Freemo Extravaganza

[298]

I'm a bit late to the party and haven't read every comment in detail, but just to add my thoughts....:

 

Baseboard- I've never seen a problem with aligning baseboard ends by eye, so as long as it's self supporting and has deep ends with vertical sides, boards will match. You don't have to have exceptional woodworking skills, or rely on pre-cut ends with dowel locating positions to play.

 

Electrics- Again, the electrics are as simple as they can get- just a busbar down the layout and banana conectors at the ends. Some use a pair of banana sockets with a separate jumper cable between, others (like me) have a banana plug and in my case a homemade socket (square brass tube wrapped in heatshrink). I've never seen this type of module suffer from untraceable electrical faults or run out of power, like other standards. If there is a short then you can plug in each board in turn until the fault is found. There is also no need to try to standardise any comms wiring, as this can be done with localised switch control and a Smartphone throttle using WiFi, which suits the branchline style.

 

Appearance- Uniformity in end scenery, fascia depth, and colour helps, but isn't necessary. You'd think a series of twee modules, each with a defined scenic feature would look daft, but the end result does create a realistic effect. And because the module length isn't defined (although having a combined length in whole feet helps), you're not tied to cramming everything into a set length or having to stick to the set number of tracks at the ends.

 

Design- There isn't a competition to build the shortest module, but there are plenty of interesting prototypical features that can be modelled in a few feet- 90 degree crossing, grade crossing, bridge, road with a car crashed into a telegraph pole, etc....

 

Expansion- A module can be used to try new techniques that can be fitted into a larger layout at a later date, or to re-use old materials and leftover buildings- Grunge St. basically cost me a couple of crossing signals and their flashing module, everything else was from the spares box and the wood was from the stockpile. Modules have also been sold on to other group members if storage is a problem or their owners have finished with them.

 

So basically, if anyone is thinking of building a module, then go for it....! I built one for last year's TVNAM and it fitted in and has been used since without any problems.

[F-UnitMad]

I'm at B&Q as i type      

 

Hmmm... about 15 and a half hours ago... your module will be finished by now, then, Chris..??

[long island jack]

Hmmm... about 15 and a half hours ago... your module will be finished by now, then, Chris..??

 at least the paint should be dry!!!  

 

Ray

[long island jack]

Couple of question:-

 

Don't know what Amp's where going to use on a big modular setup,so what Amp rating should the 4mm banana plugs be,what do you use???.(this will depend on current drain of loco's i suppose).

 

Do all loco's have to have sound???

 

Ray

[roundhouse]

Couple of question:-

 

Don't know what Amp's where going to use on a big modular setup,so what Amp rating should the 4mm banana plugs be,what do you use???.(this will depend on current drain of loco's i suppose).

 

Do all loco's have to have sound???

 

Ray

You can always make train noises whilst driving non sound fitted ones!!

 

On second thoughts...

[298]

To be honest, banana plugs and 25x 0.2mm wires are more than capable of handling the output from an average booster station, and I've never seen the available power taxed to it's limit, even when crammed with sound equipped locos on a fairly lengthy setup.

[roundhouse]

I use 0.2mm multi core hook up wire on all layouts even those with a lot of sound locos. No problems as far as I am aware. More of a problem with circuit breakers when the power comes back on after a short.

[Glorious NSE]

Hi all, sorry I'm replying via a phone so im not doing indepth Dcc answers now but will do so in the morning.

 

Suffice to say we've done things on this scale before and I don't anticipate any issues with this one.

[Northpoint]

Reply received from the venue that the hall is booked for 5/6 July next year.

 

One comment on the booking form - their insurance does not cover anything left in the hall overnight. Initially, it was proposed that to keep costs down, we wouldn't go for the usual type of insurance we would need for a public show.

 

Who is the insurance expert out there? Would this be covered by an extension of home or car insurance?

 

Any views?

[long island jack]

Nick

 

Who do you use for TVNAM,we use Magnet for our shows insurance, this is base on the value of goods so much per £1000

 

Don't know much about insurance,but seeing were there from 8-10pm Sat and 8-6pm Sun we only need that period over night covered,don't know if you can get that type of cover,maybe a local insurance broker could enlighten us.

 

what do the rest of the modular meets use?

 

Ray

[Glorious NSE]

Okies....

 

DCC system - the RST spec doesn't specify one system. We use Lenz and have the control gear to run this with Lenz, command station (and reserve), boosters, and handsets that we don't mind folk borrowing. 

If any lenz users put a throttle bus panel on their module then we can connect the throttle bus through them, if folk aren't using Lenz then we can clamp a temporary one on.

If you fit one, you can either do one each side, or can fit one on one side and echo the feeds to a Din plug the opposite side.

 

Now, if we've an ovewhelming majority using a different system, there is no reason why we couldn't go that way, but somebody else would need to organise that.

 

For any system we can also supply additional 'dumb' boosters which have the advantage of being easily distributable.

 

I think we will also be offering wifi throttle options as well, which may be easier for some.

 

Ref power - one of these uses substantially less power than home layouts as usually it will only have loco's on it which are being used...if we do end up with a loco works then yes it will likely have a dedicated booster, but there's no need for every 'station' on a line to have a dedicated booster as there is a limit to how many sets of loco's can be running on a single track railway...

 

Ref jumpers - they don't need to cope with the power output of the whole layout, just each electrical block. That will definately not be more than 5a. 

 

If it helps, there is a 'Ready to run' option here - our group makes use of these:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/4mm-patch-cord-1443 - and puts a socket on both poles at every module end. The jumpers are rated at 10a which is more than capable, they are stackable (which is useful for feeding in power within a block) and curiously are cheaper than buying a pair of the stacking plugs!

 

Ref insurance, sorry I have no experience here, none of our meets have involved an overnight yet...

[warbonnetuk]

Nick

 

We (Seaboard Southern) use Magnet for out clubroom and show insurance as we get a pretty good discount via being a member of the Chiltern association. I'll have a chat with our Treasurer when I next see him as to what they will cover

 

Dan

[roundhouse]

Martyn

 

I normally use the Digitrax system.

 

 

 

However I have a Roco Mause that came with a Roco set.

 

Am I correct in thinking that the handheld controller can be plugged into the Lenz system?

 

Ian

[dave_long]

I've a roco multi maus also, they can be used in a lenz system, but there may be an issue with a freemo set up, can't remember if the roco doesn't like being a slave, I'll check my old notes and find out what the issue was/is.

[Northpoint]

I'm Lenz as well. I have 7 handheld throttles of various types that can be used.

 

Re insurance, I use Magnet for the Trent Valley show. However, I thought the idea was to keep costs to a minimum. One option suggested by CG is for everybody to take their stock box or whatever valuables away overnight and bring them back the following morning.

[dave_long]

The hall does seem pretty secure, with cages on the windows and the police sign. I'd be happy just taking stock and controllers away and leaving my modules up.

[Northpoint]

Good point from Dave- it does double as our local community police station.

 

Just to make it clear - the parish council commitee don't have a problem with what we're doing, they're just saying their insurance doesn't cover it, that's all. So as long as we're OK to do it "at own risk", not a problem.

[long island jack]

I'll be wired up for lenz,i usually use Din sockets rather than the lenz panel

 

but it seems i may have to install a lenz panel somewhere?

 

i'm ok with taking stock boxes back to hotel,might be worth a word with police,we do this with our exhibition and the night patrol drives in to the car park a couple of times through the night,may put intruders off.

 

Ray

[warbonnetuk]

Anything coming from Seaboard will be Loconet as per the NMRA spec.

 

I'm happy with taking valuables & stock out of the hall on the Sat night

 

Dan

[roundhouse]

Anything coming from Seaboard will be Loconet as per the NMRA spec.

I'm happy with taking valuables & stock out of the hall on the Sat night

Dan

I am also happy to remove locos etc overnight. May not be practical for any ones DCC equipment though.

[Glorious NSE]

The Multimaus (red ones, not the wireless blue ones) can also be used, I think there's a mod or setting to do or else they put the system into emergency stop when you unplug one - I know Neil from our group has one and will find that out.

 

Would have thought taking handsets and possibly loco's away would be fine.

[roundhouse]

Its the red one that I have

[Neil Rogers]

Martyn

 

I normally use the Digitrax system.

 

 

 

However I have a Roco Mause that came with a Roco set.

 

Am I correct in thinking that the handheld controller can be plugged into the Lenz system?

 

Ian

there are a couple of alterations you need to do to the command station to stop the emergency stop(overload) happening every time you plug or unplug the multimaus.

 

http://www.lenzusa.com/1newsite1/Manuals/LZV100V36Manual.pdf

 

7.1 turn off E-Line Configuration CV7=50, CV7=91

 

 

And

 

any LA152 Xpressnet panels require a 12 volt dc feed. or if you wire Din sockets yourself its Pins 2(M) & 5 (L)

 

http://www.lenzusa.com/1newsite1/Manuals/LZV100V36Manual.pdf

 

14.4 page 28/29 XpressNet Wiring (Installing additional XpressNet power)

 

if these 2x mods are done then the Multimaus shouldn't overload the Lenz system.

 

HTH

 

regards

Neil

[roundhouse]

This is the part of Fort Myers that I ma considering turning into a module.

 

My initial thoughts are to widen the boards at the front / viewing side with either more track / imdustry or scrub land.

 

A new board would go either end.

 

At the main throat of the station I do have a dilemma as the main line goes off to the left in the photo, so the converter board would need to bring the mainline fairly sharply back to the centre of the board if I want to avoid modifying the original boards just in case I ever want to reconnect it up to the rest of the original layout.

 

At the other end, the original 2 foot board with the grade crossing would be replaced by a new 3 foot converter board. Luckily at this end the track (where the CSX 'stealth gray' mother and slug are) would end up being fairly central when widening the original boards.

 

 

Any suggestions welcome.

 

Ian

[Glorious NSE]

Cool! Lots of potential there.

 

Ian - not sure what the best move would be, the only thing I think might help is just to remember that the module ends don't need to line up with each other, or even point in opposite directions...if it's easier to slew or angle an end (or ends) to fit the boards to where the tracks already go then that's not a problem.