Eastwood Town - A tribute to Gordon's modelling.

[Siberian Snooper]

Hi Gordon,

 

Glad to hear that you're on the mend and you're back doing a bit on ET. I look forward to further updates as you progress with the wiring.

[Ian_H]

Good to see a nice Post and loads of good info on progress Gordon.

 

I do like your Photo Book, what a splidiferious idea young man.  I want one now.

Good idea Andy, put me down for one as well ....... we are talking about the same thing aren't we, the "Eastwood Town - A 10 year celebration " Book?

 

I imagine Gordon could make a killing, maybe help pay for the turntable

[The Stationmaster]

Good to see a nice Post and loads of good info on progress Gordon.

 

I do like your Photo Book, what a splidiferious idea young man.  I want one now.

 

Only one?  Surely one for each layout and a new bookcase to store them all 

[Andrew P]

Good idea Andy, put me down for one as well ....... we are talking about the same thing aren't we, the "Eastwood Town - A 10 year celebration " Book?

 

I imagine Gordon could make a killing, maybe help pay for the turntable

I did actually mean for me to record ALL MY failures, and a few successes that I've had over the years, but I see where your coming from I might need 10 Volumes.

[gordon s]

Morning all.....:-)

 

It's just like the old days, only this time I'm motivated and refreshed and actually doing something.  I didn't mean to abandon you all, just needed to take a break from my self imposed pressure and I'm glad to say, so far so good.  I've found myself wandering upstairs for the odd hour here and there when Jackie is walking our two dogs.  It's surprising just how much can be done in these hourly sessions.  I've also been out on the golf course a few times and none of the home jobs have been neglected, so I'm in everyones good books for now......:-)

 

Well here's the latest swan.

 

 

Above water level all is calm.  I needed to straighten out one or two approaches from turnouts as they weren't quite right.  Maybe I need my eyes tested or perhaps it was lack of motivation and poor light levels, but having seen it in the cold light of day, it had to be sorted....

 

 

Underneath this board all hell is let loose.  I do try and keep wiring as tidy as possible, but after a while chaos reigns. I can only stand back in awe of professionals with their perfect wiring, but life is too short for me.  Just an aside, went into the club on Monday to hear another one of our senior crowd has had a call from above.  Fit as fiddle, but in his 70's, he carries everywhere and regularly runs so many miles every day.  Barely had a day off sick and has now been found to have bone cancer and has six months.  I can recall my parents telling me similar stories when I was in my teens and 20's, but simply moved on as life was for living.  Suddenly in your 70's these things do have a bearing.  

 

So here's my spaghetti junction.  16 Tortoise motors and droppers to every piece of rail.....:-)

 

 

The more observant amongst you may see a red and black bus wire with an interloper between them.  The green wire is my 0v line for the Tortoise motors.  Even though I started life as a PCB designer, my mechanical head couldn't grasp what 0v lines were.  It probably took 40 years plus until the penny dropped.  I like to think this cuts down on the wiring, but having seen this lot, I'm not so sure....

 

Here's the Tortoise wiring diagram.  I'm using two power supplies from RS which will be mounted near the control panel for ease of access.  One line goes directly to the 0v bus and then the common wire from a SPDT switch goes to each motor, effectively reversing the polarity.

 

 

So what else has happened?

 

I've finally cracked cutting PCB strip and have been happily cutting strips of 3.3mm and 4mm copper clad on my Proxxon with a diamond blade.  I still get a fine thread of copper coming off from the cut, but otherwise they are fine and at 1/20th of the cost from C & L, the savings were too good to ignore.

 

These arrived during the week.  Any guesses?

 

 

This may help....

 

 

A sheet of 520 point blade pivots that I'm going to experiment with to act as tie bar pivots when connecting to point blades. They may or may not work, but at least I've tried something.....

 

This afternoon promises much.  Now  the wiring has been done, I may even see my favourite J15 wander up and down the lines to test that electrically they are fine and frogs are wired to the correct polarity. The old soldering iron will be on stand by to tweak the odd line out until it runs perfectly.  Anything less won't be accepted.  Just one of my hangs up, I'm afraid. We all have 'em....:-)

Edited February 1, 2018 by gordon s

[martin_wynne]

Here's the Tortoise wiring diagram.

 

Hi Gordon,

 

Make sure those switches are break-before-make. Otherwise you will be momentarily shorting the power supply every time you operate the switch.

 

Not all switches are break-before-make. Toggle switches usually are. Many small slide switches are not. Some wafer-type rotary switches are not. Most modern sealed relays are, but older open-frame relays and ex-P.O. relays might not be. They can sometimes be adjusted.

 

regards,

 

Martin.

[Delapidated]

Hello all,

 

I've been a bit absent over the past few months so may be interjecting with old news.

 

Going back to the discussion on how to cut copper clad sheet into sleepers (or ties if you're American). I came across this guillotine in LIDL of all places at £19.99 - bit of a snip (sorry). So I grabbed one, to join all the other piles of assembled dreams in the attic, awaiting the day should it ever arrive.

 

I do have the reservation that the shearing action might induce a twist into the newly cut sleeper.

 

 

 

I'll be damned if I can ever get the picture thing to work - anyway they're in lidl. I also have reservations as to how much abuse it could be put through, The cutting blade is about 2mm pressed steel, and not a ground edge. It is a bit more flexible than I'd like to steel and I doubt it would cope with much more that 2mm. 

I won't be putting into use for about 6 - 9 months so can't give a full report.

 

As with all things in LIDL I doubt they'll be there for long, I'd say go and have a look, get one out of the box and take it or leave it.

 

I still like the Proxon saw that Gordon used though. Bit of an impulse buyer!!!!

Edited January 31, 2018 by Delapidated

[gordon s]

Hi Gordon,

 

Make sure those switches are break-before-make. Otherwise you will be momentarily shorting the power supply every time you operate the switch.

 

Not all switches are break-before-make. Toggle switches usually are. Many small slide switches are not. Some wafer-type rotary switches are not. Most modern sealed relays are, but older open-frame relays and ex-P.O. relays might not be. They can sometimes be adjusted.

 

regards,

 

Martin.

 

 

Just checked the switches I'm using, Martin.  They are T80-T toggle switches from Salecom.  I can't see it specifically says make break before make, but like you I would be surprised if they weren't.

 

[Junctionmad]

Hello all,

 

I've been a bit absent over the past few months so may be interjecting with old news.

 

Going back to the discussion on how to cut copper clad sheet into sleepers (or ties if you're American). I came across this guillotine in LIDL of all places at £19.99 - bit of a snip (sorry). So I grabbed one, to join all the other piles of assembled dreams in the attic, awaiting the day should it ever arrive.

 

I do have the reservation that the shearing action might induce a twist into the newly cut sleeper.

 

 

 

I'll be damned if I can ever get the picture thing to work - anyway they're in lidl. I also have reservations as to how much abuse it could be put through, The cutting blade is about 2mm pressed steel, and not a ground edge. It is a bit more flexible than I'd like to steel and I doubt it would cope with much more that 2mm. 

I won't be putting into use for about 6 - 9 months so can't give a full report.

 

As with all things in LIDL I doubt they'll be there for long, I'd say go and have a look, get one out of the box and take it or leave it.

 

I still like the Proxon saw that Gordon used though. Bit of an impulse buyer!!!!

If it's frp4 pcb you intend to cut , its will be ruinous on the knife and unlikely to cut it at all , with fr2 ( paxolin) you might have some chance but you'll find the knife dulls rapidly

[chris p bacon]

?

 

??

[gordon s]

I'm none the wiser either......

 

Just so you know it's still happening, latest pics this morning.

 

 

Two new crossovers made up from C10's are now complete and in situ.  Just filling in the gaps as we speak....

 

 

One large curve from this side of the room.  I doubt if these views will be seen again unless I go to Weight Watchers every week....:-)

 

I could just about squeeze between the back of the baseboards and the slope of the roof.

 

Right now I'm waiting for some rail from C & L which should turn up shortly.  I rang them again for a progress update and was disappointed to find out that for whatever reason (probably operator error) my payment hadn't been completed.  Of course I paid immediately, so hope I'll see the rail in the next few days.  

 

Had an old friend, Phil Hall, over a few days ago to look at my Proxxon saw which performed well cutting PCB sheet down into 4mm strips.  Used the diamond blade and with the saw hooked up to an old hoover, there was negligible dust.  Phil is a loco/chassis demon and he very kindly helped me out with a Comet chassis a while back.  It now runs as smooth as silk and will certainly make an appearance once things are running.

 

Other than that all is well, apart from my dear lady who has suddenly gone down with the flu bug.  She is never ill, but this caught her out a couple of days ago.  Fingers crossed she doesn't share it with me.....

Edited February 14, 2018 by gordon s

[Rowsley17D]

Hope SWMBO will be well soon and doesn't share things. 'Flu can be nasty.

 

Did you use the point blade pivots on the latest crossovers?

Edited February 14, 2018 by Rowsley17D

[gordon s]

I must be honest Jonathan, I haven't yet.  They are primarily for switched crossings or slips where the point blades are much shorter than normal and as such they are stiffer than usual. You've given me food for thought though.  I can't get on with new pointwork as I've run out of rail, so maybe I'll do some trials with the pivots this afternoon.  Watch this space....

 

All I then need to work out is how to replace a tie bar should one fail in situ as the pins will stop it sliding in sideways under the rail.  No problem doing it all all with the turnout on the bench, but once glued down your options are limited.  

 

A slotted tie bar to take the pins might be an answer......

Edited February 14, 2018 by gordon s

[chris p bacon]

I'm always impressed with the speed with which you can use Templot,   I'm slow but getting there....

[gordon s]

Stay with it, Dave.  I couldn't get my head round it for months, but then something suddenly clicked and it's second nature now.  One thing does catch me out though.  If I don't use it for months, it then takes me several days to get back in the swing of things again.  Once you can grasp you have one live template and the rest are saved in the background, you can do most of the basics using the F3, F5, F6 and F7 keys.

 

There are others far for competent than I in the advanced stuff, but if ever you need help with the basics, just ask.

[47137]

One large curve from this side of the room.  I doubt if these views will be seen again unless I go to Weight Watchers every week....:-)

The viewfinder is not always vital... I got one of my favourite photos by holding the camera out of a window of a train and pressing the button - a lovely view of a slam door EMU snaking its way towards London with a door clearly on the second latch and a stripe of orange showing.

 

- Richard.

[martin_wynne]

Hi Gordon,

 

With your large ET track plan you should find now in Templot 218d that the screen panning and zooming is faster than before when you are zoomed in close.

 

How much faster will depend on your system, whether there's an R in the month, etc., so I'm interested to know how folks are finding it. I made a change which I expected to make only a marginal improvement, but I found that on my system at least it made a big difference. It will need a large track plan with several dozen templates to be noticeable, and only when zoomed in to individual templates.

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

[gordon s]

Thanks Martin.  It is certainly quicker using the + and - buttons and the area selection tool.....

 

I sometimes use the mouse wheel to scroll and that's quicker also.  The key with the wheel is not to go too many scroll clicks at a time....:-)

[aardvark]

 

Right now I'm waiting for some rail from C & L which should turn up shortly.  I rang them again for a progress update and was disappointed .....

 

i wish you all the luck with that.  I've been chasing an order of flexitrack since September.  Of course, being a UK customer will seemingly give you precedence over an international one.

[St Enodoc]

i wish you all the luck with that.  I've been chasing an order of flexitrack since September.  Of course, being a UK customer will seemingly give you precedence over an international one.

I've been trying since November even to pay for an order I placed through the website. No response to emails either. Not good.

[gordon s]

I know you guys in Australia don't want to hear this, but it would appear picking up the phone is the only way to get to talk to Phil.  He has been helpful when I have phoned, but clearly is trying to catch up with the backlog of orders etc.

 

This is the new address and phone number.

 

C & L Finescale Track Building Systems Ltd

125 Reaver House 12 East Street Epsom, KT17 1HX  Tel: 01372 748490

Edited February 16, 2018 by gordon s

[St Enodoc]

 

I know you guys in Australia don't want to hear this, but it would appear picking up the phone is the only way to get to talk to Phil.  He has been helpful when I have phoned, but clearly is trying to catch up with the backlog of orders etc.

 

This is the new address and phone number.

 

C & L Finescale Track Building Systems Ltd

125 Reaver House 12 East Street Epsom, KT17 1HX  Tel: 01372 748490

 

Thanks Gordon. A backlog of orders is one thing, but three months (and counting) to confirm a payment method is another.

[aardvark]

 

I know you guys in Australia don't want to hear this, but it would appear picking up the phone is the only way to get to talk to Phil.  He has been helpful when I have phoned, but clearly is trying to catch up with the backlog of orders etc.

 

I do not deny the voracity of what you say.  Regrettably, after 7 phones calls, I seem to be getting no closer.

 

Peco bullhead is starting to look very attractive.

[hayfield]

Thanks Gordon. A backlog of orders is one thing, but three months (and counting) to confirm a payment method is another.

 

Check the account you paid with, if its gone through its Phil's problem. However a known problem is Phil has had some issues with emails, if its not been debited from your account pay over the phone and all will be sorted

 

Good luck

[jukebox]

I do not deny the voracity of what you say.  Regrettably, after 7 phones calls, I seem to be getting no closer.

 

Peco bullhead is starting to look very attractive.

 

What are you chasing, Aardvark/St Ednoc?

 

I have some surplus boxes of C+L flex from when I rationalised my layout plans.

 

(I sourced mine from a distributor in New Zealand a few years back, and can pass those details on, too, if you want to try that avenue)

 

Cheers

 

Scott