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Eastwood Town - A tribute to Gordon's modelling.


gordon s
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Morning Baz, I have to be really careful as they are protected birds and for all my frustration right now, I wouldn’t want to hurt one. I don’t know if a BB gun would make a noise, but my neighbours would love being woken up at five......:D
 

Knowing my luck, I’d miss and shatter one of the doors.....:D

 

I started building new frames yesterday with a fine plastic mesh rather than trellis, so that will help. Fish are pretty stupid as well which doesn’t help. You’d have thought by now they’d have learned to stay in deep water.

 

This is the worst it’s been for years.  After the 5am episode, I unrolled the fine plastic mesh and wrapped that around the area where he got in, but either the same one or another came back at 6am and spent another hour just sitting on my extension roof surveying every area of the pond. He could see the new security measures, but it didn’t stop him wanting to try again.

 

 

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39 minutes ago, eldavo said:

Herons, pictures of Sam and fishing brings back mamories. How's Shergar?

 

Cheers

Dave

 

 

Never mind Shergar, Dave, you understand computer electrickery.....Any ideas about my ECoS route setting issue?...

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Come on Gordon surely you can understand instructions translated from German by the car park attendant! Don't you just love modern instruction manuals.

 

Reading it it sounds as though once you have set up your route you can go into the extended settings and associate an S88 input with the route. Given that, a simple pushbutton connected to the S88 input would cause the ECoS to set the route when the button is pushed. No idea how you clear the route when you are done.

 

On the JMRI front, I don't think you need any block detection wizardry to use it with your ECoS.  A PC running JMRI can connect via WiFi to your ECoS and pick up all your turnout and loco definitions. You could then define routes in JMRI or switch turnouts etc. My experience is though that it is not simple!

 

Cheers

Dave

 

Edited by eldavo
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Nothing is that simple and if anyone says it's simple don't believe them.....:-)

 

At least that sounds feasible. Clearly I don't know enough about JMRI and I'd love to learn, but I do find there is an assumption in manuals that the reader knows what you are talking about before you start. Without that basic understanding it all goes over your head after a few paragraphs and 27 acronyms.....

 

I have my infusion today and will have a couple of hours to kill, so will take a look but I fear it will be beyond my level of expertise.

 

Fingers crossed.....

 

Thanks for getting back to me. Meanwhile if anyone can explain the basics in simple language, I'm all ears....

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10 minutes ago, gordon s said:


 Meanwhile if anyone can explain the basics in simple language, I'm all ears....

 


You take a fresh worm and tie it to your hook ......

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58 minutes ago, gordon s said:

Meanwhile if anyone can explain the basics in simple language, I'm all ears....

 

You tie a piece of string to one end of the tie-bar, and fix an elastic band to the other end.

 

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Part of the problem is that I’ve been missing vital putts in competitions.
 

I just happened to see  this video of how to putt under pressure on YouTube, but it hasn’t really helped.
 

In fact I’ve watched it 20 times and still can’t recall what I’m supposed to do........ ;)

 

 

 

 

Edited by gordon s
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Did I miss anything by having the sound off?  I found this one very useful after 3 months of lockdown...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fJ1JvSKq4I

 

Cheers

Dave

 

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6 minutes ago, eldavo said:

Did I miss anything by having the sound off?  I found this one very useful after 3 months of lockdown...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fJ1JvSKq4I

 

Cheers

Dave

 

 

Funnily enough, I was exercising my wrists too whilst that was on!

 

Mike.

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On 20/06/2020 at 16:00, gordon s said:

Part of the problem is that I’ve been missing vital putts in competitions.
 

I just happened to see  this video of how to putt under pressure on YouTube, but it hasn’t really helped.
 

In fact I’ve watched it 20 times and still can’t recall what I’m supposed to do........ ;)

 

 

 

 

 

Pitch & Putt is much simpler.

You just pitch it up & put it in :P

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On 20/06/2020 at 12:16, gordon s said:

Nothing is that simple and if anyone says it's simple don't believe them.....:-)

 

At least that sounds feasible. Clearly I don't know enough about JMRI and I'd love to learn, but I do find there is an assumption in manuals that the reader knows what you are talking about before you start. Without that basic understanding it all goes over your head after a few paragraphs and 27 acronyms.....

 

I have my infusion today and will have a couple of hours to kill, so will take a look but I fear it will be beyond my level of expertise.

 

Fingers crossed.....

 

Thanks for getting back to me. Meanwhile if anyone can explain the basics in simple language, I'm all ears....

 

Hi Gordon,

 

I've been a lurker on your thread for years and find it to be very inspiring; whenever I see an update to Eastwood Town in my news feed, it's always the first one I read!

 

I've decided to post because I think you and I are constructing layouts with the same design goal and that is to (mainly) watch trains go past. My layout is a model of Dale Junction on the Union Pacific Transcontinental route across Sherman Hill and I have designed it with the intent of simply watching long trains being dragged across the Hill by Big Boys, Challengers etc.

 

My reason for posting is that I am controlling my layout with a piece of software called iTrain and I was wondering if you had heard of it?  It allows for the trains to be fully controlled by the computer, allowing you to simply sit back and watch them go past. Whilst there is a learning curve to using it, i think it is simpler than using JMRI because you can draw your track plan, configure the block sections and trains, and let iTrain do the hard work for you. It is also exceptional at monitoring where the trains are and stopping them with pin-point accuracy; you do need to calibrate the locomotives in the software to accomplish this but once done, it is quite remarkable watching a train under the control of the computer pulling up to and stopping at a red light in exactly the right place.

 

I have attached a photo that shows my layout (still under construction) in the software and once configured, you can simply click the Play button next to a train and iTrain will drive it on the pre-defined route for you. I have also uploaded a video to YouTube showing trains crossing at Dale Junction entirely the control of the computer: 

 

 

 

I know this might be a bit too late for you as it relies on block detection to know where the trains are, so I guess that would require a lot of retro-fitting to your layout, but I have found computer controls brings a whole new dimension to running a layout. I hope you find it of interest!

 

Best wishes,

 

Ben

image.png

Edited by benjy14
Corrected typos.
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Hi Benjy, thank you so much for your kind comments re the ET thread. I sometimes wonder if anyone is reading as the responses are few compared to other threads, but the flag above says 405 guys are following this long and winding tale, so it is being read and the occasional response is much appreciated.

 

I have to say I am impressed with your multi layer layout. I find this type of layout fascinating and every time I see the mainly US based layouts that wander round and round in a good sized room, it makes me think that flat continuous layouts are not ideal for train watching. Of course that's miles away from prototype practice, but I do find trains wandering out of sight and reappearing somewhere else fascinating.

 

Lovely to see long trains snaking around curves. I'm guessing you have quite a large space to house your railway and the plan itself throws up numerous questions regarding gradients and helices. Way back in the early days of ET (before this incarnation of RMweb), I did play around with block sections and bought and sold numerous Lenz detectors. I've just pulled out these pics and they're dated 2006. My first attempt at a multi layer layout, which went round the room several times and incorporated a large storage yard that ran round three sides of the room. I think from memory there were 12-14 storage roads, each around 25-30' long. Of course as the bottom layer, they were the most inaccessible for track cleaning and the odd turnout repair. Everything was hidden hence the block detectors. The gradients were OK at 1:100, but a pig to build and after numerous inputs from friendly 'been there, done that' modellers, I realised the errors of my ways and just how impossible it would be to repair should a major problem occur, so it went to the local tip, like may other versions of ET in the early days...:D

 

IMG_1283_2.jpg.97387fb3bb97edaff405aa216e322acb.jpg

 

LB101.jpg.f7fd4a4f7ca67aba1b569c6c2924a8b7.jpg

 

Of course that was years ago and the challenge facing me now is the current wiring, all of which was done upside down on a bench before assembly. The numerous solder burns I had from the above version made me realise soldering underneath a board is not to be recommended. Gravity has a habit of dropping molten solder on any area of bare skin and your eyesight is far to precious, even with protective glasses on.

 

I saw your post this morning and that made me think again about how ET runs. You're right, I enjoy watching trains run and to that end, ET is four independent continue loops, so four trains can run without attention and not cross each other. All of the work is in ET station itself with access to the shed, storage and a few sidings. Most if not all of that requires manual control as uncoupling will be required, so it's probably there is not much to be gained from computer control. I'm not saying it's not suitable, just that far more assessment will be need before going down that route.

 

Over the last few days, I've revisited my ECoS and there may be some mileage in the route setting application with a number of straight lines across the panel. Each one would represent a platform, through road, siding or the two access routes to the shed and storage. I can split all those lines down the middle and then have just four lines in from each side represent the incoming and outgoing lines.

 

Each of the horizontal lines will just need four route buttons to indicate tracks 1-4, and selecting one of the four buttons on each track will take you in or out of ET station on the correct line. There would be no switching on the mimic panel which will be there purely to confirm the route is correct. I will do some more work on it in the next week as golf and other jobs will get in the way, but it could prove a solution, even if it proves to be an interim one before the full installation of switching that may be required.

 

I really enjoyed watching the Dale Junction video and then went to your YouTube channel to see if there were more videos of your layout. The other videos were a pleasant surprise as I assume you have a PPL. Lovely to see parts of Wales where we have spent holidays. It looks idyllic from the sky with beautiful scenery and stunning beaches....

 

Good news on the heron front. I've been building new net screens over the past few days. These extend across and over the pond, to stop a heron landing in the shallow area. He (or they) have come in every day, now they have had some success. First arrival was at 04.40 when after much consideration, he thought he could use the Foxgloves to his advantage.....:D

 

 

.......not to be deterred, he was back just after 6.00am and after 15 minutes observation decided a more direct approach would be needed..:D

 

 

Whooppee!  Gordon 2 Herons 0.....

 

Believe it or not, this went on until 07.20am when he finally gave up. I'm hoping this will be the last of heron news and we can get back to the important stuff.......

 

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Gordon, one of the downsides of any web forum is that 95% of the people who follow it rare if ever contribute,  but prefer to sit back and learn from the masters.

 

THis one is no different, although a lot of your content is very detailed and highly informative - certainly any site where mistakes are happily confessed to and lessons shared rather than just learned is well worth the time following!

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4 hours ago, gordon s said:

....another 10 minutes of the day gone. I must keep away from YouTube.....

 

I may have seen it before, but as an old fella, I can't remember....:D

 

;)

Fascinating if a touch grainy Loved the music!

 

The footage of Belle Isle had me thinking about a layout just featuring that spot with an alright great fiddle yard - just imagine...

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Yes Copenhagen Fields is a thing of delight. There are some excellent modelers involved in it and Prof T Watson certainly knows how to build locos!  Moved on a lot since I first saw it...

 

Baz

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