Freemo Extravaganza

[Talltim]

Can't you change your birthday?

[PaulRhB]

Details sent

[roundhouse]

Same here

[Talltim]

4th of July booked off work. Somehow appropriate!

[roundhouse]

I suspect that we will travel up early on the Saturday morning but will stay Saturday night in the area.

 

Ian

[Glorious NSE]

Looking like we'll head up on the Friday also...

 

Current list is:

 

Nick Palette
Martyn Read
Neil Rogers
Mel Rogers
Tim David
Tom Winlow
Pete Colton
Ian Lampkin
+ Sarah
+ Mike
+ Graham
Paul Steedman
Geoff Tiller
Peter Lloyd-Jones
Dan Spalding
Harry Brown

 

Which takes us up to 16 folk, still a little on the low side, but I think there's a few more to come...again, PM me if you're planning to come and your names not on that list...

[AndrewC]

Martyn, fast question(s). Are the module specs on: http://rstowerfreemo.wordpress.com/module-info/module-specifications/

 up to date? Anything I should be wary of? With my current under construction (still) layout being converted to a permanent double deck Its freed up some temporary space as well as 4 redundant Thamesider compliant modules. I'm thinking of putting them on a diet to slim down to the 18" Fremo standard. This would give me a starting point for reconnecting the existing layout ends as well as being portable.

[roundhouse]

Anoter question for you Martyn

 

One end of Fort Myers is 4 inches deep framework (this isthe ned tthat will probably be connected to other modules if the plan stays as Martyns first sketch for the meet)

 

The other end is 2 inches deep.

 

Will that be Ok to connect up to others?

 

I picked up my banana plugs at the weekend so will wire these in very soon as I modify the wiring.

 

At the moment all my fascias are stained wood (takes the knocks and scratches better than paint) but if the idea of using the layout as a module takes off then that can soon be changed to the pale green normally used.

 

Ian

[Glorious NSE]

Hi Andrew

 

As part of an NMRA group i'd reccomend checking out the current NMRA version, ours I think is still correct for the basics, but the NMRA one is actively evolving (and is a more developed spec, whilst still being compatible - no mean feat.) 

 

If you can log in, you can grab the next version of the NMRA specs here: http://nmrabr.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=582&p=3037#p3037

 

Differences to note from memory:

 

6" end straight versus our 3" (not mission-critical IMHO, but if you're new-building worth keeping in mind)

Defined clamping area's on the ends

Defined (but optional) aux bus

Defining both variations on track bus connectors (we define one in the website, but we also use another variation, see the photo's up-thread - both are fully compatible)

Requiring a "clean" throttle bus (not using it to power or be powered by other things)

The reccomendation of the Lenz LA152 panel as a throttle panel (unless you're in a group that uses Digitrax) as that makes it compatible without modifications at setups using Lenz or NCE, which covers the majority of the groups in play

 

Basically, not that different, just more fully defined than our deliberately loose version.

 

BTW - Mike Arnold is now on the list to come (we're now up to 20 on the list ) - also with a converted Thamesider module - might be worth comparing notes?

[Glorious NSE]

One end of Fort Myers is 4 inches deep framework (this isthe ned tthat will probably be connected to other modules if the plan stays as Martyns first sketch for the meet)

 

Don't read too much into that first sketch, the finished article will likely look totally different, as we've had modules drop out, and other ones sign up since then - that's one reason I haven't reposted it (or any updates on the layout of it) as the modules attending will be in constant flux until we close that part of the process off at the end of the month.  

 

 

 

The other end is 2 inches deep.

 

Will that be Ok to connect up to others?

 

That's really short...it's a bit hard to say for sure without knowing what it will be connected to, but it's got the capability of giving problems in the future for sure. For this one, is it the river end or the tank car end (based on the pics you've posted)? I can probably use Fort Myers on an end (connecting at the tank cars end) if that makes things easier?

 

 

 

At the moment all my fascias are stained wood (takes the knocks and scratches better than paint) but if the idea of using the layout as a module takes off then that can soon be changed to the pale green normally used.

 

No worries.

[roundhouse]

Martyn

 

The 4 inch deep bit is the river end.

 

 

The tank car end is a bit harder to make any deeper than 2 inches at present.

 

However with the leg transom it will be 3 inches deep so it could be clamped to another board by clamping onto the leg transom (the board sits snugly ontop of the leg transom).

 

Ian

[Glorious NSE]

Okay, that's not quite so bad - I think we can make that work.

[Steve Williams]

Am planning to be there, Acts of God notwithstanding.

[roundhouse]

Thanks Martyn

 

I will try and bring various sizes of clamps aswell just in case.

 

Ian

[Talltim]

Martyn, fast question(s). Are the module specs on: http://rstowerfreemo.wordpress.com/module-info/module-specifications/

 up to date? Anything I should be wary of? With my current under construction (still) layout being converted to a permanent double deck Its freed up some temporary space as well as 4 redundant Thamesider compliant modules. I'm thinking of putting them on a diet to slim down to the 18" Fremo standard. This would give me a starting point for reconnecting the existing layout ends as well as being portable.

Remember its only the ends of the modules that need to be 18" or 20" wide. The rest could stay the 24" Thamesider width. In fact you could built a short 18" to 24" converter board and just take the backscenes off.

 

[roundhouse]

Remember its only the ends of the modules that need to be 18" or 20" wide. The rest could stay the 24" Thamesider width. In fact you could built a short 18" to 24" converter board and just take the backscenes off.

 

If I have time I might also build a couple of these to attach to Fort Myers taking it from 18 feet to 19 feet.

 

Ian

 

Ian

[PaulRhB]

For a shallow end you can always bring a block, same thickness as your end board to act as spacer and a small board say 3-4inches square from 9mm ply. The block goes beneath the 2 inch deep end against the adjoining module and the plate is clamped over the top so the plate is putting equal pressure on the block and inside of the 2 inch deep frame.

[AndrewC]

Thanks Martyn. Doesn't really help me as I'm no longer NMRA and haven't been for quite a while. As such I rightly don't have access to their specs. The Thamessider spec is what I'd originally built all my layout boards to with the intention that I could actually hook the whole thing up to the Essex Belt Lines. That means the pattern maker dowel alignment, size, radius, etc are all to spec. Most likely I'll stick with what you lot have come up with.

 

Tim that is an excellent idea and thanks for taking the time to do the drawing. It would work to move their 7" track to the 9" centre for Fremo. In my case though I think I'll still slim down the modules as it will be a better fit along the shed wall than 24". 2 of the 4 modules are already tracked to provide extension to my staging so they'd need to be stripped and repurposed anyway.

[shortliner]

I'm not a member either, howeever a googly for NMRA(BR) FREEMO specs gives plenty of freely usable information

[roundhouse]

Thanks Martyn. Doesn't really help me as I'm no longer NMRA and haven't been for quite a while. As such I rightly don't have access to their specs. The Thamessider spec is what I'd originally built all my layout boards to with the intention that I could actually hook the whole thing up to the Essex Belt Lines. That means the pattern maker dowel alignment, size, radius, etc are all to spec. Most likely I'll stick with what you lot have come up with.

 

Tim that is an excellent idea and thanks for taking the time to do the drawing. It would work to move their 7" track to the 9" centre for Fremo. In my case though I think I'll still slim down the modules as it will be a better fit along the shed wall than 24". 2 of the 4 modules are already tracked to provide extension to my staging so they'd need to be stripped and repurposed anyway.

Will probably fit in the car better too!

 

Ian

[Glorious NSE]

Thanks Martyn. Doesn't really help me as I'm no longer NMRA and haven't been for quite a while. As such I rightly don't have access to their specs.

 

Sorry Andrew, didn't realise. The intention isn't for it to be all "secret squirrel", but that version is still in the discussion phase so not yet released. I'd have thought if any Thamesiders moved that way (as they are an NMRA group) they would look at those? Anyhow - PM me if you want more info along those lines.

 

As Jack says, you can find the previous (2011) NMRA version with a bit of googling...

[Northpoint]

I have been looking at insurance for the event and there are two things that have come up:

 

the insurers need a name for the "group", so any suggestions would be welcome;

 

they also want a list of names of everybody who will be there so if you are planning on coming and haven't told Martyn yet, please tell him so we can get a definitive list of names to them ASAP.

[PaulRhB]

How about a simple description, FreemoUSA?

[298]

Or since the weekend is near Independence day, and it's a group of North American modellets in the United Kingdom, how's about INAMUK...?

[Glorious NSE]

Hi all - i've just sent the first email out to all the folk i've got down as attending - if you've not had an email but thought you were coming, let me know!

 

EDIT - Wierdly - at least one of the emails i've sent arrived at the recipient as a blank message - if yours is blank too, get back to me...