Brixington Town 2.0

[dale159]

I am pleased to report that having bolted the two halves of the board back together, connected to the track feed with a few jump leads and replaced the LEDs with a locomotive, even while operating the point motors on the floor by hand  - all is working as anticipated!

 

Dale

Edited June 15, 2014 by dale159

[dale159]

Quick update

 

Nothing really worth photographing but I have been busy fitting a quartet of Seep point motors to the scissors, this evening I have connected up the various wires and relays.

 

Despite a slight wiring error, mixing up which polarity was fed to each outer frog when a crossover was thrown, probably caused by referencing what needed to go where on the top of the board and then having to mentally turn it upside down to wire it up. 50/50 odds and of course I got it the wrong way round but quickly sorted by swapping a few wire about.

 

Anyway, I am pleased to report that the scissors is now working correctly with the various polarities changed by the relays operating off the 4 point motors fitted underneath and tested by running a loco over it all - Happy days!!

 

Dale

[dale159]

Quick update.

 

A little bit more tinkering with the electrics has been carried out.

 

The underside of the scissors - I have got to the bottom of my buzzing relays as I mentioned previously, turns out the 12v DC output on my Gaugemaster controller was putting out nearer 15v which the relays didn't like. I then ran the relays off a 12v battery and they operated happily and silently.

 

The connector block in this picture is temporary and was installed to join up all the track feeds for testing.

 

I am still looking at twin DC control, I think it is still doable as there aren't as many wires coming out of the scissors as I'd been anticipating.

 

I've now moved onto the points on the first 4x2 board of the fiddle yard, 7 in total.

 

Dale

[dale159]

Evening,

 

A few notes of this afternoons activities

 

I have now moved across to the back wall and installing the second scissors up there

 

In place to measure up for a piece of cork which has now cut with the glue drying as I type, it will be left to dry overnight.

 

One problem I discovered was this cross member on the left hand corner board under the curve point on the inner track, which is rather in the way of the point motor that will need to go there, the tie bar of the point can just be seen through the hole. I suspect the best solution will be to just remove it completely, I'm sure the board will remain rigid enough without it.

 

I have ordered another 20 Seep motors to do the remaining points plus a few more but it does mean I will have to dismantle the entire fiddle yard as the top board is the one on 4 legs!

 

Dale

[bobster]

Looking good Dale - Can you move the brace along a bit, or put another one in.

 

Cheers, Bob.

[dale159]

Looking good Dale - Can you move the brace along a bit, or put another one in.

 

Cheers, Bob.

Thanks Bob,

 

I suppose I could move it but there are 2 or 3 other point motors and associated frog polarity wires nearby to avoid so certainly easier to remove it - just 4 screws and some brute force to break the bond with the PVA on the top surface.

 

Dale

[dale159]

Another quick update

 

Whilst I have not posted anything on here for a week or so now that doesn't mean I've not done anything!

 

I have been busy fitting the remaining point motors (31 so far) and working on the second scissor crossing which is repeating things I've already done at the other end.

 

Second scissors in place under its bit of cork

 

The cross member mentioned previously being removed.

 

With the entire fiddle yard side of the layout now completed I have turned my attention to getting it up and running, so a control panel is required.

A trip to B&Q yielded a 4x2 sheet of white face hardboard and a length of 3x1 timber. The finished panel will be 3'6" long by 10 inches wide, this panel will just be for the fiddle yard as I intend for there to be another one opposite for the scenic side.

 

My mocked up track diagram done on the computer to half scale, Red diamonds are point switches which will be of the spring loaded momentary toggle switch variety and the blue squares are of the isolating section switches which will be double poll double throw with centre off to allow for twin control DC operation. I have worked out this is feasible with the two scissors using just two switches.

 

I am also looking into connectors to be used between boards, I have encountered problems using D plugs in the past, mainly caused by melting their innards when soldering to them. Instead I have been looking at using ATX cables, intended for use between computer power supplies and motherboards, newer computers use a 24 pin cable over a 20 pin version used in older computers. I am also going to look into the possibility of having cables custom made with the colours corresponding to those I've used on the layout - if they can be obtained at a reasonable price, if not I will settle for standard cables.

 

Dale

[class"66"]

Some interesting work on here,looking forward to more now...

[dale159]

Quick Update

 

I had been hoping to construct the control panel for the fiddle yard today, with the assistance of a router I hoped to borrow from a friend, unfortunately he had lent it out to someone else and had not had it back in time so that was that idea out the window.

 

Instead I fired up my old laptop (which took ages compared to my new one!) because it has XtrkCad on it and toyed with a few ideas for the public side of the layout.

 

Here's my favourite.

 

It's a half relief station with 2 through platforms about 5'6" in length, so about half an HST with the other half off scene,

It is a totally fictitious location set roughly in the Exeter/East Devon area but with the idea that the Southern 3rd rail network extended a bit closer than it actually does, which is the purpose of platform 5 and the siding beyond at the top of the diagram. Also with a little more freight than we actually get in this part of the world. the other 2 bay platforms will see DMU services from the other end of the layout.

 

Rolling stock wise, through a combination of my own and a few friends stock the layout could see anything from BR Blue to locos and coaches right through to the current scene.

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Dale

[dale159]

Another quick update/glimpse of things to come

 

The outer frame of the control panel has been made, here temporarily held in place with a pair of G clamps.

Lengths of wood on top will be dealt with as well, I was asked by a friend to make another 4x2 board for his 009 layout which was done last week.

 

I'm still waiting for the usage of my friend's router, (different friend) While I wait I have marked a pencil line 5mm from the top all the way around the inside edge to cut a grove for the top surface of hardboard to slot into, much neater than just nailing it on the top! There will probably need to be a pair of struts across the middle to prevent the top surface from bowing, these will be added afterwards. the framework will also have a lick of paint before final assembly.

 

With the bit of hardboard placed precariously on top.

 

Eventually the panel will be held in place with these hinges modified for me by another friend (different again) buy cutting out the original pin and replacing with a large nail.

 

I also measured up the clearance across to the other side of the layout to see how much room would be left when the second panel on the other side is fitted, answer about 21 inches, perfect for me to stand/sit slap bang in the middle and be within reach of everything.

 

Dale

[Swifty11]

Looking good!

[d winpenny]

Looking good

 

David

[bobster]

Coming along nicely Dale - Look forward to more updates.

 

Cheers, Bob.

[dale159]

Well, this evening I took the bits of my control panel along to the local club for my friend to use the router on it, their was a slight concern that the router would make a bit of a mess in the clubroom. At which point another member who happens to be a professional carpenter offered his services which were duely accepted, so he has taken it away with him and I hope to have it back by the middle of the week.

 

Dale

[dale159]

Good news

 

I have just been and collected the control panel from my carpenter friend who has made an excellent job of cutting the slot for the top surface

 

Despite the fact it was reduced to its component pieces when I collected it, I couldn't resist putting it together to see how it looked, very good I do so.

 

No sooner had I put it together and taken a few pictures I then took it apart again for a coat of paint - drying as I type - hopefully a second coat will follow later on, the local free rag proving it does have some worth after all!

 

Dale

[dale159]

More panel news

 

After a couple more coats of white emulsion last night the panel was ready to reassemble when I got home from work this afternoon.

 

Held in place with the G clamps underneath as before.

 

Then I turned my attention to fitting the hinges, with the three G clamps on the top it is now being held up solely by the hinges.

Each hinge has a piece of spare 6mm ply behind it as a spacer, some black paint will be applied to these at some stage.

 

I have had to use slightly smaller nails than the ones I was supplied with as they were a little bit of a tight fit, I may need to adjust the tolerances a bit to make the larger ones fit better as when I do use the larger nails the panel sits solidly whereas the smaller nails allow it to droop by a few mm.

 

Next job will be marking out the track diagram on the panel and going back to counting how many wires will be crossing each board joint and sorting out connectors for them.

 

Dale

[d winpenny]

That panel looks smart

 

David

[dale159]

That panel looks smart

David

Thank you David.

 

To be honest the finish I've achieved is even better than I was hoping it would have been!

 

Dale

[dale159]

Quick Update,

 

Not much to report, there has been no further progress on the electrical side of things apart from counting up the number of wires that will cross over each board joint

 

This morning I have marked out the track diagram on the control panel in pencil, bit difficult to see in this picture but its more visible in person.

I have ordered a black paint pen to go over the pencil lines but this has not arrived yet.

 

Question is, do I drill holes for switches now, or wait until after I've gone over the pencil lines with the paint pen?

 

Dale

[Memphis32]

That depends on whether you're better at tracing or drilling! If you drill first and miss a bit, you can adjust the lines to match. Then again, if you draw first and miss a bit, you could drill where the lines end up!

[dale159]

That depends on whether you're better at tracing or drilling! If you drill first and miss a bit, you can adjust the lines to match. Then again, if you draw first and miss a bit, you could drill where the lines end up!

 

Thanks for your comment, very much a catch 22 situation!

 

I think I will draw the lines first, I'm off work tomorrow so hopefully postie will bring the paint pen, holes will marked with an awl before drilling to ensure they are in roughly the right places.

 

Dale

[dale159]

More Panel News

 

Good news is that the postman delivered my paint pen this morning, so it was put straight to use

 

And here is the result, I have to say I'm very pleased with it.

 

Next job is to drill holes for switches and point indicator LEDs, then I may get a friend who runs a garage to give it a few coats of lacquer for me.

 

Dale

[dale159]

After yesterday's post I took the panel back out to the garage, after spotting a suitable break in the weather, where I located it in on its hinges.

 

While out in the garage this afternoon I was looking at the panel and the track layout. I decided that the diagram on the panel did not match the track layout as well as it could.

 

Here is the offending area, I carefully scratched away the unwanted line with my fingernail. The point I have removed is actually the one on the lifting piece so it is a considerably longer piece of track between the two than the short section shown on the panel, in theory it could hold a 3 car DMU or similar.

 

And here is the redesign, marked in pencil and then with the paint pen, hopefully I will be able to touch in the white bit I have chipped away, I have repaired the black line I damaged after I took the photo.

 

 

I am also considering making a similar alteration at the other end as shown here (doctored image lashed up on paint) again to more accurately mirror the track layout.

 

I have also had an idea about protecting the painted lines, that old Blue Peter favourite - sticky back plastic, I would unscrew the front baton slide the hardboard out before applying and reassembling.

 

Dale

After yesterday's post I took the panel back out to the garage, after spotting a suitable break in the weather, where I located it in on its hinges.

 

While out in the garage this afternoon I was looking at the panel and the track layout. I decided that the diagram on the panel did not match the track layout as well as it could.

 

Here is the offending area, I carefully scratched away the unwanted line with my fingernail. The point I have removed is actually the one on the lifting piece so it is a considerably longer piece of track between the two than the short section shown on the panel, in theory it could hold a 3 car DMU or similar.

 

And here is the redesign, marked in pencil and then with the paint pen, hopefully I will be able to touch in the white bit I have chipped away, I have repaired the black line I damaged after I took the photo.

 

I am also considering making a similar alteration at the other end as shown here (doctored image lashed up on paint) again to more accurately mirror the track layout.

 

I have also had an idea about protecting the painted lines, that old Blue Peter favourite - sticky back plastic, I would unscrew the front baton slide the hardboard out before applying and reassembling.

 

Dale

Edited August 12, 2014 by dale159

[dale159]

A quick update of happenings from last week and today.

 

Over the weekend I made the alteration to the right hand side of the control panel similar but not exactly as suggested in the previous post as well as cleaning the lines I'd rubbed out as much as I could with a tiny amount Cif type cream cleaner I found under the kitchen sink.

 

Then it was out with the awl and the 6mm drill for the first 39 section switch holes, I will worry about holes for the points, indicator LEDs and the scissor crossings afterwards.

 

The plan is to use double poll double throw with centre off for the twin controller set up except for the 5 sidings which will be fed by from the inside most road which effectively serves as a double ended headshunt for all of them, so whichever way that switch is set determines the controller for all 5 sidings with their switches simply to isolate each line.

 

Dale

[dale159]

Not much to report this week.

 

The only thing I've done is drill some more holes for the point motors, 19 in fact, I have also de-burred each hole with a scalpel followed by a count up of the number of LEDs required - 90!

 

I had ordered a points detection indicator however I have had to return it to the supplier because I could not get it to work correctly, not sure if it was a production fault or a mistake I made while testing it which damaged it.

 

Also to be considered is how to set up the scissors, I'm thinking of using a single biased toggle switch to reverse each crossing and a push to make switch positioned in the centre of the crossing on the diagram to set the normal route.

 

Dale