lincoln40a Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Just another show we will be attending early next year l think this requires a bump John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 Hi Just back and reset up the layout following the new Lincoln show great weekend had by all of us All ran ok with just a couple of little niggles, we had a point decoder give up the ghost half way through the first day and no way of replacing it but we had a work around so it was not noticed by anyone. Also we had a spate of system lockups but after some tech talk with the Digitrains team and online to NCE I think we may have sorted the problem Thanks must got to both parties for the prompt actions in dealing with this matter for me. A couple of new building were shown for the first time although some work still needs to be done to complete them Thanks to Howard Leader for bringing them round at the last minute for us to show. A new thing we tried this show was live and recorded in train drivers view video went down a bomb the monitor had crowds around it most of the day I was also showing the Big Bear programme that we will be using in the future for route setting on both the front and the fiddle yards (Yes I did type Yards) in the future after a lot of discussion I have decided to build a extra fiddle yard to sit near the present one at the rear to be connected to the scenic board via a long smooth sweeping curve at both ends the will allow 2 things to happen 1 we can then run some extra stock with longer formations to be run straight through on the main line and 2 to be able to have 2 options for shows the existing layout and then a larger on if needed I will post some picture updates when I get round to down loading them John 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted September 19, 2015 Author Share Posted September 19, 2015 Think i best do some updating as to progress a lot has happened since my last post watch this space john 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANGERS Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Good to hear things at progressing. Was getting worried the lack of updates was as a result of things slowing down! We're waiting with baited breath... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 Right Here we go So were do i start i know base board transportation after months of carrying and lifting 8 foot x 4 foot finished boards that are way to heavy i have designed and had made 4 purpose built cradles these are two fold they are designed to carry the layout and make it easier to move about, and also act as a stand for the layout to sit on at shows, they have 6 wheels on each with the middle set being half a inch lower than the outer sets, these allows the cradle to rock on the middle wheels, i have 2 large and 2 small. They all have a hinged flap to which the baseboards are fitted allowing us to wheel in the complete board on the cradle put in place then lift the hinged section up 90 degrees fit a stand under the front then do the next one bolt together and there up connect up the wires and were ready it really is the simple. No more lifting and struggling they were not cheap but well worth the cost.(i will post pictures of them later) On to the platform lighting, these are now all but a few finished and ready to fit most of the holes have been drilled ready to take them as for the wiring ill cover that next. I'm not sure if you were aware but my whole idea for this layout from day one was to have it so it was viewed like looking through a window and have it going through a day night sequence approx ever 20 mins or so controlled by a computer but from the start i was not sure how to go about this so i had all my lights inc building wired to digitally operated switches on my control panel this was ok to start with but to achieve my aim it was never going to be correct, but now i am in a position with the right equipment to make this work but it also means all my light will need to be rewired on a individual basis this is so i have total control of each light and this way i can make it do what i like as in the platform light flickering as they start just like real florescent light i can also control the road light to simulate them coming on and getting to full brightness again as they would in real life also building lights can be switches room by room instead of the whole building at once ( ill go more in to the light control later in a diff post but if you need to know more please ask)its not really that complicated but you do need a PC to set it up but after that is DCC controlled. Lots of other things have been happening on the building front and also the road and control front I'm looking to make the control panel smaller and easier to operate, my touch screen routing is now ready to be put in to place and fully tested so far it looks good and works well, I'm also contemplating new base boards new track on the front to do away with a lot of the joins we have were we joined up 2 small boards to make large ones and having a dual control system as in DCC as it is now and a separate PC based fully auto system were i can run DC and DCC trains on the same track i plan to build the new board over the next year fit the new track and do the roadway get this all working then transfer the buildings and other bits over, Sounds mad (it probably is) but this might be the best plan with all the alterations to the wiring i need to do so now is as good a time as ever Ill go more into detail as things progress but for now as i have a few shows next year you wont notice a lot of difference, Thanks for staying with this project its a mammoth task to undertake but now i know were I'm going normal service can be resumed I also think now is a time i should than a few people for standing by me with either help of support Firstly Jeremy and Nicole from Digitrains in Lincoln who with out there help, i would have nowhere to have the layout up and working,and i would be nowhere near were i am today.so if and when you pay them a visit, if you see me about ask and I'm sure if there not busy they will let you come take a look please ask. Then theirs Howard Leader who has the massive task of hand building all of the buildings for the layout his enthusiasm for this project is second to none and i take my hat of to him and i look forward like a boy with a new toy to him calling and saying i have something to show you he then arrives with a box of buildings that are so life like its unreal again thank you Howard, I also have a band of loyal operators with out them i could not do this Mark paynter who came on board just after i started this, then theirs Adam my son, Carl Ashcroft, Simon Stewart and Paul Ransome, Thanks Guys Thats enough of me rambling on to night ill go sort out some pictures for tomorrow, JOHN 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 (edited) Hi As said yesterday here`s the pictures of the transport cradles These are all shown in the folded mode ready for transportation Edited October 13, 2015 by arff999 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 This one shows how it set up and ready to use at a show 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 I also planted some platform lights tonight 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 Hi A few more awesome looking buildings turned up last week so i took them down to the shop and test fitted them to the layout these complete one side of the high street again they are all full lit and internally detailed. More to follow when i get them connected to the power. Let me know what you think. JOHN 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 I also spent some time taking a few general pictures again please let me know what you think JOHN 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed a/c Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 The high street shops look amazing !! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted November 5, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 5, 2015 The Treaty of Commerce pub looks smarter in the model than it does now, the shops more interesting too! Is The Durham Ox at t'other end? Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornish trains jez Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Very nice. Shops look awesome! Best regards, Jeremy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold fishytrains Posted November 6, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 6, 2015 Agree with the others about the shops, but the views of the station are very good indeed. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troublesome Trucks Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I would imagine you are over the moon with those buildings John.Howard has done a lovely job there for you. It all looks to be coming along very nicely indeed. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 The Treaty of Commerce pub looks smarter in the model than it does now, the shops more interesting too! Is The Durham Ox at t'other end? Dava Yes Dava it is but in the time scale of the model pelham bridge is in its place JOHN Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 Hi Over the moon is probably an understatement the works awesome come to mind a true credit to Howard patience and skill as a model maker. I for one could never have built anything this good. If you think these are great just wait until you see the main Station building this is in a class of its own,i do have some build pictures but i have decided not to post any until its finished. JOHN Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 I have been looking to make the loco running smoother as we have a few minor problems with some joins in the track, If you remember when i started this project it was all made on 1200 x 600 boards transported to a show then fitted together this in principle was ok but in reality just did not work. tracks cut across tight angles across joins don't work,so we joined the to make 1200 x 1200 modules great we thought works well lets leave it at that. Then when planning the station building it was noted that the 2 main buildings were longer than the 1200 modules. now what, well there was only one way to do this so we ended up joining 2, 1200 modules together to make a 2400 x 1200 so now we have 2 large and 2 smaller modules. The only problem now is that there are cuts across the rails in the middle of the 2 long modules not a problem you may say but in one place that accounts for cuts in all of the tracks 10 in total, this is were the problem lies. We could just rip up the track and relay it all or leave it as is and carry on, after a lot of thought and figuring out some other minor electrical lighting bugs i came up with the idea of having a whole new set of baseboards made so i can relay the track sort out the lighting bits and make sure the roadway all works and the cars and buses all move as there designed to. so over the next year this will happen as for now we will carry on using what we have. I do hope you all stick with me with this mark 2 version for now you wont notice any difference and ill post pics of the new bits as time goes by. JOHN Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrg1 Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Really impressed with the buildings-any chance of posting working drawings of the models? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 Hi jrg1 we don't use working drawings for the models there all scratch built using just original photos the only thing we do have is a scale footprint drawing of most or the area around the station. hope this helps. JOHN Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrg1 Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Hi John The one I am most interested in is the Great Northern Hotel-I posted the photographs i had of it, but there are gaps, and I would like to model it. Any possibility of some elevation photographs-the model itself looks extremely impressive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted November 12, 2015 Author Share Posted November 12, 2015 Hi John The one I am most interested in is the Great Northern Hotel-I posted the photographs i had of it, but there are gaps, and I would like to model it. Any possibility of some elevation photographs-the model itself looks extremely impressive. Sure leave it with me ill take some pics when i get down to the shop next john Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrg1 Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Sure leave it with me ill take some pics when i get down to the shop next john Many thanks in anticipation Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 Hi update time again after having a chat with Howard the other day he said i had omitted to post any pics of the island platform building, so i thought i better put things right on that front. well here we go firstly a few pictures of the construction 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
arff999 Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 Then we had to sort out the wiring of all the lights and make sure they worked as when the roof was fitted it would have been impossible to get to the connections 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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