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North Welsh Coast Railway - Welsh Dragon Rail


Anthony Ashley
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Dear JRSS and Scotty,

 

Your replies are gratefully received and inspire greater efforts to keep the momentum going. I shall have 5 weeks home over Christmas, so should be able to achieve substantial progress. The only problem is the 40 odd points I need to lay the track for the left hand fiddle yard.

 

In answer to our question JRSS the whole passenger operation of 109 passenger movements for the days operation from both storage yards will be computerised and operate off a 1960 time table for the Western Midland region. The operating system will be TC Gold which allows for automatic schedules and the control system will be ESU ECoS 2.  

 

I have attached the time table below. It is an excel spread sheet.

 

 

Sunday Train rakes V1 second copy.xlsx

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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  • 3 weeks later...

LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear All,

 

I have been working on the Holyhead hidden track yard and connecting track. Photos are below.

 

Bottom levle3 of the helix at the top of the Holyhead hidden track area, looking down the layout with track having been laid. 

 

post-15340-0-73573900-1451480133.jpg

 

View of the bottom level of the helix looking up the layout.

 

post-15340-0-60657800-1451480186.jpg

 

View of the Holyhead yard throat (Holyhead is of course not being scenically represented but the yard represents the terminus of Holyhead). I have added the second line into the yard as shown on the plan above.  

 

post-15340-0-98502600-1451480208.jpg

 

post-15340-0-14062300-1451480238.jpg

 

View of the Holyhead yard with helix in the back ground.

 

post-15340-0-62797900-1451480261.jpg

 

All comments are greatly appreciated. I realise my input has been limited this year living in Sydney and separated from my family. Only 2 years more to go to retirement but these 2 will still be separated.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

 

 

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LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear All,

 

Work has been completed on the lower end of the left hidden track area. Cork still needs to be stuck down and painted. Photos following.

 

Dog bone loop

 

post-15340-0-22410400-1451713341.jpg

 

Passing loop

 

post-15340-0-27249500-1451713372_thumb.jpg

 

Looking back towards the dog bone loop

 

post-15340-0-32537400-1451713404.jpg

 

post-15340-0-44972000-1451713424.jpg

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear All,

 

Work has been completed on the lower end of the left hidden track area. Cork still needs to be stuck down and painted. Photos following.

 

Dog bone loop

 

attachicon.gifIMG_7963V2.jpg

 

Passing loop

 

attachicon.gifIMG_7964V2.jpg

 

Looking back towards the dog bone loop

 

attachicon.gifIMG_7967V2.jpg

 

attachicon.gifIMG_7972V2.jpg

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

Looking good Anthony.

 

Silly question - why do you need to paint the cork in a hidden area?

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Anthony,

 

"Dog Bone Loop" - sounds like it should be a station somewhere in Colorado or Arizona, I can see the old guy in the rocking chair, corn-cob pipe, guitar on knee, shotgun leaning on the wall...

 

I remain staggered by the sheer scale of this.  Keep up the good work!

 

all the best for the New Year.  Sorry to hear of your enforced travels, I'm more of a weekly here-and-there type myself, it gets wearing being away, so hang in there!

Simon

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Dear Simon and John,

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

I agree the travel is not fun but at least it gets me home about every month and a half.

 

John reason for the painting of the cork was I was told that in Brisbane the humidity may swell the cork if not sealed. With the size and complexity of the layout I decided to take no risks and therefore seal any surface I have track on. Better safe than sorry.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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Hi Anthony

 

Happy New Year from a very cold Vancouver.

 

Last night I read all 24 pages of this thread........I had always been aware that it was a large, complex, multi level layout but now I more fully appreciate the sheer size of the project. What an amazing guy you are to have achieved so much in such a short space of time.

 

I am so glad that you modified the fiddle yard so that there are now two entry/exit points......I am sure the original plan would have proved to be a false economy....I know from my own layout how easy it is to inadvertently create choke points which create all manner of problems with RR&Co operation.

 

Talking of which.....I do hope that have you started to use your time in Sydney (in addition to some excellent Scalescene modelling) to good effect by testing some TC schedules with the simulator? :angel:

 

Best wishes

 

John

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John,

Thanks for the positive comments. I thought about the fiddle yard entry and got concerned about the volume of traffic over the one area, a second line with half the traffic and is therefore a better option, particularly with the 2 pairs of lines feeding in.

 

I am excited to have most of the hidden track work to the Holyhead fiddle yard nearly ready. Should get close to finishing today. Just waiting for 10 ESU point decoders which I have on order from Germany. These will service up to 40 points and should nearly be enough for the Holyhead hidden track and yard areas. I do not want to permanently affix track on top of  the track where I still need to install point servos and switches for the lower track. I am waiting for the Postman today!

 

I am also waiting for the exchange rate to improve needing about another 100 points and at least 10 more 30 piece boxes of flexi track. I have been slowly collecting coaches and have accumulated about 180. Only another 40 or so to go. Bachmann are bringing out the correct Maroon coaches this year- hope the exchange rate improves ie at one stage was 68 AS cents in the pound instead of 48!!!!!!@! 

 

I have decided not to experiment with the TC Gold system, as every time I use it I chew through one of the free 30 days provided. I only have 1 or 2 days left.  I thought I would wait to pay for the system once I have retired ie in 2 years, as I wanted to ensure I have purchased the most up to date version available once I start on the layout full time. During the annual BRMA convention I did speak to an expert on model rail automation, told him I was using TC Gold and showed him the layout plan. He indicated I should be good with the proposed layout in terms of TC Gold operation. I am still tweaking the layout plan even after the 3 years I have been building ie I added a further 2 tracks to each yard and added the second pair of tracks to facilitate the yard usage. 

 

Thankyou again for your comments. I hope you had a good Christmas and have a great 2016.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley    

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Hi Anthony

 

Thank you for your good wishes.

 

The limited time period in demo mode for Train Controller only applies if you are connected to a layout. If you work on it off line there is no time limit. I worked on mine for a year before I bought the software. Even now rather than move the licence USB stick from the railway room computor every time I have a query or whatever I just work away upstairs in demo mode off line.

 

You can while away your leisure hours in Sydney gaining invaluable experience and saving tons of time when you actually start operating. You can set up your loco roster now.....there is a lot of data needs to be entered.........you can keep your electronic switchboard up to date.....and you can test run schedules (train journeys) using the virtual simulator. There is no charge for downloading the full manual.  The file you create will transfer seamlessly once you buy the licence.

One word of warning.....do guard your remaining hours when live very carefully. I believe that once the hours are exhausted you are unable to save further changes ...even off line.

 

I think you are wise to postpone the actual purchase until you retire.......if you bought it now you would spend too much time using it when you are actually in Brisbane........its very addictive!

 

Juergen Freiwald, the developer, seems to issue a major update ie a new version every 5-6 years........minor upgrades and bugfixes are released quite regularly. Not sure what version you have but it would be best to keep it up to date.....there is no charge.

 

I guess I should amplify the usual disclaimer. I have no connection with RR&Co other than as a perhaps over enthusiastic user

 

Kind Regards

 

John

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Dear John,

 

You are correct. I think that you do use a day if you save any new plan or alter existing plans. I have made substantial changes since I designed the original electronic track plan in TC Gold. These include not incur[orating a second level on the left hidden area. For instance there is now the 1st level of hidden track and then the yard area. I inserted a 2 level helix instead of going all the way down and back up the layout. Another substantial change is incorporating the second track running into the yard area. I could still play around with the existing plan and see how it works. I shall wait till I return to Sydney to play around on the computer.

 

I have made a recent acquisition with the receipt of a map cabinet. It was going to be thrown out from my wife's work so I indicated IO would save them the effort. It is about 1.4 metres wide  by about .9 metre deep. It has 10 drawers about 5 cm high and will be perfect for storing locos and rolling stock. When my son and I arrived to lift it onto the utility we could not budge it off the floor. The storeman used a fork lift. On arrival home we had to take out every drawer and disassemble it as much as possible to move it off the ute. It was very HEAVY !!! 

 

I thought I would make storage cassettes slightly higher and wider than the coaches-wagons. If I put a strip of plasticard on the floor the wheels will run either side of that strip. A thin piece of plasticard will then be used as a tongue to insert on the rails on the layout. I am hoping that if I tip up the other end of the cassette up the coaches will then run railed onto the layout. Photos of the cabinet are below.

 

post-15340-0-30561700-1452068714.jpg

 

I should be able to get about 9 coaches n each cassette

post-15340-0-75028700-1452068745.jpg

 

 

Plenty of height in the drawers

post-15340-0-30716000-1452068768_thumb.jpg

 

Had to move one leg to fit it in!!!

 

post-15340-0-21092300-1452068786.jpg

 

All comments are welcome.

 

Regards,

 

Anthkiny Ashley

 

 

 

 

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Hi Anthony

 

You can alter and save as much as you like in demo mode provided you are off line. You can incorporate all the changes you have made without using up any time.......provided you are not connected to the layout

 

I like the cassette drawer I suspect it will prove very useful

 

Regards

 

John

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John,

 

Thanks for the tip I shall make some amendments to my plan today to catch up with developments, doing so off line. 

 

I have constructed my first prototype of the cassette/railer and I works very well. I had a lot of disbelieving relatives who will be coming to a family fathering on Saturday. I can demonstrate the device to them then.

 

Photos are below. It is simple but allows storage and auto railing for up to 9 coaches or twice as many wagons. I do think model railways keeps you young coming up with new ideaes and ways to solve problems. I have about 30 more to build!!!

 

Next issue is automating the points on the hidden layout area recently finished, providing decoder addresses and such like.

 

2 GUV and a coach loaded for rerailling

 

post-15340-0-06727200-1452202170.jpg

 

I shaved the bottom of the cassette to a 45 degree angle at the end so that when it tips up it inserts between the rails better. The slots also allow the rails to nestle between the railer.

post-15340-0-35186000-1452202201.jpg

 

post-15340-0-15540600-1452202217.jpg

 

post-15340-0-96454100-1452202236.jpg

 

All comments are welcome.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

  

 

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John,

 

Thank you for your comment. I get quite excited with replies to my entries, so it was with a degree of expectation and excitement the I went to my thread to read your comment. I thought I was going to get positive comments on the cassette above but alas no. Yes I agree the degree of excitement in a family fathering would be relatively high. We have not had one in our family before so the event would be quite novel and perhaps a little perplexing. I think the difference in a family fathering and gathering is only one key stroke away. I need to be more careful with my typing. It must be the summer vacation. In future any family fathering should be read as family gathering, but I shall try to proof read to a higher standard.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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Anthony,

 

Please do not be discouraged, if one of your posts foes not generate replies.

 

I looked at your cassette and map drawers and thought "if only in 0 gauge", but somehow it seemed a rather pointless post - so I didn't!

 

I'm listening to the morning news as I type this, and hear that apparently the Flying Scotsman is "back on the tracks" after some 10 years.

 

Best

Simon

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Simon,

 

Thanks for the encouragement but I was really being flippant in my reply to John. The cassette works quite well and will be a good storage system. I think normal size drawers would not be too big for O gauge. With the drawers having about 6 cm in height and clearance they are great for N gauge.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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Hi Anthony,

surprise, surprise, here I am adding a comment. Having heard your thoughts on Thursday night, about making up rakes for each train, so you can keep all your trains ready to go in the plan cabinet and then to see that you had knocked on up overnight and then to see how successfully your idea worked was great. Such a pain that it takes so long to cut each piece of the rakes, but your success with the first one will spur you on to build more. Dylan was blown away by the sheer size of your undertaking, as I'm sure everyone who actually gets to see it first hand is. A long way to go, but given this is your first layout, it has been and continues to be a real joy for me to be of some help in whatever capacity I can when time permits. Fabulous effort and the best is yet to come. Look at all you have learned in such a short time and all the fun of scenicing is going to be the next big challenge.

Happy holidays,

Ross 

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Hi Anthony

 

Not sure to what extent you know about multiple linked switchboards on TC? I would think their use will be a great advantage on your layout (assuming you havent implemented them already?)

 

An other thing to use the simulator for during pre-retirement......to check the virtual linkage between switchboards

 

Regards

 

John.

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Dear Ross and John,

 

Thanks for the replies.  

 

John I have upgraded the TC Gold Switch boards located at entry 468 of this thread. They have been altered considerably. If you have a look at them you will see there are 4 switch boars. 1 for the scenic area with connectors to the hidden track. 1 for the top level hidden track with connectors to the second level hidden track and then the yard level connected tot he second level hidden switch board. I think they should all work. I have played around with the blocks and the hidden track layout. More amendments to be made when I start on the yard and hidden track under Bangor. I shall have to experiment with the simulator. Thanks for your assistance with the computer aspects of the layout.

 

Ross it was nice to read your entry. Just to explain Ross is the fellow who has been helping me nearly every Friday night when I am living in Brisbane and has been a huge assistance. He came up with the idea of the lifting section and is very creative in solving problems I have encountered during construction. His modelling is first class and his assistance has been invaluable.

 

I have nearly finished laying the track on the Penmaenmawr hidden section. Just a few more pieces to go. I don't have sufficient funds to commence the yard yet.

 

Photos of further hidden track are below.

 

post-15340-0-63431400-1452513666.jpg

 

Reverse loop area

 

post-15340-0-56081800-1452513691.jpg

 

post-15340-0-64088400-1452513719.jpg

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

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LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear All,

 

Not a lot of photos to show as L have been busy wiring the hidden track. I have connected all of the track running down the layout on the left side hidden track to terminal strips. I have to do the return track area with connection to terminal strips, run the main hidden track bus lines and connect the terminal strips to the bus lines. It is a slow process, but may finish the terminal strips tomorrow.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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Dear All,

 

I am after advice and comments on 2 potential plans for the yard area for Holyhead. Either plan will do the job. At the end of the yard is a traverser to access the run around loop for the loco to return to the head of the rake. Do you prefer the one on the left or right. I think may be the one on the right is easier to manage with track detection and automation.

 

post-15340-0-17217600-1453370254_thumb.jpg

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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Anthony,

 

I cannot see one or the other being easier from a detection point of view.  IMO (and it is only an opinion) is that I would make the left hand version, with the up and down sidings identical (or slightly offset if that made the wiring runs easier).  Only because I think it would look neater...

 

best

Simon

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Hi Anthony

 

Its difficult to comment without seeing the block structure in the storage area..........should I be looking at the switchboard shots you mentioned in an earlier reply?

 

Will all or some of the storage turnouts have occupancy detectors?

 

Regards

 

John

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  • 1 month later...

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