Porth Dinllaen in 0

[Simond]

Thank you, all.

 

I took the card I had and airbrushed it with Citadel “Druuchi Violet” (apparently a race related to Orcs, but from another galaxy) and as that really hadn’t worked for me, I wanted a rattle can of Halfords grey primer at it. Suspect doing it in the opposite order might have been better.

 

I then lasered, and cut the strips from the fret, and mixed them, but unfortunately included some of the earlier strips I’d given a dose of Vallejo dark grey to as a wash. These are the four-in-a-row, and the two darker rows you can see. I shall take your advice and avoid these!

 

I have to buy some more card, and some more paint, so will keep to the same formula now, and then perhaps airbrush a bit of violet in the final weathering.

 

Thanks again

Simon

[Simond]

Supplies of the card, the Druuchi violet and the Halfords rattle can secured. I’ll leave the slates til I’ve done the smoke hoods & lights to prevent damage to the slates.

 

The cad for the doors is done, three layers again, outer, inner planking, and frames. I’ll hack them out of packeto-cornflako first, as I think perhaps the frame should be thicker - need to have a look at it in the flesh, so to speak.

 

The smoke hoods are proving a tad more complex than I initially imagined. The steelwork over the doors where they exit suggests that they should be narrower at the top than the bottom, however there are photos suggesting the hoods were parallel sided, and I’ve found one showing both parallel and tapered. The crux of the matter is another web image showing that the tapered ironwork is original. Ho hum, need to make them tapered...

 

This requires rather more complex formers - I’ll work on them over the next few days - though the CAD doesn’t yet make for pretty pix.

 

And a quick thank you to John - Killybegs of this parish - for kindly sharing of his CAD for the walkways and some other bits. His most recent photos of smoke hood chimneys suggests he’s running a few steps ahead of me.

 

The other ambitious bit is the louvre ventilators, again, John’s leading here too.

 

More soon,

Best

Simon

[Simond]

Further photos of smoke hoods confirm that they are tapered in end view, as built. It would appear that the parallel sided version was a later, simpler approach. Doesn’t work for my era.

 

Trying to sort out the CAD this evening... would be nice to do some cutting on Friday after work, not much chance beforehand, I fear. Well, I could, but the garage is cold and uninviting...

 

Best

Simon

[Simond]

Prototype #1 of the smoke hoods.

 

 

All the cut bits work fine

 

 

Need to arrange a little laser cut thingy to hold everything aligned for gluing before doing the remaining 9.

 

I also need to laser out the cross bars that the hangers attach to. 28 pieces 23 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, rounded ends, hole in each end. Probably overscale, but doubt I can make them much smaller, though I could etch them in brass, I suppose.

 

Not going to do that today as I’m suffering the head-cold from hell, and the weather is foul, and the garage is therefore cold and uninviting!

 

BTW, the thick bits are MDF, and the greyboard is Kellogg’s best. Snap, Crackle & Pop are on the inside, but a coat of GW Chaos Black will deal with them. Anybody have any idea what colour the outside of the smoke hoods was before they became filthy? I’m guessing the pale colour was asbestos cement sheets, and the dark is red lead on steel, but anyone who knows better, please shout up!

 

I also cut the shed doors during the week, and glued them together this morning.

Currently under weights, glue drying between the laminations. Photos to follow.

 

Best

Simon

Edited December 1, 2018 by Simond

[bgman]

More nice work Simon, I'm sorry but unable to help with the colours, I asked a mate who worked at a similar shed many years ago but all he remembers was " they were very dirty !", no help to you though. 

Just a thought whilst typing, maybe a PM to Castle of Little Didcot fame on here, he may know or else someone who does ?

 

I hope your head cold gets better very soon and you feel more like modelling.

 

Grahame

[Giles]

lovely stuff Simon!

[Simond]

Thanks Chaps!

 

Something interesting happening on the laser thread...

 

Best

Simon

[Simond]

Started playing with lights. I bought 50 pendant led lights with resistorsfrom eBay, for a little less than a quid each, I’ve tried 3 of them today, rather like the effect. Needs adjustable dimming.

 

 

I shall install three pairs of bus-bars the length of the roof, and hang the lamps from them.

 

I’ve also got the doors done, ready to paint

 

 

Best

Simon

[Hal Nail]

Something interesting happening on the laser thread...

 

 

I’m glad you’ve clarified that as I had a peek and didn’t understand a single word of it! Edited December 3, 2018 by Hal Nail

[Simond]

Mr Slinn to the rescue...

 

 

Interestingly, his description of the door paintwork is “traditional”, as in light stone panels, dark stone framing, but not in agreement with other evidence, photo of Aberdare shed as built in 1908 shows what appear to be light stone above a dark lower border, probably 3/4 the height of the middle hinges.

 

And, interestingly, the photo that I reversed of Leamington is very similar.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/monthly_08_2016/post-20369-0-70621500-1470487202.jpeg

 

So I think the doors will be very dark, black/brown below the middle hinges, and light stone above.

 

The smoke hoods can be light stone, frames in dark stone, I’m not 100% convinced, but they’re going to be smoked a bit anyway!

 

So, a little gentle progress this evening

Best

Simon

[Simond]

Doors, stone #1 6 off, with personnel door, do, 2 off, ready for hinges, which, like a clot, I didn’t “drill” for with the laser when cutting them out. Might have to use conventional tooling...

 

Barry at Metalsmith Leeds (http://www.metalsmith.co.uk/toolmakers-contact.htm) posted the 4x4mm milled brass H section to me, as I was suffering a hideous headcold and couldn’t get to Reading for the Guildford 0 gauge bash the weekend before last

 

I’ve cut the main beams & uprights for the doorways but the sound of tortured brass was proving too much for MrsD so the filing of notches & subsequent soldering will have to wait for tomorrow.

 

 

Need to get finger out and design etch for hinges, hinge bases, smoke trough hangers and roof walkways. Once the door frames are done, the hinges will be “urgent”, in so much as anything in the project has ever been hurried! And of course the roof walkways can’t go on til much later - slates need to be done first.

 

Door colours. Postscript. It appears that the doors painted dark for the lower half/third are found on buildings where the lower five or six feet of the inside walls is painted black. The early pix I have found of Aber have the inside walls whitewashed from the floor up, so the two-tone doors don’t go... jury still out. Any info most welcome.

 

Best

Simon

Edited December 11, 2018 by Simond

[Killybegs]

The photo of Aber in 'GW engine sheds 1947' shows two colour doors when new in 1938. Photos taken in the late fifties/early 60's show the front doors all brown but the rear doors lighter with dark heads, styles and middle rails (GW Steam on Shed - Bradford Barton). Choose your period and take your pick!

Edited December 12, 2018 by Killybegs

[Miss Prism]

Mr Slinn to the rescue...

image.jpg

 

 

I suspect "all ironwork was black" is another of GWW's ambiguous oversimplifications.

[Simond]

The photo of Aber in 'GW engine sheds 1947' shows two colour doors when new in 1938. Photos taken in the late fifties/early 60's show the front doors all brown but the rear doors lighter with dark heads, styles and middle rails (GW Steam on Shed - Bradford Barton). Choose your period and take your pick!

Thanks John,

 

Isn’t it remarkable how one can miss the blindingly obvious...?

 

And it appears that my earlier observation - that half-height paint on the doors goes with half height paint on the inside walls - is also not always true.

 

Now, the question is, assuming the light bit is stone #1, what colour is the dark bit...? And just to be confusing, the inside of the personnel door appears pale, which doesn’t match the other door inside!

 

Ironwork (hinges) appears black, but the lintel girder appears pale...

 

Anyway, I shall make my interpretation thereof, and anyone who wants to prove me wrong is welcome!

 

Thanks to you both

Simon

Edited December 12, 2018 by Simond

[Miss Prism]

but the lintel girder appears pale...

 

The lintels are pale. Could be bridge grey, but that could be merely colour flavour of the month.

[bgman]

You / we all do our best Simon but if all else fails ..... Rule No. 1 !

 

Some nice hefty looking doors your made there.

 

Grahame

[Simond]

Thanks chaps,

 

The jury will retire to consider... I suspect the final verdict is several days away, but will not be all light stone #1.

 

Meanwhile, here’s a photo of the brass girder frame in at one end, and the doors precariously balanced.

 

 

I’m not going to make the other frame this evening, been a long, and somewhat busy, day.

 

Thanks again to all for the contributions, and positive feedback, it is very much appreciated.

 

Cheers

Simon

[Simond]

Brass work now made & loosely installed at t’other end, and in the boiler house

 

 

 

 

Best

Simon

[Focalplane]

Hi Simon

 

The brass strips look good!  I like the engine shed too, much more sophisticated than at Penmaenpool!

 

Merry Christmas to you and yours,

 

Paul

[Simond]

Thanks Paul,

 

More news from PD soon, I hope

 

Merry Christmas & all the best for 2019 to you & your family too

 

Simon

[Simond]

Nothing very photogenic going on at PD at the moment, though MissD is helping with some arcane digital goings-on using Arduinos whose eventual purpose will enable me have point operation, turntable operation and dimmable lighting control along with some other facilities through the umbilical that connects the control panel to the layout, without running out of wires.

 

It’s a useful side product that we both will have a better understanding of I2C communication protocol... And, when I finally get round to it, the point & signal interlocking that I have ambitions to create will be easier.

 

Anyway,

 

It’s a perfect time to say great big thank-you to everyone who has contributed (comment, criticism, information, photos, drawings, advice & suggestions) to my modelling activities over the year, I’m really very grateful.

 

I’d like to wish all the RMWeb readers a very Merry Christmas, and a Healthy, Happy, Prosperous & Peaceful New Year!

Simon

[ChrisN]

Simon,

I always enjoy your thread as I know before I click on the link that it will have some excellent modelling on it.

 

Have a Happy Christmas and a good New Year

[Simond]

About a month ago, I decided that I needed to get on with rebuilding the control box for Porth Dinllaen loco shed, as I had only stuck a renumbered diagram over the old Greater Windowledge Railway diagram, and wired to suit.

 

This was fine, if a little crude, for the operation of the points, but the turntable has had a separate switch panel comprising a non-latching centre off toggle switch, a button and two LEDs for too long. And the lighting of the buildings and yard lights is currently on a single channel, with no adjustment of relative brightness.

 

And the 25-way D-connector lead that couples the box to the layout uses all 25 ways.

 

The solution I’ve selected is Arduino based, using a Mega in the control panel as master, and a series of Nano as slaves. Actually the turntable has a Pro-Mini but the points and lighting will be nano controlled. Comms between the boards will be i2c.

 

My 25-way lead is now plenty big enough!

 

Haven’t finalised it yet but

 

2 wires for Arduino power

2 wires i2c

4 wires Lenz X bus

2 wires (possibly 2 pairs) programming track from the layout (the spur is relay controlled, the relay is interlocked with the crossover to ensure that the programming track is isolated when programming selected). It’s handy to have DCC and programming output on the bench for the rolling road.

 

Can’t think of anything else that I need, but maybe a DC output would be convenient. Another two pairs.

 

The panel will have a numbered mimic diagram of the track layout, with 8 levers. I shall control the turntable by means of 6 buttons arranged on a clock-face. There will be a centrally mounted Red-Green LED to indicate that the table is turning or has stopped.

 

Haven’t decided but thinking four lighting channels (loco shed, yard lights, coal stage, spare) with on-off switches, and pots on the back of the control box, accessible, but essentially preset.

 

Herewith the point control board. It’s an Arduino Nano clone (£9) piggy-backed on an eBay 16-relay module (£11) and fitted with a 12V - 5V stabilised supply (£6) which will operate 8 Tortoises. I’m actively seeking a smaller neater way of driving the Tortoises using H-bridges but haven’t sorted that yet.

 

 

 

Basically you feed this thing 12V DC, and a signal from another Arduino, and it switches 8 points using Tortoises. If I hadn’t had the Tortoises, I’d have used servos, which can be driven directly from the Arduino (provided you give them a separate 5V supply). It’s a true slave, in that there’s no interlocking, as that could / would be in the master, but it does report back what it’s done.

 

More soon!

 

Atb

Simon

[bgman]

Hi Simon,

 

I've always liked the concept of using an Arduino for controlling items and I hope it proves to be a great success in replacing your original panel.

 

That said, the minute the "A" word is used I'm afraid I am totally lost and admire anyone who can write a programme to make them respond !

 

I have watched / seen them being used but I am unfortunately a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to these modules, I can manage DCC / wiring etc but that is where it ends.

 

Nevertheless I will pop in to watch your progress as it still fascinates me.

 

Grahame

[Giles]

You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!