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  • RMweb Gold

I was a member of the Westerham Valley Railway Association around 1962/3 and used to spend my weekends oiling points and running telegraph wires whilst we all hoped to save the line.

Your model is so realistic it brought back fond memories. The modelling of the White Hart and St.Mary's Primary School (which all three of my children attended) are particularly realistic. Thank you for bringing back much pleasure and nostalga for days gone by.

(PS The bus is a 705 Green Line that ran between Windsor and Tunbridge Wells and was my only means of transport home on a Sunday when the 410 bus did not run!)

Many Thanks,

                 It's good to have a reply from some one who knew the line, and was trying to help preserve it. I was not able to get a Greenline with the right number and destination board, I thought someone would notice eventually. ( sorry there is no prize! ) I am glad it's brought back some happy memories for you, and it must have been great fun working with the Westerham Valley Association, Happy Days.

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  • RMweb Gold

It's time I made a start on point operation on the layout, and I am going to use the rod and tube system, which in hindsight would have been better to install at the begining rather than this late stage, still never mind. The intention is to make a control panel with DPDT switches mounted on it to throw the points via the rod and tube, these will not be wired to operate lights, polarity, or anything else, as that is beyond my wiring skills. here are some of the bits I am using, 4mm Foamex for the top of control panel, a bit of scrap wood, DPDT switches, 25swg piano wire, choc box connectors, and some 2mm od plastic tube.I will put some more pics up as I progress, or not as the case may be. It looks like it will cost about £10 to do 9 points. 

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  • RMweb Gold

I made a start on the control panel to hold the DPDT switches for the rod and tube point operation today, The piece of scrap timber ( old bit of bed slat ) was cut to 420mm x 45mm x 20mm and a radius was put on either end. I then marked out the position for the switches, I dont have a router so drilled the bulk of the waste out with a 20mm spade bit, then finished off with a chisel to a depth of about 12mm. I didn't cut individual holes for the switches as the timber will be covered with the foamex, which I will then cut  the individual switch positions into. Here is a couple of pics of progress so far

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  • RMweb Gold

Tonights Thrilling Instalment Of.... Point Control ( Episode 3 ) Brought to you by Rod & Tube. Starring Stanley Knife and the Blunt Blades. Featuring Foamex and his Cutouts.

The 4mm Fomex was marked out to the shape of the timber using it as a template. The positions for the cutouts for the DpDt switches were also marked out, 4 on the left and 5 on the other, I will also put 3 or 4 SpSt switches in the middle for section switches. I then cut the cut outs and shape with a Stanley Knife. It cuts fairly easily if you don't try to cut it in one go, but just work your way through it with several lighter cuts. it's easily sanded to finish it off to shape. A switch was used to check fit, and to mark position of fixing holes these were drilled and lightly countersunk, as the back of the holes on the switches have a lip.The holes look a bit rough but will be covered with the switch. Some more progress Pics.

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi there! looking good! Do you have any overall plans drawn up at all?

 

Edited to Remove helpful autocorrects!

Edited by JCL
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  • RMweb Gold

Tonights Gripping Episode Of Rod And Tube Point Control

(episode 4 series 1) tear jerking, nail biting,edge of the seat stuff. where Foamex meets Timber, And DPDT switch gets drilled full of 1mm holes. The pictures tell it all. Parental Guidance the DPDT switch has a spring going half way up so drill hole above mid point, a simple card jig was used for position as they all need to be the same height. 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Tonights Gripping Episode Of Rod And Tube Point Control. ( Episode 5 )

It's been a bit of a boring day today, down at Westerham Station.

The only progress has been to drill the positions for the rod and poly tube through the baseboard to line up with the switch positions, 2mm holes were drilled for the tube and aligned so that they will all be on the left hand side of the switches, this is for no particular reason other than neatness, also holes have been drilled for the section switch wires, the holes have been drilled so that they come out about 4mm underneath the baseboard so that the tube can be secured with the choc boxes to the underside of the baseboard.

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Wire and Tube Point Control.

      I have finished the control panel, and have given it a coat of stain to match the facia panel of the layout,I havn't screwed the switches down yet as I want to make sure it all works. The panel has been fixed into position, the only switches that remain to go in will be the section switches, but the holes are drilled ready for the wires.Here are a few pics of the control panel. Next comes the

hard part, getting the wire and tube to work :crazy:

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  • RMweb Gold

Wire and Tube Point Control for Westerham Station.

   If I had taken in, what I had read about the system over the past 50 years, what bit didn't I understand about doing it before you start the scenery/ buildings /wiring or anything else you care to name, especially as the surface of the base board is fibreboard, and all I would of had to do is cut grooves in the surface with a craft knife for the tube runs, but never mind working upside down with sharp tools and hot melt glue guns is all part of the fun, the injuries will soon heal.

        The system is not complicated and allows for adjustment, it does take a bit of work to get it to work smoothly; but that is probably due to the fact that some of the runs are over 4' and have some quite tight radiuses.

  Some points to note if fitting underneath the baseboard

1. Try to keep the tube and wire as close to the underside of the baseboard as possible, this will minimise the amount of wire

    going through the tie bar.

2. Fix the outer poly tube as much as possible to stop it flexing when operating the point, as this will effect the throw.

3. I made a groove about 3" long in the underside of the baseboard for the wire and tube to slope up to the point,so that it     was closer to the tie bar.

4. Make sure that you leave about 6mm of wire exposed at the exit of the tube before it bends up to the tie bar.

 

Here are some pictures of the components as fitted underneath the baseboard.

And some of the finished project.

None of this is original, its just my version using bits and pieces of others ideas, and don't forget if you are thinking of using something similar Fit It First it will be so much easier. any questions please ask.   

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Hi Adrian,

All looking good.  

I don;t know if I have missed this in your thread, but are your point live frog? I'm about to build a short extension to my cement terminal, and thought as there will only be a couple of points, I would have a go at this method, but would need to switch frog polarity.

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Adrian,

All looking good.  

I don;t know if I have missed this in your thread, but are your point live frog? I'm about to build a short extension to my cement terminal, and thought as there will only be a couple of points, I would have a go at this method, but would need to switch frog polarity.

Hi Rich, 

          The points are peco electrofrog, but I havn't wired them for switching . just relying on the point blades for contact. I have been told this is not the best idea in the world. and you should wire them. Regards Adrian. 

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Hi Rich, 

          The points are peco electrofrog, but I havn't wired them for switching . just relying on the point blades for contact. I have been told this is not the best idea in the world. and you should wire them. Regards Adrian. 

Thanks Adrian, not sure if that will work for DCC, but could use a Peco microswitch attached to the tie bar to change the frog polarity.

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Thanks Adrian, not sure if that will work for DCC,

Generally this is done by removing the connections between the blades and the frog, and instead bonding the blades to the adjacent stock rails. The polarity of the frog is then switched separately. This means any under-gauge wheels that happen to touch the blade won't cause a short. (Note: this isn't a DCC specific problem, you can see it with analogue control too, just that the effects are contained to a single loco).

 

but could use a Peco microswitch attached to the tie bar to change the frog polarity.

... or just use the DPDT switches (which already have double the number of contacts needed to do the job) which have been used at the other end of the tube in this example? Edited by Bloodnok
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  • RMweb Premium

Amazing, this just gets better and better!

 

Surely some of these photos should be put in the "How Realistic are Your Models" thread.

 

Thanksa very much for sharing them,

Dave.

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Guest jonte

Just a few pics of up and down the platform, while I had the camera out today.

 

What a tranquil setting, Adrian. You portray it so well.

 

About ten days ago, whilst making my annual pilgrimage south, I had the misfortune of being stuck in heavy, Friday afternoon traffic on the M25 in this beautiful part of the world when my thoughts turned to your layout. As my eyes wandered to the slope and its copse adjacent to the carriageway, I could only dream of how delightful a train journey would have been along this meandering old branch line fifty years or so earlier. 

 

Damn the car!

 

Jonte

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Just a few pics of up and down the platform, while I had the camera out today.

 

There I am thinking, "How is that strange brick effect happening in the sky........................................"  :scratchhead: Then I thought, "Ah, yes.  This really is suspending my disbelief ! "

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  • RMweb Gold

There I am thinking, "How is that strange brick effect happening in the sky........................................"  :scratchhead: Then I thought, "Ah, yes.  This really is suspending my disbelief ! "

The Brick Effect in the sky is a sign of good weather to come, it is a well known meteorological term, ask any one.Brick sky at night shepherds delight :blind:

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