Kensington Olympia in n scale

[acg5324]

I started fitting droppers to the bus bar today......a couple of faults popped up when I powered up. Both were due to metal vice insulated fishplates. After several hours of soldering I now have a partially working layout. Lots more wires to solder up tomorrow. 

The Y point arrived so I can install that tomorrow too. 

 

First loco round the layout ........... was 47489.

 

 

Charles House.....there’s always next week!

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by acg5324

[grahame]

12 minutes ago, acg5324 said:

 

Charles House.....there’s always next week!

 

 

Awww . . . 

 

But well done for the progress on track laying and electrics. It's amazing how much modelling is getting done during this crisis and the lockdown.

 

 

[St Enodoc]

7 hours ago, acg5324 said:

I started fitting droppers to the bus bar today......a couple of faults popped up when I powered up. Both were due to metal vice insulated fishplates. After several hours of soldering I now have a partially working layout. Lots more wires to solder up tomorrow. 

The Y point arrived so I can install that tomorrow too. 

 

First loco round the layout ...........

https://www.facebook.com/100017975771460/posts/582331432376044/

 

 

Charles House.....there’s always next week!

 

I'll have to take your word for it, as FB won't let me watch unless I sign up, but well done anyway. It's a great feeling when the first train runs. Now of course there's lots of testing to be done...

[Calnefoxile]

15 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I'll have to take your word for it, as FB won't let me watch unless I sign up, but well done anyway. It's a great feeling when the first train runs. Now of course there's lots of testing to be done...

 

I am signed up to Farcebook and I can't see it either, it tells me that:

 

Sorry, this content isn't available at the moment

The link you followed may have expired, or the Page may only be visible to an audience that you aren't in.

 

Regards

 

Neal.

[acg5324]

1 hour ago, Calnefoxile said:

 

I am signed up to Farcebook and I can't see it either, it tells me that:

 

Sorry, this content isn't available at the moment

The link you followed may have expired, or the Page may only be visible to an audience that you aren't in.

 

Regards

 

Neal.

 

Oh sorry gents......looks like you can only see it you are a “friend”.......I’ll delete the link as it’s a wild goose chase!

[acg5324]

Not much progress, to nice to stay indoors so the garden got some attention. I did manage to add more droppers which means more bits work.

The Y point has also been added in and the turnback siding completed.

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, acg5324 said:

 

Oh sorry gents......looks like you can only see it you are a “friend”.......I’ll delete the link as it’s a wild goose chase!

Haven't you got any friends then?

[acg5324]

12 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Haven't you got any friends then?

Not during social isolating............well not close friends.....they are miles away.

[acg5324]

Today.....more droppers and one fault....rail attached to the wrong bus.

About to start on some more after lunch....Beanz on Toast.  Might be noisy sat on the floor under the layout later.

[St Enodoc]

13 hours ago, acg5324 said:

Today.....more droppers and one fault....rail attached to the wrong bus.

About to start on some more after lunch....Beanz on Toast.  Might be noisy sat on the floor under the layout later.

When I'm installing track wiring I connect a battery-powered buzzer across the rails. If you connect a wire to the wrong rail it tells you straight away.

[acg5324]

4 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

When I'm installing track wiring I connect a battery-powered buzzer across the rails. If you connect a wire to the wrong rail it tells you straight away.

That’s a good idea.....I’ll see if I can source one.

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, acg5324 said:

That’s a good idea.....I’ll see if I can source one.

I got a really cheap buzzer, croc clips and a 9V battery clip from Jaycar, which is our equivalent of what used to be Maplins, and just connected them all up with some spare wire.

[acg5324]

Something like this?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143501617362

[acg5324]

Too nice to be indoors yesterday, lots of gardening, seeding the lawn, lunch outside too.

One strange fault I have cleared this morning. One point seemed to have no power to it. It looked like the amount of insulated rail joiners around it was the issue...it was socially isolated! Anyway I moved a rail joiner to the other end of the connecting rail to give me room to connect a feed.  Once this was connected it was short circuit time. 

I removed the dropper, short disappeared. Put a loco over the point and it ran fine!!!

The point in question is the one below.

Edited April 6, 2020 by acg5324

[acg5324]

The dropper you can see was the culprit and is no longer connected to the DCC bus.

The little posts are for me to place where I find faults/issues. 

[acg5324]

 

 

It’s Tuesday! Dare I say Charles House.......OK Charles House.......I’d cut the ground floor an intermediate floor and top floor some time ago. 

I’ve built a large box for the inside so that you can’t see through the building. This will support the intermediate floor.

 

I now don’t have very much mount board for the second box so it’ll be either made of scraps or I might have to have a trip to Hobbycraft / The Range both are next to the big Supermarkets near us.

 

 

As as you can see Charles House is massive even in this very compressed form.

I stocked up with brick plasticard last month so the exterior walls will be that mounted over plain plasticard.

Edited April 7, 2020 by acg5324

[Duncan.]

I'll say it, that is not an ESSENTIAL trip in the current circumstances. Stay in, Protect the NHS' Save lives, nuff said?

[acg5324]

The second box is now complete, made from the scraps, it currently has no bracing. I do have a supply of grey card somewhere I can utilise.

[Duncan.]

8 minutes ago, acg5324 said:

The second box is now complete, made from the scraps, it currently has no bracing. I do have a supply of grey card somewhere I can utilise.

Some card such as that from cereal packets can be used for buildings., it may need extra bracing or used in multiple layers.

Cheers

Duncan

[grahame]

Cereal packet card is usually poor quality with a mix of materials and sources, often with irregular particles, and is printed and varnished on one side which makes it prone to warping and more difficult to cut. It's best to use high quality card that cuts easily and can be laminated together if required. 

 

Although most shops that sell it, like stationers, art shops and Hobbycraft, are currently shut it is still possible to mail order mountboard and other quality card. And it's relatively cheap (compared with some packets of cereal) . ;-)

 

 

 

 

[acg5324]

Yes cereal packets aren’t good for these buildings.....and we don’t have any anyway.....porridge comes in a bag!

The Range stores are still open as usual.  Hobbycraft stores are closed. I’ll find out what I can get at The Range tomorrow as I have a food deliveries to make to the M.I.L and S.I.L who are both self isolating. 

 

Can you you guess who’s getting what....my S.I.L is a Manager at Betty’s in Harrogate.

 

List 1

Pasta

Tins of Rice Pudding

Jars of Pasta Sauce

Loaf of Bread

Soft Mints

 

List 2

Basil plant

Coriander plant

Vanilla bean paste

Italian Peach Jam

Vegan Croissants

Lactose free cream

 

Edited April 7, 2020 by acg5324

[St Enodoc]

4 hours ago, acg5324 said:

Yes cereal packets aren’t good for these buildings.....and we don’t have any anyway.....porridge comes in a bag!

The Range stores are still open as usual.  Hobbycraft stores are closed. I’ll find out what I can get at The Range tomorrow as I have a food deliveries to make to the M.I.L and S.I.L who are both self isolating. 

 

Can you you guess who’s getting what....my S.I.L is a Manager at Betty’s in Harrogate.

 

List 1

Pasta

Tins of Rice Pudding

Jars of Pasta Sauce

Loaf of Bread

Soft Mints

 

List 2

Basil plant

Coriander plant

Vanilla bean paste

Italian Peach Jam

Vegan Croissants

Lactose free cream

 

Good job you like tea then.

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, acg5324 said:

The second box is now complete, made from the scraps, it currently has no bracing. I do have a supply of grey card somewhere I can utilise.

How do you know the table's level?

[Railfreight1998]

4 hours ago, acg5324 said:

 

List 2

Basil plant

Coriander plant

Vanilla bean paste

Italian Peach Jam

Vegan Croissants

Lactose free cream

 

Very specific

[Carl. H.]

7 hours ago, grahame said:

Cereal packet card is usually poor quality with a mix of materials and sources, often with irregular particles, and is printed and varnished on one side which makes it prone to warping and more difficult to cut. It's best to use high quality card that cuts easily and can be laminated together if required. 

 

Although most shops that sell it, like stationers, art shops and Hobbycraft, are currently shut it is still possible to mail order mountboard and other quality card. And it's relatively cheap (compared with some packets of cereal) . ;-)

 

 

 

 

I've seen it used to good effect for buildings of varying sizes and even rolling stock would you believe, despite its quality issues.  People have told me the secret is bracing it and giving a coat of cheap superglue on the fibrous, un-coated sides of the card.  A bit like the old days of shellac being used to stiffen card, same principle really.  Mountboard used as backing for sketchpads is quite good too but that's an even more expensive way than cereal packs for sure! 

 

Carl