bmthtrains - David Posted December 21, 2021 Author Share Posted December 21, 2021 A little further today, and the most difficult part is finished - rail joins on the tight hidden curves! I always hate doing this bit but as the outer curves are fairly generous I’ve been able to keep the joints straight and then pull the curve back with a tighter radius each time so I’m actually pleased with the result, nice smooth joins. Next step is to switch to the other board and get the track there to a similar stage. After that, it’s getting points for the storage yard so I can run the loops over the baseboard joint as I did on the front. David 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted December 21, 2021 Author Share Posted December 21, 2021 A minor complication has arisen when ordering my next couple of points. It looks like Peco no longer make electrofrog medium points in code 55, having replaced them with unifrog only. This is annoying as unifrog basically works as a dead frog out of the box. As I want as good a running as possible I presume this now means lots of fiddly soldering to make the frog live. David. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKenzie Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 The gentle curve in the 4 track section looks really good . Looking forward to seeing pictures of full trains running on that when you get so far. You've got it spot on and it already has the right feel about it. All the best, Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted December 29, 2021 Author Share Posted December 29, 2021 A little more track went down today. A couple of pieces are just placeholders and the return curves on the lower board are incomplete, but it’s starting to feel like a main line now. David 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted December 30, 2021 Author Share Posted December 30, 2021 I’ve been experimenting with the far left end today, and have settled on having a row of new build homes behind an overgrown and tree-lined embankment. There is a similar housing development actually not far from the real ROC at Rugby so it keeps the feeling of the real place even though this is a fictional location. The mock-up card buildings give a loose impression. David 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trev218 Posted December 30, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 30, 2021 Superb...your earlier layouts were among the ones inspiring me to get my finger out and do one of my own! Really like your track plan, lovely flowing curves that work so well in N gauge 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 Thanks! My thoughts today have turned to the opposite end of the layout. This is where it turns from drawing inspiration from Rugby to drawing from Nuneaton - in particular the bridge to the south of the station. Printing the OS map of the area the roads fit perfectly where I wanted them so this can be true to scale, although the buildings around the one way system will be completely different to help it merge with the Rugby-inspired ROC further to the left. David 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted December 31, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2021 Great to see your thought processes on this! Your card mock-ups are probably better than anything I’ll ever make! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted January 9, 2022 Author Share Posted January 9, 2022 Thanks Nick! This weekend I’ve been making up a few etched details and modifying a CR signal kit with some better ladders and safety mesh, and painting the ground signals and axle counters. I’ve also made up one of the N Brass 4 track OHLE portals to check clearances. Obviously all this lot won’t go so close to each other but measuring things out is helping keep things prototypical but also appropriate for the model - the portal heights in particular. I’m going to order some bespoke etches for the catenary itself as N Brass don’t make the current designs. David 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted January 9, 2022 Author Share Posted January 9, 2022 All in the wrong place again, but the amount of lineside detailing that I’m going to be able to incorporate into the layout - either bought or made my myself - will really give it the ‘upgraded’ WCML feel I am after. In the photo below are: signal, ground signal and signal gantry, communications cabin and GSMR mast and cabin, cable troughs, lineside cabinets, point motors, Rawie buffer stop, axle counters, P.Way trackside junction lights, and OHLE portal. Still to come are AWS and TPWS fixtures, safe walking routes in the yard, and speed signs. David 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted January 24, 2022 Author Share Posted January 24, 2022 While waiting for payday before the next tranche of track laying, I’ve started to think about the electrics. This is a much more complex layout that my previous ones with plenty of sidings and loops, and as I want reliable running I’m not leaving the points to control the current supply, meaning more isolating sections and switches. I know where everything needs to be wired, as in having a clear wiring diagram, but I need to give thought to how it’s going to be wired. It seems like discussions of layout wiring online and in books are all about the diagrams and the logic behind them rather than practical advice on physically what do do. Having used terminal blocks in the past they clearly won’t be reliable enough or able to cope with the number of splices needed etc. The main areas I need to iron out are: 1. how best to join/splice wires. One track’s controller input needs to go through 8 separate switches to 12 track feeds - is it bed solder them to bare copper wire? To a copper plate? Or use a series of tapping devices? 2. what best/reliable board to board and controller to board connectors to use. Simple jack plugs? Something else? And how do you improve the connections at the back of a gaugemaster controller? Too often wires just pull out of the back. If anyone has thoughts on the above I’d been keen to hear as there’s surprisingly little advice out there about the practicalities and materials of layout wiring. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKenzie Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 Hi David, I am terrible at wiring, electronics and the like. So I am sure someone will give you better technical advice than this. But I found soldering not only prone to cracks/failures. It is also not especially flexible and very time consuming. I've glued a load of different Wago connectors to the bottom of the baseboard to connect a large number of track feed wires, I've marked on the baseboard next to the connection what it actually is and found the whole process quick, clean, easy, reliable and as a complete amateur very simple to do. I am only a satisfied customer, no link of any kind. But the screen shot below is what they look like and they come in all sorts of different sizes. I know it only answers a small part of your question, and it might not be for you, but hopefully it helps get the discussion underway. All the best, Dave 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted January 24, 2022 Author Share Posted January 24, 2022 Thanks Dave, I’ll look into those! How many wires would each one connect? David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Davexoc Posted January 24, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24, 2022 3 hours ago, bmthtrains - David said: Thanks Dave, I’ll look into those! How many wires would each one connect? I have also used those in 2, 3 and 5 port varieties. They will take 2.5mm cable easily, so if you are using smaller cables, 2 or even 3 can go in each port. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold MarshLane Posted January 24, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 24, 2022 If cost is a factor, you can get screw terminal strips from Wilko's and the link that are similar, but screw up rather than being a flick-lock. I picked a few up the other week, about 10 or 16 'ports' on each side ... each of which pass through power from left to right, for about 59p each! Rich 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted January 24, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24, 2022 That’s a second recommendation from me for Wilko’s chock blocks; I then used printer cables between boards and the control panel Enjoying seeing the progress Simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKenzie Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 Sounds like there might be cheaper options, but as a complete amateur who is terrible with wiring the recommendation is based on ease of use (and ease/speed of reuse when I make the intervertebral mistake). You can get them in lots of different sizes and I have even seen a picture of a big bank of them (although have no personal experience of something that big), I don't know that there is a limit. there are a few pictures below but they come in lots of different sizes and I have used from the 2 upto the 10pin one. As said by DaveXOC above, more than one wire fits in each hole so a 10pin connector could hold upto ~30 wires if needed. They are electrically connected internally so it's not only the the wires which go into the same hole which are connected. All the wires into the block are connected. All the best, Dave 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 That’s really helpful - having a block that connects across the ports is what I need, standard terminal blocks just connect one side to the other, not across so I definitely need something more like this. Printer cables sound a good idea too. Has anyone beefed up the actual connection to their controller? My gaugemaster Q has screw in terminals but I’d like something more robust there. David. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold MarshLane Posted January 25, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 25, 2022 9 hours ago, bmthtrains - David said: That’s really helpful - having a block that connects across the ports is what I need, standard terminal blocks just connect one side to the other, not across so I definitely need something more like this. Printer cables sound a good idea too. Has anyone beefed up the actual connection to their controller? My gaugemaster Q has screw in terminals but I’d like something more robust there. David. Hi David, Totally agree with @DavidMcKenzie comments on those blocks they are good and quite durable, have seen them used, but not used them myself. Also bear in mind, while not as neat, there is nothing to stop you running a small cable, ie daisy chaining, all the ports on one side of the chockblocks so that part or all of the strip connect across multiple ports, I have done that in the past where multiple track connections have been required. Only used Gaugemaster controllers a couple of times a few years ago, but always found their connectors to be quite durable if that helps. Rich Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 5BarVT Posted January 26, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 26, 2022 Going back to the WAGO terminals: I wouldn’t use the white ones as they are push in so I don’t know how well they would hold multiple small wires. I recommend the 221 connectors with clear mouldings and orange levers (as shown). Keep away from their 222 connectors with grey mouldings - they don’t have a flat base and don’t stick down well (I learnt the hard way!). Paul. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 Payday means track day so this afternoon I’ve been able to complete the trackwork on the scenic side of the layout. Next step will be the storage loops off scene. David 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 Setting the scene: a Virgin Voyager passes the ROC on the up fast…. David 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold AndrueC Posted January 29, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 29, 2022 (edited) I forgot to ask - where did you get the signal gantry? I bodged up mine from an N-scenics model out of necessity and whilst it does the job it ain't very realistic. I was forced to add the central pillars in order to hide the legs of the ground signals I used. Edited January 29, 2022 by AndrueC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 The signal gantry I made myself, mostly laser cut Perspex. David 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted February 2, 2022 Author Share Posted February 2, 2022 A little further with the track now, right hand board storage roads underway. David 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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