MattWallace Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Hi all, So whilst I wait for time to go banging around in the loft and work on Marshfield Junction, I thought I'd put together a small plank to give me the ability to test trains/decoders/weathering techniques/block detection/etc/etc... Because this is a place to experiment and muck around it doesn't have a name, although "playground" seemed most apt when I did the initial drawing. It will be set in the present day because it's a test for Marshfield and so it needs to reflect the same era. The track plan (because everyone needs a track plan!) is as follows: This gives me a low-level "shunting yard" (the track lengths should accommodate a loco up to a class 70) with a set of points to test point motors/switching/blade detection, three "blocks" to test block detection and a high level single track for testing simple running back and forth. My plan is to have a small lift-off tunnel portal to the right of the lower section to test scenics for embankments and tunnels, a wall running along the back of the low-level to play with weathering, graffiti and the like, one track of the low level for "hard standing" techniques and the other for ballasting. The High Level will be a small station for testing urban/platform techniques and possibly some signals as well. The whole "layout" (and I use the phrase *very* loosely here!) will be controlled by JMRI via MERG CBUS. This may seem like overkill for such a small setup, however it means I can swap my various modules in and out to test point control/block detection etc and learn to use JMRI "properly". I'm hoping to get started on the Baseboard today and should have some more pics over the weekend. Cheers, Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdw7300 Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Sounds a good plan Matt. I have knocked up a single length of flexi track on a seperate board for the same reasons - better to practice weathering / ballasting / electrics etc off the main layout! Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 6, 2013 Author Share Posted December 6, 2013 So, a quick jolly with a jigsaw and some of the old baseboards and I now have: Sides: Tops: And a serious need for glue... although actually I'll probably just use these: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beresford Junction Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 That's a long 'lunch hour'.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 7, 2013 Author Share Posted December 7, 2013 That's a long 'lunch hour'.... Heh, actually, it took me approx 40 minutes to cut that benchwork out. It took me slightly longer (nearly two hours) to put it together today, but I'mpretty pleased with the result: And it looks pretty cool with some flexi track just laid on top of it: The content of the box electrics-wise is going to consist of the following (all from http://www.merg.org.uk/ !): 1 x CANCMD CBusDCC Control Station 1 x CANUSB CBus USB Interface 1 x CANACC4 CBus Solenoid Point Controller 1 x CANACE8C CBus feedback controller 3 x PMP7 DCC Train Detector (connects to CANACE8C to provide feedback to JMRI for Block Detection) 1 x PMP16 Turnout Position Sensor (connects to CANACE8C to provide feedback to JMRI for Block Detection) Apart from two PMP7s and the PMP16, all are already soldered and ready to be fitted... More on this as I get a chance to work on it, Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share Posted December 9, 2013 Work on the "Softer" side continued over the weekend with the import of the xtrkcad plan to JMRI: Blocks have also been allocated, so now I just need to lay the track, wire it up and test it all... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 "Plan" down and glued to base: and a point put on for perspective: Hope to get to more at lunch today having done this quickly this AM.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 Cork down and hole cut in baseboard for point motor, need to wait for the spraymount to dry now... Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 12, 2013 Author Share Posted December 12, 2013 Thanks to another lunch break, I have the basic electronics that were in use on Blockwall Junction working for the playground: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoZmZ1z82nk Hopefully I'll fit these along with the first block detector to the boards tonight... Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 12, 2013 Author Share Posted December 12, 2013 So more time spent on the layout tonight, and some progress made. The first was to add some brick cladding temporarily - I'd forgotten just how much of a difference it makes! and to give a (very!) rough idea of what the plank looks like with track and electronics (not their final positions!): And finally, a video of the block detection working: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCZl2n1U7HU The block detection is a DCC ToTI (Train on Track Indicator) which works by detecting a change in resistance and feeding that to the CANACE8C which then puts the message back on the bus. The ToTI is part of the new "pocket money projects" range of kits from MERG and costs just £1.50 per kit, meaning that if you add the CANACE8C, you can manage 8 blocks of track for just £22. Now I just need to build the other three ToTIs and the point position detector... Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 That's very clever. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 Thanks, I've not had any time to work on this recently due to family events and the like, which is a real shame as this is what was meant to keep me occupied whilst the larger layout was left in the loft until I had time to work on it properly. I also spent my Christmas money on a remote-control Helicopter so that I'd have something to play with during my lunch breaks at work, but the winds have been too strong to launch it... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share Posted July 1, 2014 Wow, so I've not posted about this since January, that gives you an idea of just how much "stuff" has been going on elsewhere in my life! For those of you who are only following this thread and not my other ones, I've renamed and redesigned what was going to be "Marshfield Junction" and I'm building a worktop/test track in the loft that's a continuous loop on a 6x4 so I can run trains in properly after I've tried to repair them. Progress on this particular layout has been slow however I now have it sprayed grey and the lower track is laid and wired. I couldn't resist a (very!) small running session last night after I got the track down so here are a few pics of how it currently looks with 20128 and 66701 in place: The stop light against the buffer is a Train-Tech BL-1 Buffer light and it just slots in to place. Apparently I get both lights lit because I'm running DCC, if you're running DC then only 1 light comes on and the brightness varies with speed. Either way, it was £5 from Pecorama (well worth a visit if you're in the Beer/Exeter area) and it looks great! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted September 5, 2014 Author Share Posted September 5, 2014 Loads more time has passed and I've managed to get back to the bench layout today. I've now go two blocks wired up and here's a detailed pair of videos describing the setup and showing what it looks like once it's done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ982J_SSfY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2GKA4bFC2U Third block and a dual-aspect signal to be wired up next! Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 I'm taking what I've learned from this thread and others and I'm building a 16x1ft layout with either cassettes or a traversing FY (I've not decided which yet!) over at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/90847-this-might-even-get-built/ Please do follow the new thread, I might even get track down properly on this one! Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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