Heath Town and other signalling diversions

[5BarVT]

STEADY PROGRESS IN PICTURES

 

Apologies for the quality, not really enough light on the subject!

 

Kickback DMU/Loco sidings in view, long sidings (2.2m) off to the left on boards shewn previously.  All access is via the rails that will pass between the two blue dowels.

 

"Move along, nothing to see here." (Yet!)

 

Paul.

Edited April 2, 2022 by 5BarVT
Photo reload.

[ISW]

Paul,

 

Nice work that. You've really "packed 'em in" with that trackwork.

 

Keep up the photos, as it'll be great to see the finished wiring, and with the baseboard hinged upwards. That's going to be impressive.

 

Ian

[5BarVT]

1 hour ago, ISW said:

You've really "packed 'em in" with that trackwork.

Thanks Ian, that’s one of the reasons why there are two points across the join.

Paul.

[5BarVT]

WOT A LOT OF WIRES

Yesterday got the data cables for the hinge board fitted together with various power distribution boards.  Today was wiring (all day) and it’s not finished yet!  All the droppers are terminated in their cable connectors and feeds to each section installed.  Yet to come are the incoming feeds (need the soldering iron on), the cross board wiring to the flap (of which there are rather a lot!), point machine installation and wiring and then the control system wiring.

Then I start all over again on the lifting flap . . .

Gonna be busy . . .

Paul.

[Graham T]

Sounds like enormous fun!

[5BarVT]

PLODDING ON!

Point machines are in, just need wiring.  Have to decide if I’m going to reuse looms from the old layout or make new, or a bit of each.

Iron was out so incoming DCC and 12V DC are wired and through to the lifting flap connections.  I made and fitted the remaining connector boards so “all” that is left is a MERG two track detector, two 4 pair cables (a pain because the wire is so fine) and 8 cross board wires. Then I can test it.

The next mini breakthrough is when the lifting flap is complete - I will be able to run in and out of the DMU/Loco sidings.  After that I need to lay the first two tracks across two further boards then I will be able to operate in and out of the long sidings too.

That will be good.

Paul.

[5BarVT]

MORE PLODDING!

Finished the wiring on the hinge board tonight.  I’ll start testing tomorrow (electrical, not operational!).

Possibly a photo in daylight.
Paul.

[5BarVT]

TESTING TIMES

Here's the photo I promised yesterday:

 

 

Not much testing done today, but a very nice lunch at MARAY in Albert Dock.

Maybe some testing this evening, but maybe not.  (I told you it was a very nice lunch and it was an even better pudding!)

Paul.

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by 5BarVT
Photo reload.

[5BarVT]

Well that was easy!

All the rails that should be connected to each other were. My 50ohm test ‘train’ (15W wirewound) occupied all the tracks correctly.

Only ‘errors’ were programming on the Watchman, now fixed and everything on the board works as it should.

Paul.

[5BarVT]

RECYCLING TORTOISES

The point motors for the lifting flap are largely reused from the old layout so today I removed the remaining 10.  Then I decided to remove as much of the reusable stuff from the old boards (+1 for using Copydex to glue track down) and recovered all the points and Setrack curves.  More difficulty with the flexitrack as it was far too easy to spring the rail out of the fastenings (-1 for using too much Copydex). The 2c DCC distribution cables were recovered too as I’ll be able to reuse some of them.  I’ll need to tidy up all the recoveries or I won’t be able to run test trains when the flap is finished.

 

Installing Tortoises used to take me a long time as, very carefully, I tried to get them and the point mid stroke and then adjusted the throw so that they went across both ways.  Despite my care some went out of adjustment.  This time I used the St Enodoc method of “max throw, minimum force”.  In the spare half hour before tea I fitted and tested 5 tortoise and then another 5 in a similar time after tea.  Each one worked fine first time when tested.

 

Big Thank You to St Enodoc for the tip.

 

Paul.

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

More difficulty with the flexitrack as it was far too easy to spring the rail out of the fastenings (-1 for using too much Copydex).

I use a palette knife (or cake slice) between the sleepers and track bed.

[5BarVT]

6 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I use a palette knife (or cake slice) between the sleepers and track bed.

The catering authority does not have one. :-o

I’ve been using a slightly flexible paint scraper but it’s a bit thick and a bit too stiff.

Had I remembered on Wednesday I could have got one whilst I was in the Palette Knife Shop (sells other things too).

Paul.

[5BarVT]

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

There’s a lot to do on this hinge board.  Most of the droppers are connected, but (as seen on Mid Cornwall Lines) I have remembered that there are a further 10 droppers to add on short 2cm rails.  5 are relatively easy but 5 ‘want’ to go through the board just where there is a Tortoise and with no obvious alternative route above board . . .   Worst case is relying on fishplates and multi bogie pick ups, but I’d rather wire them in.

Today has been board building and upgrading - two recovered double point drive units converted from terminals to connector outputs, one I/O interface and one Track Feed board built.

As there is so much on this board and the numbering isn’t as obvious as the parallel lines boards there has also been a lot more labelling going on.

A photo will follow when finished.

Paul.

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

a further 10 droppers to add on short 2cm rails.

On rails shorter than about 100mm I don't bother with droppers but solder up the fishplates to the next rail.

[TrevorP1]

20 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

On rails shorter than about 100mm I don't bother with droppers but solder up the fishplates to the next rail.

Shock, horror! I thought only idle people like me did that!! 

[5BarVT]

NEARLY THERE . . . 

It’s taking rather longer than I had imagined to complete the hinge board.  Apart from one or two (known) missing wires all I have to do is connect up the cross board cables.  The main ‘delays’ are because this is the most complicated board for wiring and one of the smallest so finding space for everything has been a challenge.  Some things are immovable, being dictated by the track above, so a lot of time has been spent working out what conflicts with what.

Tonight was working out where the connectors in the revised design can go.  I think I’ve got them all in, so tomorrow will be construction and hopefully completion.

Today I completed all the track wiring (apart from the 10 short rails previously mentioned) and was able to test for correct connection.  One frog wire needed changing, an easy task as it was release the contacts in the connector, and reinsert in the correct hole.

Paul.

Edited August 25, 2021 by 5BarVT
pselling

[5BarVT]

FINISHED !!!!!!!

 

 

I did tell you it was a bit crowded.

🙂

Testing tomorrow, including operational testing (hopefully). 

Paul.

Edited April 2, 2022 by 5BarVT
Photo reload.

[Clive Mortimore]

3 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

FINISHED !!!!!!!

 

I did tell you it was a bit crowded.

:-)

Testing tomorrow, including operational testing (hopefully). 

Paul.

Hi Paul

 

Hanging Hill possibly had less wires on its busiest board, and that was DC with 4 tracks divided up in 4 inch isolating sections, some points and three tracks with 12 inch isolating sections, it also carried the cable form for the through wires to the second busiest board.

 

It isn't a very clear shot of the control panel but hopefully it gives you some idea of the number of 4 inch isolating sections I had on the layout. 4 inches being the length of a shunter, 8 inches a Baby Deltic and 12 inches a class 40, so to park locos buffer to buffer the appropriate number of switches were turned to the off position. A wee bit bu88ered with 31s and 37s as they are 10 inches long.  At least ten scratchbuilt locos and the crane plus down the side of the shed a green class 58.

Edited August 26, 2021 by Clive Mortimore

[Graham108]

On 18/08/2021 at 19:13, 5BarVT said:

TESTING TIMES

Here's the photo I promised yesterday:

 

Not much testing done today, but a very nice lunch at MARAY in Albert Dock.

Maybe some testing this evening, but maybe not.  (I told you it was a very nice lunch and it was an even better pudding!)

Paul.

 

I've never thought of repeating the layout on the underside of the board to ease the positioning of the switches / wiring - very novel (at least I'm assuming that's what you've  done)

[5BarVT]

6 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

4 inch isolating sections

That’s a lot of switches!

Paul.

[5BarVT]

12 minutes ago, Graham108 said:

I've never thought of repeating the layout on the underside of the board to ease the positioning of the switches / wiring - very novel (at least I'm assuming that's what you've  done)

It is.

It is very helpful when identifying and connecting up the droppers dangling through the board.

Paul.

[5BarVT]

MYSTERY SHORTS

Plugged everything together and the cut out squawked.  Having previously tested the board this was confusing . . .

Easy to find was the solder strand on the DCC incoming connector board.

More difficult were some that only can on when the board was lifted.  The frog ‘insulation’ on the two cross board points is a razor saw air gap.  They can (but don’t always) touch when lifting the flap.  I can live with that.

The final short was the most difficult: it only came on when the flap was fully lifted and was nothing to do with the frog shorts as I had temporarily inserted card to isolate.

Eventually I noticed the brass picture wire hanging over the edge of the shelf above the hinge board . . . 
Paul.

[ISW]

10 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

More difficult were some that only can on when the board was lifted.  The frog ‘insulation’ on the two cross board points is a razor saw air gap.  They can (but don’t always) touch when lifting the flap.  I can live with that.

Paul,

 

I have exactly the same arrangement, the major difference being the rails on both sides of the 'gap' are soldered to brass screws. That seems to maintain the gap.

 

Ian

[ISW]

23 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

Paul.

Paul,

 

What really amazes me about the underside of your board is the size of the point motors. They really do take up some real estate. I'd imagine it impossible to install on a 3-way point, as the two switch toes are only 2cm apart.

 

For comparison, here is one of my boards with 15 point ends, but using servo motors and microswitches:

 

Ian

[5BarVT]

22 minutes ago, ISW said:

Paul,

 

I have exactly the same arrangement, the major difference being the rails on both sides of the 'gap' are soldered to brass screws. That seems to maintain the gap.

 

Ian

It’s sloppiness in the hinge that allows the boards to move closer when I’m lifting.

 

16 minutes ago, ISW said:

I'd imagine it impossible to install on a 3-way point, as the two switch toes are only 2cm apart

Three way is easy - one motor facing each way.

It’s the three way and the adjacent point all in the same place that causes the fun.

Y83 and Y84 are the three way and it’s the one above Y85A (the number is buried under wiring and only just visible) that causes the problem.  If you look carefully you will see that Y84 is offset from the rail centreline - the drive pin is through the tiebar almost out at the pip on the end.

 

Paul.