Fishplate Posted January 2, 2023 Author Share Posted January 2, 2023 Mmmm. Wired up the 15 pin D Connector via a choc block to the solder tag and tested. Volts all over the place. Checked all the soldered joints and can't see any stray solder or strands touching anything else at either the solder tag or the D Connector. Only 10 of the pins are used, but some of the unused pins show a voltage. Faulty D connector? Thoughts welcomed. . . . 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishplate Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Disconnected each wire at the choc block and run power towards the D connector on single wires. Many pins are live, so I'm assuming the D connector is faulty. Will order replacements this week. Hohum 😔 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishplate Posted January 16, 2023 Author Share Posted January 16, 2023 Update! Wiring is continuing. Not long after the post above a friend of mine that does electrics came round with his meter-y thing and couldn't find anything wrong. Hurrah! I have given my meter-y thing a bit of a talking to as it clearly doesn't do electrics in the same way. . . . . We had a funny moment though. Turned the controller on full and my friends meter-y thing wouldn't detect 12 volts after applying the probes. Couple of moments head scratching until we realised he was holding the black probe of his meter-y thing and the red probe from mine. Shan't bore you with pictures of wires. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishplate Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 Still wiring. In between long, long gaps filled with other non-model railway stuff. . . . . . However, the end of other stuff is in sight. Or at least a significant reduction in volume. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 The optimist can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The pessimist can't. The realist can see it's actually a train coming. On the train, the driver is wondering why there's three Berks standing on the track having a discussion instead of getting out of the way. Wiring will pass, to be replaced by mysterious continuity issues, that turn out to be dirty contacts on the loco you have only ever used once.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishplate Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 I am being an optimist @MrWolf! 👍The end is definitely in sight for the current chapter in life. The Cupboard of Happiness contains many locos that were serviced about three years ago, prior to the layout being taken down from its original location. So hopefully out of the boxes, a quick check and away. It will be nice to use all the track via cab control rather than rely on bits of temporary wiring (brown for ease of later removal) between sections under the board to cut out the insulated joints. And only go round in circles (except in the dock). And not be able to use the crossovers and descend to the goods yards. Wiring frigging I believe is the technical expression. Meanwhile, down in the dock, I am busy phasing in the Grandchildren using tiddlywink computer shunting exercises. One of the results below after Grandson picked 5 tiddlywinks from the available 8 out of the pot with his eyes shut. He then decided which wagon to pick up next and how to get the next one. He put them in order by driving the engine and dropping off the wagons with the colours in another siding that were still in the pot. And without hitting any buffer stops. Not bad for 3 1/2 years old. Grandad changed the points and looked after the couplings. The layout height means he had to stand on a chair to drive, so not easy to get at the couplings. He had a massive smile on. Which says it all *. Quality time with the short people ~ they are roughly scale 1:1.7 (currently). His sister, 5, had a go, but not so keen . . . . disappeared off to play with Barbie and Nana. However, I do keep getting asked by her when my railway will get built again, so hope yet. *In this world of safeguarding, I concluded I should not post pictures of whole children. So please accept just the anonymous edge of one and take my word for it that he has a big smile in the uncropped picture!! ps, yes the blue shiny item is what you think it might be part of 🙂 . 5 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 See, now that you have written it down, you can see just how far you've come. You've achieved more than you remember. It's the lawyer effect, defending your actions and it works very well. I do it myself when I feel like I'm slogging across a ploughed field in a monsoon. Top job in fact, getting the track down and working properly is as you doubtless know, the most important part of building a layout as no matter how good it all looks, if it doesn't work, it's not any fun. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishplate Posted February 26, 2023 Author Share Posted February 26, 2023 On 02/02/2023 at 22:36, Fishplate said: The end is definitely in sight for the current chapter in life. On 02/02/2023 at 23:29, MrWolf said: I do it myself when I feel like I'm slogging across a ploughed field in a monsoon. Well, sometimes things don't go according to plan. Not going into details, but the "new old house" has proved to be a project too far. We decided last summer to look for a less challenging house and pass to someone willing to take on what we now know. We move next Friday. The Cupboard of Happiness has been emptied into boxes. A new railway room of exactly the right dimensions has a dormer bungalow attached. Only a few miles away. Much more modelling time beckons in 2023. . . . Plus: A small parcel arrived during the week, the pre-order contents of which should be of assistance . 3 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted February 26, 2023 Share Posted February 26, 2023 I think that a round of applause is in order.? We're always on the lookout for a garage with a small house attached! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishplate Posted February 26, 2023 Author Share Posted February 26, 2023 (edited) Well, new,new old house is fully refurbished. The survey found nothing, but took lots of pages to say nothing was wrong. Unlike here, which we walked into with our eyes wide open. So some new paint in some parts of the new, new house, some new carpets, a few more power points and a hard floor in the railway room and the evenings and weekends should be mine. I'll settle for a round of applause, thank you very much Rob👏 Edited February 26, 2023 by Fishplate 5 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 5BarVT Posted February 26, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 26, 2023 51 minutes ago, MrWolf said: We're always on the lookout for a garage with a small house attached! Even better is a bedroom with three bed house attached! Paul. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWsTrains Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 @Fishplate I found a little time to search this out. You asked about my cassette storage and the power connection, they are shown in this post https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/173620-upper-hembury-east-devon-a-gwr-sr-branch-line/?do=findComment&comment=5018182 and the connections onto my new layout a little further down the page in posts of Jan 4th / 7th, I hope this is useful for your purposes Colin 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishplate Posted February 27, 2023 Author Share Posted February 27, 2023 3 hours ago, BWsTrains said: I found a little time to search this out. You asked about my cassette storage and the power connection, they are shown in this post Thank you Colin @BWsTrains. I 've had a quick flick and will read in more detail later. Looks just the sort of thing I need. Although I operate in DC rather than DCC, I don't think the mechanics will differ. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishplate Posted February 27, 2023 Author Share Posted February 27, 2023 14 hours ago, 5BarVT said: 15 hours ago, MrWolf said: We're always on the lookout for a garage with a small house attached! Even better is a bedroom with three bed house attached! Paul. I suspect @MrWolf will be looking for a garage with a pit and a belt driven lathe. Not many bedrooms have those as standard (in my experience anyway ~ prototype for everything etc etc. . . .). 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWsTrains Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 6 hours ago, Fishplate said: Thank you Colin @BWsTrains. I 've had a quick flick and will read in more detail later. Looks just the sort of thing I need. Although I operate in DC rather than DCC, I don't think the mechanics will differ. Re DC vs DCC I don't think would matter unless perhaps you were operating different power regions under DC and wanting more than one access point for your cassettes. The case I had in mind was where two adjacent lines were on different circuits and you wanted to shift a loco over from one to the other. TBH this concern probably reflects my general ignorance of DC operations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishplate Posted March 24, 2023 Author Share Posted March 24, 2023 Well, here we are in the new spot. Will continue wiring whilst the layout is in sections. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 KBO old chap! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishplate Posted March 25, 2023 Author Share Posted March 25, 2023 10 hours ago, MrWolf said: KBO old chap! Ok 😀. Will endeavour to avoid replacing 'on' with 'up' . . . . . 👍😂 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 5 hours ago, Fishplate said: Ok 😀. Will endeavour to avoid replacing 'on' with 'up' . . . . . 👍😂 That's the spirit! Definitely officer material...😄 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishplate Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 In other news, this arrived just before we moved. I've had it pre-order for a long time as a present from my daughters and wife. Have hand shunted it on a section of track. Video looks ok in artificial light. Of course scenic items not viewable from the operating well will be viewable on this (in great detail). So no skipping bits. . . . . 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWolf Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 Now that's an interesting beastie! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wainwright1 Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Has it got clearance for tunnels and bridges ? Ray 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishplate Posted March 28, 2023 Author Share Posted March 28, 2023 On 26/03/2023 at 23:32, MrWolf said: Now that's an interesting beastie! Indeed it is @MrWolf. I thought it would give also me the incentive to do 'stuff' right if it was going to be seen from track level. 20 hours ago, wainwright1 said: Has it got clearance for tunnels and bridges ? Ray Hi Ray @wainwright1. Quick answer is yes. I'll put some comparison pictures on with coaches/ wagons/ loco etc either tonight or tomorrow, together with some dimensions for you. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishplate Posted March 28, 2023 Author Share Posted March 28, 2023 Hi @wainwright1, as promised some comparison pictures. End dimensions of the camera car are nominally: 49mm high rail level to top of wagon 35mm over body Looking at the pictures below I have shown it next to a Bachmann Bullied coach end on and side elevation for comparison. Similarly passing underneath the only overbridge on my layout *. That was designed (and built!) to the standard OO Gauge 60mm top of rail to underneath of structure as shown in the picture. That will reduce very slightly when I internally clad with plasticard (an earlier page covers my aspiration for this curved, skew structure). When I can find my password for YouTube, I'll put the hand propelled test video up, but guess others on RMWeb must have already done that (?). This link: Eye-Choo - Camera video wagon - YouTube takes you to the Hobbytrax promotional video. You can take date/ time off and the supplied instructions tell you how. It also says you get an option for 3 minute videos or 6 minutes, which I don't remember being mentioned. I've selected 6 mins on mine, which I am sure will be more than sufficient. My layout isn't Heaton Lodge after all 😂. Hope this is helpful. *The room is rather constrained at the moment following our move, so I laid this board on the floor and then tried to squeeze in the gap between my table and the board, so not a wholly successful pic of the overbridge, but hopefully you get the drift 🙂. 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Nevermakeit Posted March 29, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 29, 2023 17 hours ago, Fishplate said: Hi @wainwright1, as promised some comparison pictures. End dimensions of the camera car are nominally: 49mm high rail level to top of wagon 35mm over body Looking at the pictures below I have shown it next to a Bachmann Bullied coach end on and side elevation for comparison. Similarly passing underneath the only overbridge on my layout *. That was designed (and built!) to the standard OO Gauge 60mm top of rail to underneath of structure as shown in the picture. That will reduce very slightly when I internally clad with plasticard (an earlier page covers my aspiration for this curved, skew structure). When I can find my password for YouTube, I'll put the hand propelled test video up, but guess others on RMWeb must have already done that (?). This link: Eye-Choo - Camera video wagon - YouTube takes you to the Hobbytrax promotional video. You can take date/ time off and the supplied instructions tell you how. It also says you get an option for 3 minute videos or 6 minutes, which I don't remember being mentioned. I've selected 6 mins on mine, which I am sure will be more than sufficient. My layout isn't Heaton Lodge after all 😂. Hope this is helpful. *The room is rather constrained at the moment following our move, so I laid this board on the floor and then tried to squeeze in the gap between my table and the board, so not a wholly successful pic of the overbridge, but hopefully you get the drift 🙂. I look forward to seeing it in action! :-) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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