Mid-Cornwall Lines - 1950s Western Region in 00

[St Enodoc]

Here are some of the trains that emerged from their boxes yesterday.

 

The 2210 Down Postal includes two POS vans which, because there is no convenient triangle at Penzance to turn them, face opposite ways so that mail can be picked up and dropped off both on the Up and the Down journeys. One of these vans is the original Modelzone version and other the later Bachmann release with a different number. Both are fitted with 247 Developments net frames and traductor gear. I made the nets themselves from very fine black dressmaking tulle, fixed to the etched frames with a spray adhesive. I also have a Southern Pride BPOT kit waiting to be built, which will replace the leading BG.

 

You can also see the tail end of the 0650 Plymouth – Penzance passenger, which includes a fish van.

 

The 2310 (FO) Manchester – Penzance overnight express is formed from a motley collection of ex-LMS stock. The second BSK should be a CK but I haven’t fitted the proper couplings to it yet.

 

On the left is a long parcels train. This isn’t actually in the service timetable as such but I like parcels vans, so there.

 

The 1110 Tavistock Junction to Penzance has a number of fitted vehicles at the front but most are not piped up as the train runs under class F headlamps (yes I know, I know…). The train is a mixed bag of mostly kit-built stock. I ought to remove two or three of the wagons, as at the moment it is a little too long to fit in the Down Goods Loop at Porthmellyn Road.

 

The 0035 Down Sleepers includes two second class and two first class sleeping cars, flanked by a pair of BCKs for those who don’t want to pay the supplement (27/- in first and 11/- in second). In my experience, a Mk 1 first class compartment was a very comfortable place to spend an overnight trip.

 

So on to today’s work, which was to prepare some point motors for fitting.

 

I use a home-made operating crank with H&M point motors, made from brass tube and piano wire. The tube fits into the hollow spindle in the motor and the wire passes though the motor crank before coming up through the baseboard to engage with the point tiebar.

 

This shows the crank fitted to the motor. I also checked that the armature moved freely before tightening all the screws and then lubricating the motor with dry PTFE lubricant. This is not genuine GT85 as recommended by Mike Edge, which only seems to be available in Western Australia for some reason. Instead I used a similar product from Jaycar, our local electronic bits-and-pieces shop.

 

Although all these H&M motors are old – some probably about 50 years – here is one that is in theory new, never having been removed from its wrapping. From the price I reckon that this one dates from the early 1970s.

 

Next weekend is the Forestville Show - see http://www.nsrma.com.au/exhibition.htm - where among other things I will be helping RudderC of this parish operate his new 0 gauge branch terminus Uley Junction, which is based on Bodmin General. Definitely worth a visit if you are within reach of Sydney’s North Shore (well I would say that, wouldn’t I?).

 

Edited to fix link.

Edited July 22, 2023 by St Enodoc
images restored

[Barry O]

Nice trains but a bit too clean?

Baz

[St Enodoc]

Nice trains but a bit too clean?

Baz

Perhaps after January 2018 they won't be...

[Mallard60022]

Those fiddle tracks make mine look like disused and earthquake affected 3rd world stuff. Nice stock though.

Phil

[Andrew P]

Some good stock there in the Line up, I really MUST remember how to place my Vans in a formation correctly.

 

I do believe those Point Motors are almost Bullet proof, Or Clubs O Gauge Layout has used them for many years, its all coming on  well, have a good show.

[St Enodoc]

Some good stock there in the Line up, I really MUST remember how to place my Vans in a formation correctly.

 

I do believe those Point Motors are almost Bullet proof, Or Clubs O Gauge Layout has used them for many years, its all coming on  well, have a good show.

Thanks Andy. I agree regarding H&Ms. I don't know who owns the rights now, but if they were reintroduced with a few 21st century updates, such as a decent switch, I reckon they would sell like hot cakes.

 

Are you referring to Wychnor Junction? A superb layout in my opinion.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about formations. In a parcels train as long as everything had vacuum brakes and there was at least one guard's compartment just about anything goes - that's why I like them!

[St Enodoc]

When you are on the road for work you end up with a fair amount of thinking time in airports and hotel rooms. Over this past week I've been putting this time to good use with regard to the point control and route setting arrangements for Paddington and Penzance.

 

My original plan was to use a diode matrix to select the routes, feeding into the momentary contact terminals on the ADS-8fx units and providing power from a DC laptop supply. However, this would involve a good deal of wire. As the ADS-8fx units are accessory decoders in their own right, I thought that NCE Mini Panels might be the way to go using a cab bus and a separate DCC accessory bus. The challenge here is that Paddington has 30 routes and Penzance 29, of which 8 in each case include 5 points. Each point corresponds to one step in the route macro, but each input on the Mini Panel is limited to four steps. To get five you need to link to another input, which would use up more than the 30 inputs on each Mini Panel.

 

The answer seems to be to use the SB5 command station to take care of the overspill. If I have done my sums right, I should be able to do the following:

 

Paddington - 22 macros on single Mini Panel inputs + 4 macros on linked Mini Panel inputs (= 30 inputs) plus 4 command station macros (= 30 macros).

Penzance - 21 macros on single Mini Panel inputs + 4 macros on linked Mini Panel inputs (= 29 inputs) plus 4 command station macros (= 29 macros).

 

This would use up 8 of the 16 macros in the SB5, leaving one for the "next train" display and 7 spare for possible future use.

 

So, before I go and buy two Mini Panels can anyone see any flaws in this or suggest an alternative way to go?

Edited March 4, 2016 by St Enodoc

[St Enodoc]

When you are on the road for work you end up with a fair amount of thinking time in airports and hotel rooms. Over this past week I've been putting this time to good use with regard to the point control and route setting arrangements for Paddington and Penzance.

 

My original plan was to use a diode matrix to select the routes, feeding into the momentary contact terminals on the ADS-8fx units and providing power from a DC laptop supply. However, this would involve a good deal of wire. As the ADS-8fx units are accessory decoders in their own right, I thought that NCE Mini Panels might be the way to go using a cab bus and a separate DCC accessory bus. The challenge here is that Paddington has 30 routes and Penzance 29, of which 8 in each case include 5 points. Each point corresponds to one step in the route macro, but each input on the Mini Panel is limited to four steps. To get five you need to link to another input, which would use up more than the 30 inputs on each Mini Panel.

 

The answer seems to be to use the SB5 command station to take care of the overspill. If I have done my sums right, I should be able to do the following:

 

Paddington - 22 macros on single Mini Panel inputs + 4 macros on linked Mini Panel inputs (= 30 inputs) plus 4 command station macros (= 30 macros).

 

Penzance - 21 macros on single Mini Panel inputs + 4 macros on linked Mini Panel inputs (= 29 inputs) plus 4 command station macros (= 29 macros).

 

This would use up 8 of the 16 macros in the SB5, leaving one for the "next train" display and 7 spare for possible future use.

 

So, before I go and buy two Mini Panels can anyone see any flaws in this or suggest an alternative way to go?

I had a chat about this with a number of people over the weekend at the Forestville show including Gary of Model Railroad Craftsman and Marcus of DCC for Novices. The consensus was that nobody could see any reasons why my plan wouldn't work, so I have bought one Mini Panel to try things out on the Paddington loops. If it all works I will buy another for Penzance - if not there is always eBay...

Edited March 13, 2016 by St Enodoc

[St Enodoc]

The Collett coaches arrived today. Two can go straight into service without any modifications, one just needs a number change and the rest will need combinations of new numbers and/or new couplings.

[The Fatadder]

Not sure how I have not read this before, but very impressive.

Rather reassuring to me, seeing just how good hand built OO track can look, having pondered converting from P4 back to OO for my south Devon layout. Looking at this makes me think I will not be disappointed.

[Barry O]

The Collett coaches arrived today. Two can go straight into service without any modifications, one just needs a number change and the rest will need combinations of new numbers and/or new couplings.

I thought you said you had all the stock you need??

 

I have some WR transfers here not in use. They are for syphons and passenger brake vans in yellow. Shall I post them?

 

Baz

[St Enodoc]

Not sure how I have not read this before, but very impressive.

Rather reassuring to me, seeing just how good hand built OO track can look, having pondered converting from P4 back to OO for my south Devon layout. Looking at this makes me think I will not be disappointed.

Thanks Rich. Only the points are handbuilt using copperclad. The plain line is SMP flexible.

[St Enodoc]

I thought you said you had all the stock you need??

 

I have some WR transfers here not in use. They are for syphons and passenger brake vans in yellow. Shall I post them?

 

Baz

Yes I have - in the sense that quite a lot of it is still in kit form. The Hornby coaches are to replace the corresponding BSL, Westdale and Comet unmade kits.

 

Yes please for the transfers - which reminds me that I still have to send you some Ms in return for the Ws you gave me last time.

[St Enodoc]

This morning I had another visitor from New Zealand so we had a play both with the main lines and with St Enodoc. I marshalled two of the new Hornby Collett coaches into the Limited set to try them out and I'm happy to say that they ran beautifully. Contrary to my earlier impression, they are in fact fitted with cam close coupling mechanisms, which is good.

 

After my friend had left, I thought I would see how my ancient Traction Scale Models coaches looked in comparison to the Hornby ones.

 

Two SKs (I suppose I should call them TKs really), the TSM on the left and the Hornby on the right.

 

Two CKs, the TSM again on the left and the Hornby on the right.

 

I think the kits stand up quite well overall (I call them kits, but the pressed aluminium bodysides/roof were not much more than scratchbuilders' aids really. Not bad for 50p each though in 1972 or thereabouts), although there seems to be a slight height difference. I will investigate the old kits as they might be sitting slightly low on their bogies.

 

Later on I made up and fitted wiring harnesses to the 12 point motors that will operate Paddington loops 1 to 3. Tomorrow I plan to start running in the accessory bus for the Paddington and Penzance point controls.

Edited July 22, 2023 by St Enodoc
images restored

[Joseph_Pestell]

That's not a make of coach kit that I remember seeing before. Very nice and I suspect that it may be the Hornby that are a bit high on the bogies.

[St Enodoc]

That's not a make of coach kit that I remember seeing before. Very nice and I suspect that it may be the Hornby that are a bit high on the bogies.

Joseph, I think the Hornbys might be a bit high and the TSMs a bit low. I'll check them both.

 

I've never heard of TSM before or since. From memory they were in the Preston area. As an impecunious schoolboy I only bought one each of the BSK, SK and CK. Possibly they were the forerunner of one of the other manufacturers - does anybody know?

[Joseph_Pestell]

How interesting. Perhaps worth a thread of its own.

 

You would expect those to have sold well and the firm to be a big success. Was it a complete kit or just the body, Westdale-style?

[St Enodoc]

How interesting. Perhaps worth a thread of its own.

 

You would expect those to have sold well and the firm to be a big success. Was it a complete kit or just the body, Westdale-style?

Just a one-piece aluminium pressing for the sides, roof and solebars. No detail other than the window openings.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Just a one-piece aluminium pressing for the sides, roof and solebars. No detail other than the window openings.

 

So identical with Westdale.

 

I would not be surprised if the Hornby rides a bit high on the bogies so as to help it get round trainset curves.

[St Enodoc]

On 13/03/2016 at 09:34, Joseph_Pestell said:

So identical with Westdale.

 

I would not be surprised if the Hornby rides a bit high on the bogies so as to help it get round trainset curves.

You're right Joseph, to all intents and purposes they are identical to Westdale. I had a quick look through a few old Railway Modellers to see whether I could find a TSM advert, but could not.

 

The buffer heights on the Hornby and TSM coaches are both 14 mm, so no problems there. However, the Hornby coach is just under 51mm high to the top of the roof while the TSM is 50 mm. A drawing in Russell volume 2 shows the corresponding height on the prototype as 12 ft 6 1/16 in, so it seems that the Hornby coach is indeed about 1 mm too high. As far as I can see this extra height is in the roof, not the sides or underframe.

 

In other news today, I also managed to install the full length of the new accessory bus from the Up end of Penzance to the Down end of Paddington using some 79/0.2 twin speaker cable. This has clear insulation with a white trace on one of the wires, so this is now my standard colour code for accessory buses.

 

I also fitted an EB1 to the new bus but haven't yet fitted a snubber at the other end.

Edited July 22, 2023 by St Enodoc
images restored

[roundhouse]

I still have a few H & M point motors under Appledore which have been in use for around thirty years.

[St Enodoc]

When you are on the road for work you end up with a fair amount of thinking time in airports and hotel rooms. Over this past week I've been putting this time to good use with regard to the point control and route setting arrangements for Paddington and Penzance.

 

My original plan was to use a diode matrix to select the routes, feeding into the momentary contact terminals on the ADS-8fx units and providing power from a DC laptop supply. However, this would involve a good deal of wire. As the ADS-8fx units are accessory decoders in their own right, I thought that NCE Mini Panels might be the way to go using a cab bus and a separate DCC accessory bus. The challenge here is that Paddington has 30 routes and Penzance 29, of which 8 in each case include 5 points. Each point corresponds to one step in the route macro, but each input on the Mini Panel is limited to four steps. To get five you need to link to another input, which would use up more than the 30 inputs on each Mini Panel.

 

The answer seems to be to use the SB5 command station to take care of the overspill. If I have done my sums right, I should be able to do the following:

 

Paddington - 22 macros on single Mini Panel inputs + 4 macros on linked Mini Panel inputs (= 30 inputs) plus 4 command station macros (= 30 macros).

Penzance - 21 macros on single Mini Panel inputs + 4 macros on linked Mini Panel inputs (= 29 inputs) plus 4 command station macros (= 29 macros).

 

This would use up 8 of the 16 macros in the SB5, leaving one for the "next train" display and 7 spare for possible future use.

 

So, before I go and buy two Mini Panels can anyone see any flaws in this or suggest an alternative way to go?

I drew up a spreadsheet this evening to show which points need to be operated for which routes at Paddington and Penzance. After I had done so I realised that my original plan for sharing the macros between the Mini Panels and the SB5, although fine in principle, wasn't quite right in practice as I had miscounted the inputs and consequently hadn't done my sums right.

 

Because each route needs an input irrespective of the number of points involved, all 30 inputs on the Paddington Mini Panel have to be connected to an individual push button, so instead of just using the SB5 to control 4 routes it will in fact have to control all 8 routes that include 5 points.

 

Although there are only 29 routes at Penzance I will do the same as at Paddington leaving one input spare which will preserve the correspondence between route numbers and Mini Panel input numbers.

 

This is not really a problem as it is all still within the capacity of the SB5 but it won't leave any room for expansion, so if I do need to use more macros in future I will have to trade up to a CS02.

 

As a result of all this I will have to drive the "next train" display, which I shall describe at a future date when I have actually built it, as a straightforward accessory rather than with a macro.

[St Enodoc]

The DCC Concepts ADS-8fx accessory decoders arrived today, so with the accessory bus now installed I should be able to start fitting and connecting up the point motors at Paddington this weekend. I think I will just run them as individual accessories until I get the cab bus installed and the switch panels built.

[St Enodoc]

A frustrating day today.

 

The first task was to try out a point motor on DCC using the accessory bus I installed last week. That went very well, with the decoder being an absolute piece of cake to program. Operating the motor through the decoder using the accessory address also went well and I have now mapped the frog switching contacts to the solenoid outputs on the decoder terminal block.

 

The next task didn't go so well and the afternoon turned into one of those sessions when almost anything that could go wrong did. The plan was to fit point motors to the Paddington Down end points. However, the shorter throw of the H&Ms compared to the SEEPs I have used recently meant that I needed a smaller loop on the tiebar, so I changed all those. As I was doing this, on a couple of the tiebars (on the old recycled points) the copper delaminated from the substrate. This meant making up new tiebars - not a hard job but time wasted.

 

Getting the points motors to stay centralised while marking out and fitting them was not easy. I tried using Blu-Tak to hold the armature in place but this didn't really do the job so some of the points didn't throw cleanly both ways on first fitting, leading to some faffing about with the motor position. Before fitting any more motors I need to find a better way. I might make up some wedges or spacers to go between the main operating pin and the armature cheeks to hold the pin central. Alternatively, I might make a jig to simplify the marking out without actually needing to use the motor itself at all. That will occupy this week's airport and hotel thinking time I reckon.

 

This is also the first time for many years (since the loft layout in fact) that I have had to install point motors from underneath the baseboards without being able to turn them over. I had forgotten how awkward that can be - or perhaps it's just age catching up with me.

 

The last straw was when my soldering iron, with its stand, fell off the baseboard and landed on the floor. The weight of the stand bent the iron, which damaged the heating element so it stopped working. At that point, having installed three and a half motors out of a planned eight, I gave up.

[Andrew P]

Sorry to read your woes, as for getting underneath for fitting Point Motors, well That's now a no no for me as well, to much like hard work.

 

All the best for the NEW WEEK.