Aston On Clun. A forgotten Great Western outpost.

[Alister_G]

51 minutes ago, Simond said:

I always use the one farthest from the front of the layout to be the return, BLACK to the BACK as it’s easy to remember

 

In a fit of mischievousness, I would like to point out that I normally use RED to the REAR...

 

It doesn't really matter, just don't confuse the two.

 

More seriously, one thing that Simon doesn't explicitly mention is if after having drawn it out as he says, you have a black rail and a red rail touching this is a BAD thing(tm).

 

Al.

[NHY 581]

56 minutes ago, Simond said:

Nicely put, Mick.

 

I’m sure putting weathering powders on stuff is really easy.  When I do it it tends to look like an accident in a pigment factory....

 

there are some photos of the wiring in Alister’s post a page or two back.  
 

the simplest advice I can offer is to draw the trackplan more or less to scale, and colour all the frogs GREEN. Frogs are obviously green.  Then choose one rail, I always use the one farthest from the front of the layout to be the return, BLACK to the BACK as it’s easy to remember, and to work out when you’re on your back under the layout.  Colour every return rail black.  You’ll end up with one or more lengths of rails (which may include stock rails of turnouts) which are disconnected from one another by point frogs.  Each section of rail needs a wire to a Common Return terminal, which is connected to one output terminal of your controller.

all the uncoloured rails will be feeds.  You can colour them red and connect them together to a Common Feed terminal (the other one on the back of the controller) and run a single loco.  Job done.  Job also done for a power district of a DCC layout.

 

Most people want to have more than one loco on their layout, in which case (assuming non-DCC) you need to have sections which can be isolated, connected by an on-off switch to the common feed.  I suggest colouring the up main line section red, orange for the down main, and any colour you like for each of the other sections.
 

Or you may decide to have “cabs” where the the wire from the section goes to the common terminal of a change-over or rotary switch, and the other terminals are fed from various controllers (or isolated, of course).  In this case, one output from each controller must be connected to the common return terminal.  If you have cab control, your mains power supplies must be suitable for it.  Don’t assume any old transformer will do.
 

You can have hours of fun designing & building a control panel, with switches located on a mimic diagram, and fancy lights, or just put them all in a row on a simple panel, and label them.  

Frogs may be dead, in which case no further efforts required, or live, use a change over switch as I described above, or if DCC a “juicer” which automatically (and very quickly) sets the frog polarity when it detects a loco on the frog.  In any case, frogs are green.

 

Once you’ve drawn you wiring diagram, check it.  Every bit of rail should either be black and red, but never both.  Then copy your diagram with wire, solder & switches onto your layout.  Don’t use wire of all one colour.

and that’s pretty much everything you need to do to wire any layout in DC or DCC.  Bells & whistles not included.

HTH

Simon

 

 

 

 

 

That's dangerously close to making sense......ish...

[Simond]

5 minutes ago, Alister_G said:

More seriously, one thing that Simon doesn't explicitly mention is if after having drawn it out as he says, you have a black rail and a red rail touching this is a BAD thing(tm).

 

oh yes I did!

 

last paragraph.

 

“Every rail should be either black or red, but never both”

 

Black to the Back.  Assume I’m an AC/DC fan.  

 

 

[Compound2632]

14 minutes ago, Alister_G said:

In a fit of mischievousness, I would like to point out that I normally use RED to the REAR...

 

Isn't that black to front?

[Simond]

17 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

 

 

That's dangerously close to making sense......ish...

well, if you slavishly follow the rules/method, and make no mistakes, I’m confident that it will work in 99.9% of cases.  
 

There are things I haven’t talked about like turntables and slips, but they’re pretty logical when approached in the same way, but the simple fact is that there are rules, which must be obeyed.  Maybe more than one method to get there, but there is an objective right answer.  
 

I have honestly tried to follow the methods you use to get the lovely weathering effects you achieve, and my results are kindergarten level.  Whilst I have had better results following Martyn Welch’s book, using enamel & thinners, it’s always going to be artistic and subjective, and depend on lighting, and practice, and knowing when to stop, or just a little bit more, and there is a multitude of answers some of which are very pleasing and some absolutely not.  
 

I can tell when Eric Clapton or Dave Gilmour plays the guitar, I can play the same notes, even in the same order, but...

Edited April 17, 2021 by Simond

[Worsdell forever]

53 minutes ago, Simond said:

 

Black to the Back.  Assume I’m an AC/DC fan.  

 

Then there's the modern tribute band made up of railway modellers, 'Digital/Analogue' 

[Nick Gough]

2 hours ago, Alister_G said:

 

In a fit of mischievousness, I would like to point out that I normally use RED to the REAR...

So do I.

 

I did start out as black to back, when I was soldering the wires to the first piece of track, but when I turned it over and glued it into place... Oops!

[MrWolf]

Edited August 17, 2022 by MrWolf
Replaced picture

[MrWolf]

[Dexter's Cove]

On 01/12/2020 at 09:38, Captain Kernow said:

With Dexter's Cove, although it's not listed yet (as far as I can see, anyway), they have announced in the model press recently, that they are planning a kit of Bourne End signal box, if I recall correctly. If so, this seems to have been a standard GWR Type 5 box, with gable ends. They also say in their adverts, that they can custom modify any of their existing kits to customers' requirements.

 

A bit late but the Bourne End is now available in two lengths (pre and post extension)

 

It is available for sale through the store.

 

Thanks

 

Andy

[chuffinghell]

14 minutes ago, Dexter's Cove said:

A bit late but the Bourne End is now available in two lengths (pre and post extension)

 

It is available for sale through the store.

 

Thanks

 

Andy

Noticed on your site you offer a 3D printing service, very interesting 

 

Chris

[Dexter's Cove]

Yes, I offer laser Cutting and 3D printing services.

I can work from pictures or CAD.

 

Here is a print of a 2mm scale Leyland Cub I am doing for someone.

He sends me the files ready to print. I have just receive one with the fine detail added.

Hopefully it will be available as a kit in 2 3 and 4 mm scales when it is ready.

 

[Graham T]

I think I can hear the Stukas starting up ...

[chuffinghell]

I don’t think Rob is going to be happy having a bus on his thread, at least it’s not on a bridge, that would really grind his gears 

[MrWolf]

On 19/04/2021 at 19:41, chuffinghell said:

I don’t think Rob is going to be happy having a bus on his thread, at least it’s not on a bridge, that would really grind his gears 

 

Careful not to wake "them" up... 

 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by MrWolf

[MrWolf]

On 19/04/2021 at 17:35, Dexter's Cove said:

A bit late but the Bourne End is now available in two lengths (pre and post extension)

 

It is available for sale through the store.

 

Thanks

 

Andy

 

Never say never, I'm already thinking about the other end of the line and my cut and shut signalbox isn't finished yet.

 

I have to say that your chimney pots are rather good, the station building will be getting a set too.

 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by MrWolf

[chuffinghell]

7 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

I have to say that your chimney pots are rather good.....

 

There are some very nice looking windows on there too!

[MrWolf]

 

 

 

Certain buses are acceptable, just don't park them on a bridge.

Edited August 17, 2022 by MrWolf
Replaced picture

[MrWolf]

I've been rather busy elsewhere of late, but I have managed to complete my least favourite jobs on the station building. The roof is on and windows glazed. 

Chimney pots as with the crossing keepers house are courtesy of @Dexter's Coveand are shown here unpainted. No connection with the firm, I'm just impressed with these because they are very noticeable on a model.

Still lots to do at it and I suspect (hope) that a very careful paint job will make the building look completely different. I have some tiny etched plates for each of the doors. I think that I will paint them whilst still on the fret. 

I wonder how far I can get one to fly when cutting it from the fret and will I ever find it again?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by MrWolf
Picture no attach!

[chuffinghell]

Fantastic work and those chimney pots do look the dogs danglies

[MrWolf]

I've just done a quick mock up of the canopy. The supporting woodwork and ironwork is going to need a bit of thought.

 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by MrWolf
Replaced picture

[NHY 581]

Lovely job on the station building , Rob. 

 

Rob.

[simonmcp]

Try sticking them to a low tack double sided tape onto a cutting mat. (The editor won't seem to let me put the explanation after the quote)

7 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 I have some tiny etched plates for each of the doors. I think that I will paint them whilst still on the fret. 

I wonder how far I can get one to fly when cutting it from the fret and will I ever find it again?

 

[Graham T]

I'd second Simon's idea.  I use masking tape when cutting very small pieces of etch (still doesn't stop me losing a fair few though, to be fair...)

[Rowsley17D]

10 hours ago, MrWolf said:

I've just done a quick mock up of the canopy. The supporting woodwork and ironwork is going to need a bit of thought.

 

 

 

I'd let you have some York Modelmaking valance brackets but I think they would be too big. I'll dig some out and let you the dimensions if you like though.