Rudy's Model Railway: a Folded Dogbone, HO, 3x3m

[RudyB]

Allow me to first introduce myself: my name is Ruud, I live in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and I started railway modelling in 2014. I eagerly browse this forum because it has a wealth of really good and professional information as well as wonderful examples and showcases. After first having worked with train sims only (cost effective ), some time ago I 'jumped on board' and started a real model layout. I also joined the Eindhovense Model Hobby Club.

At first, of course, it was all planning and figuring out stuff. I have posted some articles before, mainly in the DCC thread of this forum. But now the point has come that the tables are installed and the actual building phase is going to start. It seemed like a nice moment to start a thread in this chapter, to post about progress. There's also a website / blog where I keep track of progress. Here's the link.

The intended layout is HO, size 300 x 300, Peco H0, code 75 track. It is not resembling any real life situation nor is it anywhere near 'prototypical'. My interest (and skill) is more on the electronics and the PC side. Probably there is not even going to be scenery, apart maybe from some polystyrene platforms and other structures. But who knows ... I may get caught by that virus too.







Yesterday a few more steps have been made. First, the green top layer of 7mm soft board is placed. Pictures follow later this week.

Then a test has been performed with track fixing. I do not like to glue. I like to keep the option open to change the layout, or maybe even start all over again with another layout, at a later time. Not impossible with glue, but still the rail becomes a bit messy. Alternatives could be to use nails, or screws. Yet, I opted for another solution ... the use of metal flower binding wire.

The 1st image shows the fixing wire when it was still green, and therefore visible. After tipping it with a black marker pen it became so well camouflaged that it is almost invisible at normal viewing distances.

More info and more images on the blog via this link.
http://rudysmodelrailway.wordpress.com/2014/12/06/track-fixing/






 

[RudyB]

This morning the final screw was tightened in the table ... it is finished!

 

A green soft board layer is added, which should take care of some sound damping. And as a 'finishing touch' a border is mounted along the entire edge.

 

Next thing on the agenda is to lay some track. When I have any track that is. This weekend I plan to visit a model railway trade show where hopefully I can tick off some of the items on my shopping list there.

 

More pictures on the blog.

 

 

[RudyB]

A couple of important changes have been made to the layout.

 

First, a few points needed to be moved. They were placed exactly on top of wooden bars under the table, which would have made it impossible to properly install the servo drives.

 

Second, the connection of the industry tracks has been changed. They were attached to station West main line, which means traffic would have to be interrupted with any shunting operations. The tracks are now connected to station South via a long lead, whch means shunting can take place while (fully automated) main line traffic can simply carry on. A big improvement in play possibilities.

 

Link to layout page on the blog.

http://rudysmodelrailway.wordpress.com/layouts

 

 

New situation:

[RudyB]

Past Wednesday an order for 21 points and 13 buffers was placed at www.ehattons.com, a UK company. Order processing and shipping from UK to the Netherlands went very smooth … the package was delivered next day.

 

I combined the points into the 6 'junctions streets' that I need. With some points it was necessary to remove two outer ends of 2 sleepers in order to be able to connect them. This was easily done using a Dremel, still I wonder why Peco did not design this in?

 

Then ... yesterday another internet order was delivered from Modeltreinexpress : 2 locs and 2 ESU LokPilot-4 decoders. Of course I tried them out immediately, luckily they seem to work fine.

 

More info and images on the blog:

- The first track has been laid

- New rolling stock: 2 DCC loco's

 

 

 

 

[RudyB]

The first servo is mounted under the board ... and ... it works

 

This is the link to the video.

 

Parts used:

- Small piece of debris wood

- Plastic closing clip of a bread bag

- Paperclip (straightened)

- 2 small screws

- 1 largr screw

 

Total cost: less than €0,20.

 

 

 

[Draughtsman]

Hello Ruud. Thank you for posting.

 

Regarding backing off the servo to stop the judder would there be an advantage in returning the servo to the central position.

I have to admit that I am a complete beginner in this form of control, but I hope to incorporate your ideas in my still to be built layout.

Arduino and Servos are on order and I hope to have a play soon.

I am working my way through your tutorial videos and will be following your progress with interest.

 

Best Wishes for the New Year.

Brian

[RudyB]

Hi Brian. So you 'took the plunge' and ordered the stuff? I hope you have fun.

 

Servo back to the middle is an option, but just a few degrees back from max was enough to get rid of the jitter. It has the advantage that at least a little pressure is still kept on the spring wire, pressing the tongue against the rail for good electrical contact.

[RudyB]

First of all ... best wishes for a good and healthy 2015 to everyone.

 

Finally there was time to do some serious track laying. The South loop has gotten its definitive shape, it's ready to be fixed to the table. Also the two East-most points have got their place, including the servo- and frog wire holes drilled in the table.

 

I must admit that laying flex track is not something that comes easy to me. To make curves (which is 100% the case with this layout , after bending, the rail has to be pushed or pulled back and forth trough the sleepers. Then bend again ... then push or pull again ... etc. It is quite some 'fumbling'. Also using the Dremel to cut the rails at length can easily go wrong. A few tenths of a mm too short and you have to start all over again. Luckily that has not yet happened and I must say, when done, the end result looks really satisfactory.

 

For the pushing and pulling I did not like to use pliers just like that. Metal on metal the rail could easily get scratched or damaged. There is a simple solution: I used a piece of rubber of an old bicycle inner tube as a protection layer. This works very nice in 2 ways. It has better friction which makes pulling or pushing easier, and it protects the rail from being damaged.

 

The blog has a few extra pictures.

 

 

 

 

[RudyB]

Interior lighting for €0,32 per wagon? Yes ... it's possible!

Yesterday, at the club (EMV) I worked on interior lighting for my Roco sleep carriage. It's always nice and heart warming to experience how members join in with ideas and with actual help to make it a 'joint project'. A big thanks to Ad, Jan L, Jan R and Jaques.

Around Christmas a local supermarket had strings of 3 foot, battery fed, LED lights on sale for just €0,95 (!). I wondered if it would be possible to use these for interior lighting of coaches. I took the plunge for a 'depth investment' and bought 2. That should be enough length for the 6 coaches I have. If it would not work out, the damage would be just €`,90 ... I would survive

It worked well to build the led's inside the coach wagon. Electrical wires are coming out, which will connect to the next wagon. Today I did the second wagon ... that one works well now too.

The third wagon, to complete one train of 3, is still to do. That one is more complicated, there are 3 extra's:
1. The batteries have to be mounted into this one.
2. I like to have 2 red LED's as tail liaghts
3. A reed switch and a small metal plate need to be assembled inside, such that it is possible to switch the lights on/off with a small magnet on the outside.

More info and more images on the blog.

 

[lezz01]

Hi there Rudy

This is comming on well. Can I just offer a little advice? I use that green soft board as a track bed and have found that it is not very stable an deteriates over time it also crushes very easily. I have countered this by "painting" both sides of it with dilute PVA to a 50/50 mix. This makes it a lot more stable and easier to cut as it remains intact and doesn't tare up at the edges. Some of mine has been down for nearly 10 years now and is as good as new. If you paint one side and let it dry it will bow but when you turn it over and paint the other side it straightens up again it also waterprofs it and stops it swelling when you get around to ground cover and the like.

Anyway its just advice do with it as you will.

Regards Lez.Z. 

[RudyB]

Thanks for that tip Lez. I did notice that the stiff is very loose, contains very little glue from the fabrication process (may very wellbedry pressed?) and fibres keep coming off constantly. Not sure what I'll do. Have already put quite some time in measuring and positioning the points. But if there is a good moment ... then it is now!

[RudyB]

Station South and its surrounding loop is laid. 13 junctions have got their exact coordinates and the track in between is accurately cut to length using a Dremel and is connected. Time for a test drive!

The track is not yet fixed to the table. I'm not even sure if I'm going to do that. It seems that when the junctions are fixed, which is needed because the servo's execute a sideways force on them, the track in between stays put all by itself. Here and there the track is slightly lifted, apparently there's some tension on. It has to be flattened to the table at those points. But the rest ... I'll first see how it goes with a minimum of fixation points, it's always possible to add more later.

Here's a video of the first test drive.

[RudyB]

The third wagon has got its interior lighting built in, together with tail lights, the batteries and a reed switch plus an external magnet for easy on/off operation.

More images and also a short video are available on the blog.

[RudyB]

Some progress has been made this weekend.

 

A new way of mounting the servo's has been tried. I think this is a keeper. See this post on the blog for more info and images.

 

 

Also some progress has been made with track laying. The outer three tracks of the North bend are now ready, from junctions to junctions.

 

To create the curves I used a new tool / jig that I call the 'Rail bending helper jig'. It's two wooden blocks, both with 2 grooves exactly at rail gauge distance. The blocks smoothly slide over the rails. When one block is pressed down firmly, while the other it moved away while applying a rotational force, the tracks bands and the inner rail lengthens towards the far end. It worked quite well ... the jigs are a definite keeper.

 

In the mean time also a few other special 'home made' tools are available to aid with track laying.

 

More images and info on the blog.

 

 

 

[RudyB]

To underlay, or not to underlay ... that's the question.

 

Almost every day a few additional tracks are added to the layout. The North Bend is final now, with all 6 tracks ending at their Westbound junctions, for which the holes are already drilled in the table. Still to do:

 - Station West

 - West Corridor

 - 'Inglenook' Sidings

 

In the mean time I tested some track underlay, home made from 2mm foam that is used as laminate floor underlay. Treated with brown Acrylic paint straight from he tune, it gives a reasonable result. Not particularly beautiful, yet I think it makes the track 'come alive' just a little more. Not 100% decided yet ... I give myself another week to think this over.

 

A few more images are available on the blog.

 

 

[RudyB]

Just 12 more flex-rails to go, then track laying is finished. Time to start to look ahead some. Wiring is going to be an important next step. Needed are a ring circuit for DCC, for 5V servo power and for the S88 reed switches GND.

 

While making the drawings I ended up not so much with a ring circuit, but with a star circuit instead. With 5 main braches, each feeding 5 or 6 sub braches, DCC is fed to every piece of track via max 1 or 2 rail-connectors. Feeding every rail separately seems like overkill to me ... if needed it can always be done later.

 

Three more images are available on the blog.

 

[RudyB]

Today a new milestone has been reached ... the loop is closed! Still 8 terminal tracks need to be laid, but that is a relatively easy job. It is laying accurate curves that I found the most challenging. Mainly because with Peco flex track it is very hard to adjust the individual rail positions by pushing or pulling They simply won't slide trough the sleepers, as opposed to some other brands where the rails seem to slide more easy. It is only after I started using the 'rail bending jigs' that I got the hang of it and actually started to enjoy it.

 

A series of pictures was made while placing the final rail that closed the gap. They are available on the blog as sort of documentary on the ins and outs on laying Peco flex track.

 

 

[Hugh Flynn]

Hi

Good luck with your layout project will watch with interest.

Hugh

[shanks522]

Hi Ruud,

 

 Very interesting trackplan, I look forward to more of this. 

 

Graham.

[RudyB]

The foam underlay has been placed.

 

Past Friday model rail friend Richard came to help place the foam underlay, that in the mean time had been cut to size and had been painted, under the track. It was a job that needed to be done with two. One lifting the track, using two thin wooden rods, the other fumbling the foam underneath.

 

In the end it worked out fine. Of course all track was moved and shifted, but it's not a difficult task to carefully align and straighten it again.

 

A slide show of the process is available on the blog.

 

 

 

[RudyB]

Past week there has been some progress, be it that it's all 'hidden' unless you'd look with a magnifying glass or look under the table.

 

First all 23 junctions have been fixed to the table using the metal garden wire method. I even opted for one L-shaped wire per fix instead of the U shaped wire. It means one hole less to drill per fix while a test showed that it still fixates the track well enough.

 

 

 

 

Then a start has been made mounting the servos. The new 'vertical' mounting method is used that was discussed earlier in this blog post.

 

The advantages are twofold:

1. There is no servo jitter because there's almost no force applied to the servo, it need not 'work' to keep it in position.

2. The spring wire (which is an unfolded paperclip) does not move around in a circle, which made it bend in the horizontal plane ... again less forces in the whole system.

 

A video that shows the vertical mounted servo in action is available on the blog.

 

 

[RudyB]

Statistics

Today I picked up the drill to start the next sequence of holes for the metal rail fixation rods, when it struck me … how many holes have I drilled yet? And how many still to go?

I sat down for a minute and wondered … that must have been over 400 already? And how many screws did I drive in? And how may of this? And how many of that?

I made a list. A totally useless list, just for fun. When done I actually thought it quite interesting. Guess what is the most used tool? For the answer, read below blog post.

The 9 most used tools while creating my 3x3m model railway layout.

[The Bigbee Line]

Thanks for an interesting thread. It's nice to see how a non modeller gets started building a layout, and makes an excellent job.

 

The green surface and the separate underlay make it a very neat stylised model.

 

Well done. Keep posting.

[RudyB]

Pimp a Peco buffer: add lights.

 

Past Friday a new milestone was reached: the track is fixed to the board. From now on the electrical work can start and the majority of future activities adds to bring life to the layout.

The first sign of life are the lights that I mounted onto the Peco buffers. When I clicked 2 buffers to the track I thought them a bit dull. There is a little plastic shape on top of the buffer that resembles a light. How nice would it be if that could become a real light? Worth a try.

At the club we have a real miniaure hobbyist, who without the blink of an eye can solder wires to an 0402 SMD led. An SMD would probably look best, but I went on the lookout for a led I could acually see .

In one of the parts drawers I found some nice red led’s that seemed ideal for the job. Two tiny holes drilled in the buffer were enough to mount the led and keep it in position. I had to turn the buffer around 180 degrees, which means now the backside is actually at the front, but I bet not many will notice that minor detail. Added a 1k5 resistor and connect to 5V and there it was ...  red lights on the buffers.

More pictures are available on the blog.




 

[RudyB]

DCC wiring with a star network.

 

This weekend a start has been made with DCC wiring. There are many nice and handy tools and parts available for wiring and interconnects, but as always I think it a challenge to find low-cost solutions that still work well (for me). With the wiring I opted to use only plastic screw terminals and 'nurse-tape' . The tape fixes the wires and doubles as a labeling system.

 

Also I tried not to overdo it with the wire thickness. A star network with 5 branches avoided long leads. Max current is limited to 4 A. That made it possible to work with widely available and cheap 1 mm² wire and have an acceptable voltage drop of less than 1 V. For the track feeds I use 0.15 mm² wire.

 

The main branches under the table are done. The next task is to connect the 26 x 2 track feeds.

 

More images are available on the blog