Sheffield Exchange, Toy trains, music and fun!

[Phil Bullock]

Forget the two-wire nonsense, the major benefits of DCC are:

Ability to fine tune the performance of different mechanisms to operate exactly the same way in response to controllers;

Ability to “consist” engines/mus to run as a single unit;

Ability to perform pilot and shunting duties without having to worry about section and isolating breaks;

Ability to have two trains in, for example, a platform, without having to worry about section and isolating breaks;

Psychologically, you drive the train and not the track - you have to try this to see if you like it;

Better performance due to constant voltage;

Some simplification of some wiring, using things like frog juicers and auto-reverse units.

 

Other things, like adding sound and controlling lights, are entirely optional.

 

Down-sides:

Cost, learning something new, un-learning old ways, potential incompatibility with DC.

 

Nooooo - the words that cannot be heard!

 

 

Phil

[Regularity]

I only said “it” once...

[Regularity]

My first point was that DCC makes for more flexible operation: head-on collisions whilst possible, are not mandatory!

My second point was, for some the downsides - particularly the initial cost and the re-learning - are enough to not make the change, which is fair enough.

With a fleet the size of our host’s, the initial cost and setting up-time is a major consideration, regardless of desire.

(Even if the spirit is willing, the flesh may be weak...)

[Ravenser]

My first point was that DCC makes for more flexible operation: head-on collisions whilst possible, are not mandatory!

My second point was, for some the downsides - particularly the initial cost and the re-learning - are enough to not make the change, which is fair enough.

With a fleet the size of our host’s, the initial cost and setting up-time is a major consideration, regardless of desire.

(Even if the spirit is willing, the flesh may be weak...)

 

Clive has a soft spot for Bronze Age Triang motor bogies , which he has loving excavated from a variety of round barrows across South Eastern England. I'm not sure how easy a hard-wired conversion those things are - and I have no intention of experimenting to find out

[Phil Bullock]

Clive has a soft spot for Bronze Age Triang motor bogies , which he has loving excavated from a variety of round barrows across South Eastern England. I'm not sure how easy a hard-wired conversion those things are - and I have no intention of experimenting to find out

 

Ah yes - aren't they the ones that run on ley lines?

 

Phil

[richard i]

He only got them to work at all by praying to aqua sula at sunrise as the first rays hit his offering of two tension lock couplings on the altar.

[Clive Mortimore]

Look 50 pages....no I am not celebrating, if you take out the waffle by me, and the DCC rubbish you are left with two pages of other waffle and one on the train set.

[Clive Mortimore]

He only got them to work at all by praying to aqua sula at sunrise as the first rays hit his offering of two tension lock couplings on the altar.

I just put Aqua Sula in google and it is a towel rack.

 

And would I pay homage to a towel rack with two tension lock couplings...goodness gracious they are for my next Parkside wagon. 

Edited April 8, 2018 by Clive Mortimore

[richard i]

I just put Aqua Sula in google and it is a towel rack.

 

And would I pay homage to a towel rack with two tension lock couplings...goodness gracious they are for my next Parkside wagon. 

My dear boy they named the towel rack after goddess of water and wisdom. Towels water there is a connection. Feel Celtic- Romano goddess got named first.

50 pages beats my thread, but I don't have D.C. Arguments or waffle. I post other give helpful suggestions......mostly. Maybe I just got lucky.

[Regularity]

Clive has a soft spot for Bronze Age Triang motor bogies

They are a wonderful piece of engineering: fit them with single start worms for slower running, and plastic centred wheels to isolate the chassis from the juice for DCC, and they will run forever with just a touch of light oil.

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

I like waffles.....................yum

 

manna

[Clive Mortimore]

 Who needs DCC?

 

Today I was running my EMUs and it is getting very tempting to add OLE (25KVa) and just calling the station Exchange. It would be great to run steam, diesel and electric together.

[danstercivicman]

100_4799.JPG

Who needs DCC?

 

Today I was running my EMUs and it is getting very tempting to add OLE (25KVa) and just calling the station Exchange. It would be great to run steam, diesel and electric together.

Nice panel and good idea

 

Do you use common return and lots of sections?

[Pete the Elaner]

 

Today I was running my EMUs and it is getting very tempting to add OLE (25KVa) and just calling the station Exchange. It would be great to run steam, diesel and electric together.

Interchange was originally the planned name for DLR's Poplar.

[Titan]

100_4799.JPG

Who needs DCC?

 

Today I was running my EMUs and it is getting very tempting to add OLE (25KVa) and just calling the station Exchange. It would be great to run steam, diesel and electric together.

Shenfield Exchange?

[Satan's Goldfish]

100_4799.JPG

Who needs DCC?

 

Today I was running my EMUs and it is getting very tempting to add OLE (25KVa) and just calling the station Exchange. It would be great to run steam, diesel and electric together.

Hmmmm, panel p*rn.....

 

Nice idea, could you get away with just running OLE from the station to just one of the sets of storage sidings and work EMUs in a shuttle mode? saves wiring the whole layout and 'hiding' the steam and diesel under wires. Could you still run the mainlines while an EMU shuttles to the sidings, held at signals (automatically?) as it crosses?

[Clive Mortimore]

Nice panel and good idea

 

Do you use common return and lots of sections?

23 sections. I don't use common return. From each controller to the section switch is both positive and negative feeds, and then from the switch to the track both feeds. Its my own way of ensuring each section from its switch is a circuit of its own. When fault finding all circuits off then switch one on at a time and you can find the short etc. I don't do what many modellers do but It works for me. 

 

I common the return on point motors and signals.

[Clive Mortimore]

Hmmmm, panel p*rn.....

 

Nice idea, could you get away with just running OLE from the station to just one of the sets of storage sidings and work EMUs in a shuttle mode? saves wiring the whole layout and 'hiding' the steam and diesel under wires. Could you still run the mainlines while an EMU shuttles to the sidings, held at signals (automatically?) as it crosses?

No wiring up the non scenic main lines. A skid under Dignity Street bridge to bring the pantograph down as it makes contact with the wire. For the time being the station area is the only part that will be scenic.

[Andrew P]

100_4799.JPG

 Who needs DCC?

 

Today I was running my EMUs and it is getting very tempting to add OLE (25KVa) and just calling the station Exchange. It would be great to run steam, diesel and electric together.

The Panel looks good Clive, but if you swaped the White tracks for the Blue, moved the Red up to the Brown, it would look far prettier, hahahha      

 

Looking good though mate.

[Clive Mortimore]

The Panel looks good Clive, but if you swaped the White tracks for the Blue, moved the Red up to the Brown, it would look far prettier, hahahha    

 

Looking good though mate.

Yo Bodge

 

After I took the photo I thought some of those colours don't sit well together, so glad your artistic eye has spotted my errors.  

 

How is this for an idea, when you pop over bring your brush and we can sort them out.

[Andrew P]

Yo Bodge

 

After I took the photo I thought some of those colours don't sit well together, so glad your artistic eye has spotted my errors.

 

How is this for an idea, when you pop over bring your brush and we can sort them out.

 

I'm free on 29th Feb.  

[Clive Mortimore]

I'm free on 29th Feb.

Better get the house tidy as I only have 1 year, 10 months and 3 weeks before I need to lay the red carpet for such a distinguished guest

[Andrew P]

Better get the house tidy as I only have 1 year, 10 months and 3 weeks before I need to lay the red carpet for such a distinguished guest

 

Red, White, Blue and Brown Carpet, to colour coordinate with you panel Clive, plus some Blood, Sweat and Tears, hahha  

[timbowilts]

The Panel looks good Clive, but if you swaped the White tracks for the Blue, moved the Red up to the Brown, it would look far prettier, hahahha      

 

Looking good though mate.

Of course you could always follow the actual British Railways convention for panel track colours, “ Green & brown on the Down, blue & buttercup on the Up” we also had violet and orange for when we got into difficulties with adjacent sections ending up the same colour.

 

Tim T

[danstercivicman]

 

23 sections. I don't use common return. From each controller to the section switch is both positive and negative feeds, and then from the switch to the track both feeds. Its my own way of ensuring each section from its switch is a circuit of its own. When fault finding all circuits off then switch one on at a time and you can find the short etc. I don't do what many modellers do but It works for me.

 

I common the return on point motors and signals.[/quote)

 

Makes sense I guess the problems with finding any issues otherwise would be very bad!!