Mid-Cornwall Lines - 1950s Western Region in 00

[Stubby47]

18 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

 I'm letting the white stripes harden off overnight

 

 

[kevinlms]

On 05/01/2015 at 08:24, nerron said:

I don't think it is a question of lack of inspiration,RMweb alone provides that in buckets, it is more in my case  the delay caused by house moves and the preparation of the layout's accommodation.Nonetheless you would be most welcome to visit if you can get through border control! BTW Rick ,tho' not my area of interest I find your layout very motivating.

Just caught this. You didn't think that border control would be this real!

[St Enodoc]

A different story right now, as we are all aware.

[St Enodoc]

Time for a quickie this morning so I glazed all the spectacles with Kristal Klear. When it's dry I'll colour them in with felt-tip pens (thinks: have I actually got a yellow or orange one?).

[St Enodoc]

15 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

have I actually got a yellow or orange one?

I've got both! I just found a set of 8 pens that I must have bought specially for this job. Even better, they haven't dried out.

[Chamby]

On 29/08/2020 at 14:04, 5BarVT said:

Photos next time please so as I can give you “craftsmanship” gizmo.

Paul.

 

That’s better than giving him the clap...

[St Enodoc]

Some Scalelink etchings arrived today, so I now (should) have enough signal arms, especially ground discs, for the entire layout.

 

Apart from colouring the spectacles, I haven't had time to do any more on the signals themselves. When I have, I will add the ladders and so on to the posts before assembling the arms and fitting the actuators.

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

You need ladders for your Ground signals..........how high are they ???????

 

manna

[Clive Mortimore]

6 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Some Scalelink etchings arrived today, so I now (should) have enough signal arms, especially ground discs, for the entire layout.

 

Apart from colouring the spectacles, I haven't had time to do any more on the signals themselves. When I have, I will add the ladders and so on to the posts before assembling the arms and fitting the actuators.

Wot a rose colour to make the G*R look OK. 

 

 

 

      

[St Enodoc]

Ladders, platforms and weight arms fitted last night. I should get the signals assembled this weekend and possibly, with a bit of luck and a following wind, one or two installed on the layout - although probably not operational.

 

Reminder to self - I got bored building this batch of six. I'll stick to three at a time in future, as per usual.

[LNER4479]

8 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

 

Reminder to self - 

- blow the dust off the camera ...

[St Enodoc]

The six signals are now complete and here they are:

 

All I need to do before installation is to connect a miniature jack plug to each actuator, so that in the event of a problem in future I won't have to mess around with a screwdriver and choc blocks like I did on the previous layout.

 

I think my favourite of these is the two-armed stop and fixed distant, which will actually be the last to be installed because I need to build part of the branch first. The first signal to go in and be made operational will be the Trewoon Junction Up Distant. This is not worked by Porthmellyn Road signal box, of course, but will have its own 1.5V battery supply switched through the Paddington "From Porthmellyn Road" line clear indicator switch. Not strictly prototypical, as the railbus and clay trains to Tregissey shouldn't have the distant cleared for the diverging route, but I think it will look nice without adding to the workload of any of the operators.

Edited July 17, 2023 by St Enodoc
images restored

[St Enodoc]

I installed the Trewoon Junction Up Main Distant this afternoon.

 

First I modified the wiring inside the Paddington points control panel. I changed the "From Porthmellyn Road" line clear switch from a  single-pole to a double-pole type (bottom right) and fitted a AA battery holder (bottom left). The colour code for signalling power wires is orange (positive) and violet (negative). The wires lead off to the top of the picture, from where they go down the conduit to emerge below the baseboard. They then connect to the signal through the jack plug and socket.

 

The signal comes Off when the switch is moved to the left, lighting the green LED at Paddington and activating the Line Clear release on the Porthmellyn Road Up Main Advanced Starter (49), and goes back on when the switch is moved back to the right, lighting the red LED and locking PM49 again.

 

I've no idea why the labels read "TM UM D" - they should read "TW UM D". I'll change them tomorrow.

 

Here's a driver's eye view of the signal when it's On...

 

...and when it's Off.

 

I'll probably instal the next four signals before building any more.

Edited July 17, 2023 by St Enodoc
images restored

[St Enodoc]

After I'd installed the signal, Veronica took a (very) short video, which Charles @RudderC of this parish has uploaded on the BRMA website:

 

Sorry about the stretched captions - Charles reckons it's because the video was taken in portrait mode not landscape.

[Stubby47]

I like the slow action of the signal.

[Jesse Sim]

9 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

After I'd installed the signal, Veronica took a (very) short video, which Charles @RudderC of this parish has uploaded on the BRMA website:

 

Sorry about the stretched captions - Charles reckons it's because the video was taken in portrait mode not landscape.

Ooooh scenery soon? 

[St Enodoc]

5 minutes ago, Jesse Sim said:

Ooooh scenery soon? 

One fine day...

[5BarVT]

6 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

The six signals are now complete and here they are:

 

 

Nice!

How well stuck down is the fixed arm?  To me, it’s showing too much post, but my only photo is of round not square posts.

But still nice.

 

6 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Not strictly prototypical, as the railbus and clay trains to Tregissey shouldn't have the distant cleared for the diverging route, but I think it will look nice without adding to the workload of any of the operators.

Could you add a condition on the points to the Tregissey Siding to stop it clearing?

Paul.

[St Enodoc]

Thanks Paul.

 

1 hour ago, 5BarVT said:

How well stuck down is the fixed arm?  To me, it’s showing too much post, but my only photo is of round not square posts.

I haven't found any clear photos of square post fixed distants below a stop arm either. I expect loads of folk will come up with some now. However, as you've shown, on the round posts the arm seems to be fixed to the post so that the fishtail end is in line with the end of the stop arm, which I've tried to do. I also packed it out a bit so that the two arms are just about the same distance from the post vertically.

 

I used this reference to simulate the mounting arrangement although it doesn't have a stop arm above it:

 

 

1 hour ago, 5BarVT said:

Could you add a condition on the points to the Tregissey Siding to stop it clearing?

I wanted to do something like that initially but, because the route setting doesn't change the Tregissey Siding point back if a new route that doesn't involve it is selected, then the signal might not clear next time we want it to. Besides, the long clay train, which in "reality" goes to Tregissey, actually runs to and from loop 13. My original plan was to route the signal power through the extra changeover contacts on some of the point motors but I couldn't find a simple combination (without relays, which I can't be bothered with) to get the signal NOT to clear IF a route is set into the Tregissey siding OR IF a route is set into loop 13. Perhaps I could have another look in future but at the moment I'm just enjoying this little bit of showmanship!

[simontaylor484]

Looking good there sir well done

[5BarVT]

7 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

 NOT      IF        OR IF

I did wonder if the logic might be a bit complex.

 

Teach your route setting logic how to do flank protection and you might be able to get it to work the siding . . .  :-)

Paul.

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

I did wonder if the logic might be a bit complex.

 

Teach your route setting logic how to do flank protection and you might be able to get it to work the siding . . .  :-)

Paul.

You're trying very hard to talk me into it!

 

Yes, I could change the route setting. It would mean setting up a command station macro for probably two or three more routes than just the few that already need five or more commands at the moment (the NCE Mini Panel is limited to four steps per input).

 

I'll have a think...

[St Enodoc]

After a very pleasant walk this morning, along the Cascades Track to Middle Harbour Creek, after lunch I installed the next four signals.

 

49 Up Advanced Starter

 

30 Down Goods Loop Starting to Down Main

 

4 Down Main Starting (sorry it's blurred. The camera focussed on the blue placemarker for 32 Disc).

 

53 Up Main Home

 

Installing the signals involves drilling a 13mm hole in the baseboard, which is a nice fit for the Ratio tube, and then extending this with a saw and chisel to form a keyhole shape. This lets you feed the choc block through the hole. I hold the signals in place with a fillet or two of Blu-Tak under the board. The keyhole is hidden under the baseplate where the ladder is mounted.

 

For a couple of the signals I had to cut the ballast shoulder away slightly. I've filled the gap with some foam and I'll touch up the ballast itself when all the signals are in.

 

The signals have no electrical connections yet.  I did make a start on the wiring for that, by modifying the route of the points/signals return bus and by installing the signal power bus wires and control wires across the floor under the lifting flap for the three signals on the far side from the signal box These are 49, as above; 2 (Down Main Home); and 17 (Down Main Home to Down Goods Loop). Next weekend I'll continue with the wiring, taking the wires back to the terminal blocks at the lever frame and sorting out a suitable power supply for the signals. More on all that another time.

Edited September 7, 2023 by St Enodoc
images restored

[Clive Mortimore]

You will be planting trees next.

 

 

Or telegraph poles.

[Mulgabill]

5 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

You will be planting trees next.

 

 

Or telegraph poles.

Or Cauliflowers (Brochilli.