BEIJIAO - a large Chinese HO exhibition layout set in the 21st century

[Al.]

23 minutes ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

Something very interesting arrived in the post today....

 

 

What is it, and what is it meant to do?

 

[Trofimow]

23 minutes ago, Al. said:

What is it, and what is it meant to do?

It appears to be a sound module of some sort...I guess we are going to have sound effects

[Al.]

11 minutes ago, Trofimow said:

It appears to be a sound module of some sort...I guess we are going to have sound effects

 

It'll be for the Banker loco horns.

 

Sound has always been an area I've wanted to explore on this layout. Add some point clatter and flange squeal to the Industrial and Bi-Directional turnout would add a new layer onto the loco dcc sound. And maybe some background sounds of the various cameo scenes too.

 

[Ian Morgan]

45 minutes ago, Al. said:

 

What is it, and what is it meant to do?

 

 

... or it is a device to keep operators in check? 😏

 

[Al.]

1 minute ago, Ian Morgan said:

 

... or it is a device to keep operators in check? 😏

 

 

Paul would have better luck trying to herd cats...🤣

[TEAMYAKIMA]

31 minutes ago, Trofimow said:

It appears to be a sound module of some sort...I guess we are going to have sound effects

 

Yes, although technically it's merely an upgrade of something we've had in the past - let me explain ..............................

 

In the long run up to our last show (Keighley) I asked my good friend Steve to make me a sound module to replicate the 'messaging' between the train loco and the two bankers whereby a message is sent from lead loco to the bankers that the lead loco was ready to head off up the 1/30 climb up to the steelworks. Using a simple push button hidden in the backscene the industrial operator could set the sounds in motion - there were 'large' speakers hidden in the buildings - the speaker lined up with the lead loco would sound off and a few seconds later the two bankers would reply in the two speakers set at the rear of the train - or at least that is what I thought would happen!

 

Not for the first time, but hopefully for the last time, the problem of not being able to easily set boards up at home for testing brought my efforts crashing down and when we tried the idea at Keighley it didn't work. Once back from Keighley I looked into why it didn't work and I discovered a basic mistake (which I had made) which had burnt out one of the two sound modules - only the lead loco module now worked. So I had to send the existing module back to Steve for repair, but this time I asked him for a couple of upgrades.

 

1. Originally, there had been quite a long gap between the lead loco sounding off and the first banker replying - that has now been cut from 7 seconds to 3.5 seconds.

 

2. Originally, the two bankers sounded off in mono even though I had actually installed two speakers for them i.e. an individual speaker for each banker. So, as Steve was going to do quite a bit of work already, I asked him to separate the three sounds into the three speakers. So, in theory, if a viewer is standing directly across from the bankers they should hear banker #1 in their right ear, followed by banker #2 in their left ear. Whether anyone notices that unless it's flagged up for them, I don't know and TBH I can't be 100% sure that they will notice it even if it is flagged up to them - but at least we tried!  😉

Edited October 5, 2023 by TEAMYAKIMA

[Al.]

6 minutes ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

 

Whether anyone notices that unless it's flagged up for them, I don't know and TBH I can't be 100% sure that they will notice it even if it is flagged up to them - but at least we tried!  😉

 

 

Maybe add a half second or second delay to the second banker horn would help, along with difference horn blast durations. All helps to split the sounds up and make then a little more distinctive. 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

42 minutes ago, Al. said:

Maybe add a half second or second delay to the second banker horn would help, along with difference horn blast durations. All helps to split the sounds up and make then a little more distinctive. 

 

Yes, that was done as well. 

 

Assuming that everything works out OK it should add something to the whole banking 'experience' and in that context we are going to experiment at our next show (Taunton) with a new protocol.

 

The industrial operator will flag up to the other team members that he is ready to send a banked train up the grade. The other operators will hold back from sending new trains into the scenic section, but they can/will start trains out of the fiddle yard but hold them 'off-scene'. Once the scenic section is clear, the industrial operator will set of the sound modules and then once the last banker has replied he will start the train off on its way. The other operators will wait until the bankers have disappeared from view and then immediately send their mainline trains into the scenic section.

 

Assuming that we have a 'front-of-house' man on duty, he will warn viewers as to what is about to happen so that they can set up their video cameras and capture the whole scene without mainline trains getting in the way.

 

I must emphasise that this will be an experiment at Taunton - we hope it will make the banking move far more prominent as it is one of our main USP's and in the past it has never caught the public's attention as much as we had hoped - it has always been somewhat 'in the background' both physically and psychologically.

Edited October 5, 2023 by TEAMYAKIMA

[luke_stevens]

7 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

Something very interesting arrived in the post today....

 

 

Sound is good!

 

But you already know I think that! Whose sound files are you using? Have you tested it before you install it :) ?

 

Luke

[TEAMYAKIMA]

2 hours ago, luke_stevens said:

Sound is good! 

But you already know I think that! Whose sound files are you using? Have you tested it before you install it :) ?

Luke

Someone sent me sound files of various Chinese steam loco Horns some years ago - from Australia I think. They are the same sound files that were used on the first sound module set-up last year, the only difference is that there are now three distinct 'channels' feeding into three speakers. 

 

Yes, everything has been tested and the modules have been built into the layout and they work in situ - all good 😊

[St Enodoc]

11 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

Something very interesting arrived in the post today....

 

A new front door bell?

[Al.]

Another cameo for Beijiao?

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1107483362778706/permalink/2286993094827721/

[luke_stevens]

1 hour ago, Al. said:

Another cameo for Beijiao?

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1107483362778706/permalink/2286993094827721/

 

The Faller roadway is quite capable of doing this without our intervention...

 

L

[Al.]

Paul wasn't happy with a couple aspects of the station sign. First, it was a bit too tall, and second, he didn't like the look of the final character. A little reworking and both fixed. The sign now reads 'Beijiao Steel Works Commuter Station 4'. Hopefully Paul will have them painted and fitted in time for Taunton.

 

 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

11 minutes ago, Al. said:

Paul wasn't happy with a couple aspects of the station sign. First, it was a bit too tall, and second, he didn't like the look of the final character. A little reworking and both fixed. The sign now reads 'Beijiao Steel Works Commuter Station 4'. Hopefully Paul will have them painted and fitted in time for Taunton.

 

Paul is sitting here with paintbrush in hand! 😉

[TEAMYAKIMA]

As if to prove how close I think the layout is to being 'finished', I will show you some of the 'major issues' I've been dealing with lately - some of which have been 'major issues' ever since our very first exhibition!

 

The first 'major issue' -

 

When I first laid the industrial track, I laid the important tracks (the through road and the platform road) with concrete sleepers as if they had been updated at some time. but I laid the sidings with wooden sleepered track. However, I randomly inserted some concrete sleepers to show that when the wooden sleepers had needed repair they had used the more modern concrete sleepers, but in my haste (six years ago) to get the layout ready for its first show I had just washed black paint over all the track and so the subtlety of that 'feature had been somewhat (literally) overshadowed ....................

 

 

Now, having finally got some spare time to deal with these really big issues, I've gone back and sorted the problem 😉

 

 

 

[Pete the Elaner]

I have just dropped off the van after my first weekend operating the layout.

Being at a show with a layout for a weekend usually seems hard work & this was no exception, but quite enjoyable on reflection.

[TT-Pete]

1 hour ago, Pete the Elaner said:

 enjoyable on reflection.

 

Agreed. And there was definitely "challenge" on the Sunday morning... :^)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by TT-Pete

[2E Sub Shed]

Is the Greggs cup a permanent  fixture as it was there on Saturday AM, or was it refreshed ?

Edited October 23, 2023 by 2E Sub Shed

[TT-Pete]

4 minutes ago, 2E Sub Shed said:

Is the Greggs cup a permanent  fixture as it was there on Saturday AM, or was it refreshed ?

 

Black coffee 2 sugars, but not between the hours of 10:00 and 11:00.

 

[luke_stevens]

6 hours ago, TT-Pete said:

 

 

 

 

 

It looks exceedingly calm...

 

Usually at least someone has their hands in the air about something!

 

Luke

[Al.]

12 minutes ago, luke_stevens said:

 

It looks exceedingly calm...

 

Usually at least someone has their hands in the air about something!

 

Luke

 

And the layout isn't on fire either... 🤣

[TT-Pete]

19 minutes ago, luke_stevens said:

Usually at least someone has their hands in the air about something!

5 minutes ago, Al. said:

And the layout isn't on fire either... 🤣

 

Ah, well now, there's a reason for both of those, the layout has to be working first. It was one of those moments best described as "Digitrax says no" 🙄, hence "Challenge" being very appropriate...

 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

1 hour ago, TT-Pete said:

Ah, well now, there's a reason for both of those, the layout has to be working first. It was one of those moments best described as "Digitrax says no" 🙄, hence "Challenge" being very appropriate...

 

Yes, there is no point denying that (not for the first time) the peculiarities of 'Digitrax' conspired to cause us trouble before the doors opened on Sunday, but thanks to some expert help from Derek (one of the exhibitors) we were able to track down the problem and deal with it before the public arrived and we were putting on a very professional and entertaining performance from about 10.10 until close-down. I won't give any further details about Derek as he will get inundated with requests for DCC tech support if I do, just to say a huge THANK YOU to him for his support and help.

 

I must also thank my Taunton Team (Iain, Gordon, Neal, Peter and Mark) who were so supportive and helpful throughout the weekend and especially when the van arrived two hours late on the Friday due to appalling traffic conditions on the M4.

 

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by TEAMYAKIMA

[Pete the Elaner]

4 hours ago, TT-Pete said:

 

Ah, well now, there's a reason for both of those, the layout has to be working first. It was one of those moments best described as "Digitrax says no" 🙄, hence "Challenge" being very appropriate...

 

 

I think Digitrax was objecting to the 'complex move' which Paul wanted to try. It started working after it was too late to practice the procedure before the public arrived.