be extended.

 

I also checked the positive and negative outputs on the H&M Clipper, and found my multi-meter only reads about 7v.  I checked the controlled output too, and found this also was only 7v.  So either my meter is u/s, or the Clipper is past its best.

I will re-test the meter later with a 9v PP3 battery.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Stubby47
Rogue apostrophe

[Keith Addenbrooke]

If I may be forgiven for quickly dipping back into the previous page (bit slow at the back: only bit I got about the electrics was the James Bond reference).  Returning to the subject of deliveries, I was reminded of this conversation today:

 

On 16/08/2021 at 13:18, Stubby47 said:

Meanwhile, there is good news and not-so-good news.

 

The good news:  My O2 and grey Road van have been despatched by KMRC, so I would expect delivery tomorrow morning.

 

The not-so-good news: Due to a member of staff testing positive last week at the shop where Son #1 volunteers, Son #1 will not be at the shop tomorrow morning , so SWMBO will now not be in town when the O2 and Road Van are to be delivered...

 

 

On 16/08/2021 at 13:47, NHY 581 said:

I have that issue. When my 03 arrived, The Memsahib was out.  Result !!

 

Unboxed, stored and box disposed off. 

 

 

Memsahib arrived home. Noticed the door knocker had moved ( !!!!) and asked what I'd had delivered as the Postman wouldn't need to knock for a letter..............

 

 

On 16/08/2021 at 20:27, Andrew P said:

Mow the front lawn,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,s l o w l e y     every day

 

This afternoon I received a boxed up delivery from a specialist model railway retailer which came neatly wrapped up in a “NEXT” shop plastic bag.

 

Remember: the trade are our friends here 😀 (and I could do with smartening up for work)

 

As it happens, I’m double insured on this one anyway:  I’ve sold before I bought, and I really was out the front weeding the path when the postman came 😇.  Some nice r-t-r to look forwards to after work this evening.

Edited April 9, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
(Post edited for text only - I did not keep a copy of a photo shown previously)

[Stubby47]

I think there would be more questions asked if I was to have a parcel arrive with 'Next' written on it,

 

I'm not known for my sartorial elegance, purchasing mostly from Tesco (cheap) or M&S (they have sizes that I know fit cos they're stretchy).

 

[Andrew P]

49 minutes ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

If I may be forgiven for quickly dipping back into the previous page (bit slow at the back: only bit I got about the electrics was the James Bond reference).  Returning to the subject of deliveries, I was reminded of this conversation today:

 

 

 

 

This is how a specialist model railway retailer had packaged the parcel delivered this afternoon:

 

Remember: the trade are our friends here  (and I could do with smartening up for work)

 

As it happens, I’m double insured on this one anyway:  I’ve sold before I bought, and I really was out the front weeding the path when the postman came .  Some nice r-t-r to look forwards to after work this evening.

 

34 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

I think there would be more questions asked if I was to have a parcel arrive with 'Next' written on it,

 

I'm not known for my sartorial elegance, purchasing mostly from Tesco (cheap) or M&S (they have sizes that I know fit cos they're stretchy).

 

Could have been worse.

 

Could have been Anne Summers

[Keith Addenbrooke]

3 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

 

Could have been worse.

 

Could have been Anne Summers

Hi Andrew, I don’t think we’ve met, so I’ll guess you won’t know what my job is.  
 

Let’s just say, “Could have been worse” might be rather an understatement 

[Stubby47]

20 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

 

Could have been worse.

 

Could have been Anne Summers

 

It's Ann Summers.

 

 

Apparently.

[Siberian Snooper]

Could have been westward bound in Plymouth,  sorry no link, but you can Google it, they used to have a shop on North Hill, opposite the university.

 

Not the sort of shop that I would frequent, even online.

 

 

[Stubby47]

20 minutes ago, Siberian Snooper said:

Could have been westward bound in Plymouth,  sorry no link, but you can Google it, they used to have a shop on North Hill, opposite the university.

 

Not the sort of shop that I would frequent, even online.

 

 

They used to have a shop on the Barbican.

 

 

Apparently. 

 

Edit: Me neither.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Stubby47

[Siberian Snooper]

6 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

They used to have a shop on the Barbican.

 

 

Apparently. 

 

Edit: Me neither.

 

Indeed they did,  I didn't shop there either.

 

 

 

 

[Stubby47]

Meanwhile, the final piece of the main line for this baseboard was laid, with droppers and soldered to brass screws at the baseboard edge.

 

The 5th point motor has been installed,  but not wired, and the hole for the 6th operating wire enlarged.

 

The 9v battery was used on the meter and it still reads about 7v.

 

So I'm convinced it's u/s, although it can still be used for circuit/continuity testing.

 

The next meter will also have a resistance option.

Suggestions of a suitable unit are sought, if you would be so kind.

[Stubby47]

I tested the 5th point motor this morning and although it moved once, one way, it doesn't want to move the other way.  I'm using a 9v battery, which does move other motors as expected, so not sure at the moment what the issue is.

 

[The Stationmaster]

20 hours ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

Hi Andrew, I don’t think we’ve met, so I’ll guess you won’t know what my job is.  
 

Let’s just say, “Could have been worse” might be rather an understatement 

De-frocking comes to mind - and I'm not just thinking of the Ann Summers connection

[Stubby47]

Well, the point motor is actually fine, a combination of too early in the morning and not the right glasses meant I was not putting the wires on the power contacts.

 

I've also realised I'd wired up a couple of motors incorrectly, so creating a short across the rails. 

 

All is now sorted, but I'm resisting the urge to run a loco until all the wiring is complete.

 

One consideration is to replace the push switches with toggle (on) ones, as suggested by @St Enodoc, but this will mean re-drilling the top of the box and printing/laminating a new layout schema.

Probably is worth doing, to meet my 'not accepting shoddy work' promise.

Edited August 19, 2021 by Stubby47

[Donw]

Stu it can make sense testing with a loco as you connect each bit of track up. That way if each bit either doesn't work or creates a short you know it is the last bit you have done. This is particularly useful for a large layout where wiring it all up then testing it can be a real issue finding the fault. On a small layout like this it would not make much difference.

As for the switches you decide pain now or every time you use the layout wishing you had changed it.

 

Don

[Stubby47]

Thanks Don.

The short was caused by my not following the instructions for the Cobalts ( using the 3rd contact -  Feedback - by mistake) and by not realising two opposing points would need the track feed for the frog also to be reversed.

 

Also, wiring the frogs back to the wrong point didn't help either...

 

However  I'm fairly confident all is now sorted, circuit testing shows no more shorts.

[St Enodoc]

25 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

circuit testing shows no more shorts

Does it also show continuity where you want it and none where you don't?

[Stubby47]

Just now, St Enodoc said:

Does it also show continuity where you want it and none where you don't?

 

Yep, though I do want to replace using the multimeter with a light/sound unit for ease of use.

 

There were a few choice words muttered when I realised how badly I'd wired the Cobalts...

 

As for testing with a loco, I currently have the board on it's front edge to allow easy access to the underside. I have colour coded the wiring (although the colours do change for the same 'wire') so can see which connections are to go where, for the track, motors and uncouplers. I just need another hour or so for the baseboard and then I can make up the cable to the panel.

Then, I can test with a loco  

[Andrew P]

Hi Stu, I have a simple test light for when I'm wiring with a Croc clip at one  end and a probe in the pen. 

Light on = good.

Light off = Bad, 

[Stubby47]

Cheers Andy, ordered and should be here tomorrow 

[St Enodoc]

33 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

Hi Stu, I have a simple test light for when I'm wiring with a Croc clip at one  end and a probe in the pen. 

Light on = good.

Light off = Bad, 

Is that self-powered, Andy, or does it use track power?

 

I find it better (don't ask how I know this) to use a battery-operated buzzer (my multimeter has one built in) to detect shorts when the power is off.

[Andrew P]

2 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Is that self-powered, Andy, or does it use track power?

 

I find it better (don't ask how I know this) to use a battery-operated buzzer (my multimeter has one built in) to detect shorts when the power is off.

Track power, if the Track is live it lights up, no power, no light.

[Stubby47]

New panel diagram, with larger corner decoration that hopefully won't get cut off this time.

[NHY 581]

2 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

New panel diagram, with larger corner decoration that hopefully won't get cut off this time.

 

 

 

[Andrew P]

3 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

New panel diagram, with larger corner decoration that hopefully won't get cut off this time.

Bit posh for a Train Set init?