Derwent Spa

[Tortuga]

3 minutes ago, Rowsley17D said:

Go on, you know you want to. The hardest bit is getting to grips with Templot.

Seconded!

 

I’ll add that it’s probably best to start with a nice simple turnout, not a tandem 3-way and definitely not something as complex as @Rowsley17D’s half scissor crossover!

[Graham T]

I think Templot only works under Windows though doesn't it?  I use a Mac so that's my get out of jail free card!

[Rowsley17D]

5 hours ago, Graham T said:

I think Templot only works under Windows though doesn't it?  I use a Mac so that's my get out of jail free card!

 

There's a download for Macs, no excuses.

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by Rowsley17D

[Rowsley17D]

Ooh, just noticed 50 pages up and now 2/3 through chemo, well, I will be once the "bring-it-home" stuff has gone though by Friday.

[mullie]

6 hours ago, Rowsley17D said:

 

There's a download for Macs, no excuses.

 

Last time I looked it was complicated to get it working on a Mac, at one time you needed Windows which defeats the idea of having a Mac. Have things changed?

 

I have an old PC, that was one of the children's and I think Templot is the only thing it is used for as I am also a Mac user.

 

Martyn

[Rowsley17D]

Just now, mullie said:

Last time I looked it was complicated to get it working on a Mac, at one time you needed Windows which defeats the idea of having a Mac. Have things changed?

 

I have an old PC, that was one of the children's and I think Templot is the only thing it is used for as I am also a Mac user.

 

Martyn

 

I don't know as I use Windows but the download is there. Best person ask is the gaffer himself - paging @Martin Wynne!

[Rowsley17D]

Not letting chemo get in the way of an afternoon modelling, I made at 1/2 speed, to allow my head to catch-up with what I am doing, a short section of retaining wall for part of the gradient bank. A 140mm piece of framing timber was now showing through thanks to the new alignment. It's Slaters' 4m scale dressed stone with homemade coping.

 

It's next to some cork which I am going to hack about to make a stone outcrop.

 

To the other side nature has covered the bank side with old ballast, ash and the like which has fallen from the higher level. Looking photos of Buxton in the 1930s, the PW lads didn't go down here too often, well apart from a brew that is.

 

 

 

[martin_wynne]

3 hours ago, mullie said:

Last time I looked it was complicated to get it working on a Mac, at one time you needed Windows which defeats the idea of having a Mac. Have things changed?

 

You don't need Windows.

 

Templot works on a Mac using a program called CrossOver which costs about £40 if you don't buy the support package, which you won't need for Templot. You can get 25% off by entering the code TANGENT.

 

 https://www.codeweavers.com/crossover

 

All this has been explained on the Templot web site for at least the last 10 years. Lots of Templot users run it on a Mac using CrossOver (and on Linux computers).

 

For more info ask on the Templot Club forum -- that's what it's there for. 🙂   https://85a.uk/templot/club

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

[Rowsley17D]

So, there you have straight from the boss himself, thanks @Martin Wynne. No excuses for CR Mk3 @Graham T.

[Graham T]

Very true, and thank you.  Luckily for me my next layout will be CR Mk II, so I still have some breathing space!

 

In my defence, I'm planning to use Finetrax pointwork on CR Mk II.

[Rowsley17D]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

Very true, and thank you.  Luckily for me my next layout will be CR Mk II, so I still have some breathing space!

 

In my defence, I'm planning to use Finetrax pointwork on CR Mk II.

 

Finetrax looks to be an excellent producer of point-work products. I was tempted to get their 4SF double slip but they use thick timbers and sleepers, but the thought of raising the approaching trackwork or lowering the track-bed under the slip put me off.

 

I understand the various turnouts and slips can be curved to a certain extent so that formations can flow better.

[Rowsley17D]

Part of today was spent in more sleeper painting and a start of getting the layout back to normal.

The staff crossing was modified to take into account it now crosses 3  tracks.

 

The signal box area back in place even though the rods aren't connected to anything yet. The backscene has also been put back.

 

Edited September 10, 2022 by Rowsley17D

[Rowsley17D]

Now I hope regular viewers will not think I have been away from the layout the last few days. Apart from chemo last week, I've been busy with the new panel which arrived on Monday. It's been wired up and put in place but not yet connected to the layout as I've stripped out all the servo wires and their underboard panels and relays ready for a neater rewire.

[Rowsley17D]

In part of the rewiring, some lamps have had to moved to new locations now that the track plan has been altered. I had one left over from the initial order from layouts4u.net so it was planted in the shed yard.

 

In reality there was another at the other side of the sheds (although there was only one shed at Buxton in this location.

 

Looking at photos I need some along the mainline opposite the signal box and another the other side of the box. So I feel an order will be put in.

The ground signals that give access to the mainline from the carriage siding and shed area have been planted. The upper arm for access to the Up Main and the lower to wrong working on the Down Main when the Up is being used as a head-shunt for the upper yard.

 

[Rowsley17D]

Had trip on part of the S&C today from Ribblehead to Kirkby Stephen and return. Class 66 - 66725 "Sunderland" was ticking over in the loading sidings at Ribblehead.

 

 

 

The 158 was bang on time.

 

British India Line was on the way to Carlisle. I clicked too soon, and by the time the camera was ready for another shot, she was gone.

 

Plus an Up service train got in the way!

 

The box at KS was receiving some TLC from painters and not before time.

 

And I took a shot of a crank for when I redo my point rodding.

[Graham T]

A shame about the timing of the fifth photo!

[Rowsley17D]

My fifth chemo was put on hold for 2 weeks as my resistance to infection was too low. I took the opportunity of feeling much better with the longer break to reconnect the wire droppers to the main bus and tidy up the wiring. Next was to reconnect the servos to the servo boards and the crossing wires to the relays. I've done  3 so far.

[Rowsley17D]

UESED PECO POINT MOTORS

 

Does anybody know of someone who needs some of the above? 2 are brand new in packaging. They mostly come with base fixing plate and change-over switches. There're on the Classifieds. I'm only asking £1 each otherwise there're going to a Model Railway charity.

 

 

[Rowsley17D]

Not much posting done in the last few week. The 5th chemo session has been negotiated and I've had a CT scan last Monday, but awaiting results. If the "bloods" are all well, 6th and final session this coming Wednesday. In the meantime I've been rewiring the turnouts and connecting them to the new panel. The slaves controlling the servos have been mounted on boards nearer to the edge of the layout so less crawling under the layout and to aid adjustment of point throws. The inside half-scissors has had to wired to 2 frog juicers as Megapoints arranged to have it operate in tandem with the right-hand turnout which leads on to it from the down main.

 

A view of servo control boards 1 & 2 which are labelled 2&3 as this is how the Megapoints system recognises them. 1 changes the turnouts, 2 will operate the signals.

 

Control board 3 with frog juicers to the far left.

 

A reminder of what it's all about.

I've got to get rid of the kink to the double slip. Fred Dibner needs to look at the sand house chimney.

 

Edited October 14, 2022 by Rowsley17D

[kitpw]

2 hours ago, Rowsley17D said:

Fred Dibner needs to look at the sand house chimney.

...in which case, I'm glad you're not in Shropshire.

 

err....I've muddled Fred Dibner with Blaster Bates....so, ignore this!

 

Edited October 14, 2022 by kitpw
memory lapse....

[Rowsley17D]

The main rewiring to the point servos is now done but some signals still need connecting up. In the track improvements I managed to snap the fine wires to the LEDs in the main starter bracket, so I took the opportunity to rebuild the whole signal mainly using the existing parts but with new trimmers and handrails. It needs painting and the operating connections to the servos need doing. 

 

At least things are beginning to come back to life on the layout.

 

On the health front there was encouraging news at my end of chemo appointment with my oncologist. A CT scan taken in between sessions 5 & 6 shows the chemo to have had  a positive effect on the liver tumour and it appeared to her to have reduced in size although she says she's no radiographer. There's a meeting of the multidisciplinary team whose care I am in this Friday and they are going to let me know late Friday afternoon what the next step will be.

 

[MrWolf]

Good to see you back on here and that you're making progress on all fronts Johnathan.

[The Stationmaster]

23 hours ago, Rowsley17D said:

The main rewiring to the point servos is now done but some signals still need connecting up. In the track improvements I managed to snap the fine wires to the LEDs in the main starter bracket, so I took the opportunity to rebuild the whole signal mainly using the existing parts but with new trimmers and handrails. It needs painting and the operating connections to the servos need doing. 

 

At least things are beginning to come back to life on the layout.

 

On the health front there was encouraging news at my end of chemo appointment with my oncologist. A CT scan taken in between sessions 5 & 6 shows the chemo to have had  a positive effect on the liver tumour and it appeared to her to have reduced in size although she says she's no radiographer. There's a meeting of the multidisciplinary team whose care I am in this Friday and they are going to let me know late Friday afternoon what the next step will be.

 

Fingers crossed on the treatment front Jonathan - hope all goes well for Friday.

 

Now a question to which I haven't got the faintest idea of the answer.  At some time the colour of the spectacle plates on ex Midland Railway semaphore signals appears to have been changed.  i had wondered if it went from black to white but some illustrations among the view that I can find suggest that it might have been the other way round.  I have checked two definite post WWII/late 1940s photos of signal on the S&C and the spectacle plates painted white (or something similarly pale) and the ex MR arm which I bought from BR back in the 1960s (it came from Leicester) also had a white spectacle plate.

 

 

So were they always white or did they at some stage in LMS days change from black to white?

Edited October 27, 2022 by The Stationmaster

[Rowsley17D]

2 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Fingers crossed on the treatment front Jonathan - hope all goes well for Friday.

 

Now a question to which I haven't got the faintest idea of the answer.  At some time the colour of the spectacle plates on ex Midland Railway semaphore signals appears to have been changed.  i had wondered if it went from black to white but some illustrations among the view that I can find suggest that it might have been the other way round.  I have checked two definite post WWII/late 1940s photos of signal on the S&C and the spectacle plates painted white (or something similarly pale) and the ex MR arm which I bought from BR back in the 1960s (it came from Leicester) also had a white spectacle plate.

 

 

So were they always white or did they at some stage in LMS days change from black to white?

 

Most of the photos in the books I have only show the back of the signals. However, in Scenes from  the Past No 7, there's a photo of the front of the MR starter bracket at Buxton for the main platform and bay dated 1947 by L M Hobdey which has white, although very grubby, spectacle plates. In the same book there's a photo dated 1938 by E R Morton of the MR signals at Darley Dale (down side) which control access to the down slow loop which again have white spectacle plates. I'll have to change mine to white.

[Rowsley17D]

A health update.

 

Although the multi-disciplinary team met on Friday, my consultant was not there so I am awaiting an appointment to see him to discuss possible next steps. A full CT scan report was available though which was taken in between chemo sessions 5 & 6. It showed a reduction in cancer in the two lymph nodes and a reduction of the liver tumour from 22mm to 7mm which I thought was impressive.