A Pennsylvanian Shortline

[bertiedog]

The light sequencer chip and wiring removed from the necklace, mares nest of wiring!!, the time exposure shows the colours. The flash rate is about 1hz for the sequence, not adjustable, even by changing the voltage, must be set in the chip, buried in epoxy.

 

The idea is that each bulb will feed a small bundle of light guides making a new dot matrix pattern for the diner main sign surrounds.

 

Stephen

[bertiedog]

A design for the sequential dot matrix neon light chaser, there are six colours in the chase, and the dots are the ends of bunched light guides, fed by just one led for each colour, 14 fed from one for instance.

 

 

The larger Red Leds are permanently on, as are the illuminated letters spelling out Diner.

 

How does it look? The lights will sequence from the middle outwards at 1Hz......I could add more red LEDs driven by a 555 in an outer ring at a higher flash rate to get a really gaudy look!

 

The drawing is only an outline, the diner word would be larger, and the lighting bands smaller.

 

Stephen.

[shortliner]

I look forward to this one, Stephen - it will certainly catch the eye!

[bertiedog]

That sign will be covered by a filter, to ensure it only shows at night, just leaving the word diner showing in normal light. The large amount of light guide will be dealt with by two novelty mares tail torches, which have bunches of light guides fitted, for a £1.00.

The pictures show the basic diner modified a bit on seating to the windows, but no new inner walls yet. The bundles of light guides and power wires for the LEDS can run from the back rooms and through the roof into the air conditioners, and into the sign, which will have to be about 4mm thick to allow the guides to bend down at right angles.

 

Stephen.

[shortliner]

Stephen - if you can get hold of some perspex and cut narrow strips with one end at 45° and a suitibly sized hole at the other, inserting the end of the light-pipe in the hole and painting the whole thing, except for a small clear window opposite the angle will bounce the light around through 90° - rather like a periscope without the bottom mirror. May be easier than bending the light-pipe, and result in a narrower profile

[bertiedog]

Stephen - if you can get hold of some perspex and cut narrow strips with one end at 45° and a suitibly sized hole at the other, inserting the end of the light-pipe in the hole and painting the whole thing, except for a small clear window opposite the angle will bounce the light around through 90° - rather like a periscope without the bottom mirror. May be easier than bending the light-pipe, and result in a narrower profile

Many thanks,

don't forget, I worked for optical instrument makers, and I had ideas along those lines myself! At the moment the sign is on hold as I have some glowing translucent plastic letters on the way from Ebay, and the thoughts have turned to standalone glowing letters with multi coloured lights fed into the base of each free standing letter of the word "DINER".

 

Stephen.

[shortliner]

It is getting better all the time!

[bertiedog]

The ideas for the free standing letters came about after seeing the fridge magnet lettering that your using on the layout, I wondered if they were translucent, but then searched the net and found the letters that glow on Ebay.

 

If the plastic letters are thick enough they can be drilled in the base for the guides, and look quite psychedelic when on!!!! and they Glow afterwards as a bonus!!

 

Back to work on the interior of the diner, and the internal lighting, cutesy of ex-xmas poundland light strings!

 

Stephen.

[shortliner]

Well, if you need any to play with, I have lots of spares, just say! - they are about 3 cm tall. Oddly, although they have spaces for the magnets, none have ever been fitted. They are semi-translucent, but might work better as masters for casting letters in Fibreglass resin or similar

[bertiedog]

Not sure till I see them what the size will be......guesstimating from the image, pack, printing etc......say 25mm , 1 inch

which would be about 7 foot high sign letters, of say glassfibre mouldings in real life, quite reasonable.

Stephen.

[bertiedog]

This is the new design outline, free standing letters, with the sequenced lights running across the bases, plus some continuous Led lamps as well, should look quite psychedelic...........or at least 1940's neon look.

[bertiedog]

The glowing plastic letters have arrived, about 4cm tall a bit on the big side, but can be trimmed down a touch. I may double them as they are thin, a bit of experimenting to do. They would scale at about 12 foot high letters, quite big!

[bertiedog]

The 282 Camel back Mantua, bought on Ebay, £29, runs very well indeed, needs running in etc, then painting.

 

Not for running on the Shortline, but the connected mainline layout. The mazak metal tender trucks need changing to more appropriate type in lost wax brass, and lead and trailing wheels changed to match the drivers tyre profile.

 

 

Mantua retained a non NMRA profile on lead and tailing wheels, and tender wheels for a long period, whilst the drivers complied to RP-25 standards. Also they used plastic, and on the tender a mix of plastic and brass on the same axles....not good practice.

 

The Mantua 5 pole open frame motor runs superbly, far quieter and smoother than the can type motors, but they were variable, and bad assembly left a lot with poorer examples. It draws 1.2 amp under full load.

 

The bell is turned brass, working, one handrail is missing, and it has a Kadee already fitted to the tender draft box, strange for something described as only on display.

 

The tender to Loco gap can be reduced, there is already a nice thin metal hinged fall plate fitted, but the gap is way over any amount needed even for set track.

 

 

[bertiedog]

As usual something awkward about the glow letters, they are PVC soft plastic, admittedly reasonably hard, but no glue touches them, so the joints will have to be drilled holes and forced fit, not glue.

 

 

The lighting effect works with edge illumination as planned, but may be better augmented with stage type illumination from a row of shaded LED superbright reds. This will not flash, but provide the background lighting.

 

The actual glow works quite well, I may put some outside for the house name,,,,,,,

 

Stephen.

[bertiedog]

The Camelback is now run in on rollers, settled down and runs very sweetly indeed. The wheels for the front bogie are turned in stainless steel, I may get some new centres for the trailing wheels as the spokes are square section at the moment, and I have never seen older US locos with such a spoke section. I may get some Gibson 00 tyred wheels who do a match for the spoke count.

 

One item to be replaced are the crossheads, which are black plastic, and need proper metal versions. At least the connecting rods are in line with the piston rods, not cranked over. Extra piping will be added and a few cast details like clacks and valves. The backhead needs a bit of detailing, no fittings at all bar the twin firedoors.

 

There are no controls at the back, but there were pressure gauges, cocks, injector controls, and water glasses, the items that the fireman required. The regulator etc and valve gear control was in the cab on the top of the boiler.

 

In the early 1920's new camel back design was outlawed in the States, due to the problems of coupling rod failure resulting in the motion being thrown upwards into the cab structure, injuring or killing the driver. The Engineers appreciated the excellent view afforded by the design, but the firemen disliked them, lots of work in the semi open with huge quantities of cheap low grade anthracite coal.

 

The huge Wotton firebox could cope with this low grade coal, lots of ash created though, and the fire needed a lot of attention to raking etc., to maintain a steady draught.

 

 

All the parts for the Brass Betsy 280 are now restored, a few new parts to make, and then a test assembly without springing to see how it runs. Despite sticking into the cab I think the Lindsay motor will be left in place, as it now runs very well after a full service and new brushes. The crew will help block the view of the motor!!

 

Stephen.

[bertiedog]

Not really for the Shortline as such, but a Lionel HO 040 is coming from Ebay, a bit of a change from the 040 Dockside Varney etc., it is missing it's drive band, and the motor may not be working, so it may as well be re-built more to scale, the wheels can be re-profiled and a gearbox fitted, with flywheel, there is space in there. Lionel are un-common over here in HO

The handrails etc., can be replaced, and other details changed to bring up to better detail standard.

[bertiedog]

On the idea of doing a small diesel I think to save time an Ernie chassis can be pressed into use, with a Lindsay style Stubby yard diesel body made to fit the size of the power bogie. No outside rods, just a skirt all round.

 

 

 

The wheelbase and wheel size is about the same, so a matching body with skirt in brass, have to find a way to do the louvres on the bonnet.

 

Stephen

[shortliner]

Rather like the Lionel 0-4-0. I wouldn't have thought it beyond your abilities to make siderods for the UE bogie

[bertiedog]

Rather like the Lionel 0-4-0. I wouldn't have thought it beyond your abilities to make siderods for the UE bogie

Impossible for that bogie as the power pick up comes from outside pickups, which act a outside bearings to locate the axles at the correct wheel base. Bachmann's design is not really modifiable, although the bogie version is, as that has inside pickups.

Stephen

 

[shortliner]

What a shame it isn't readily modifiable.

[bertiedog]

The bogie without the sides, which include the cover for the gear. The pinpoint axles actually run in the outer frames, guiding them, taking weight, and spacing them, so can't be removed. It is a good design for a small power bogie though.

 

 

 

 

The outer frame can be cut away for extended skirts to be added, using the gear cover. Power pickup is good as the play in the system acts as equalisation!and no wipers as in effect it's split frames.

 

Stephen.

[bertiedog]

The other Underground Ernie bogie chassis, again split frame but with the pickups inside the wheels. Traction tyres on one inner axle, only two axles powered.

 

Odd that two completely different designs were used. Again runs quite well, but needs a feedback pulse controller for very low speed, very quite, but the motors in the middle so the power bogie can't be used on it's own.

 

 

 

This is the unit for the Boxcab Diesel body, the first is under a freelance 016.5mm railcar for the Fort Hoo line.

 

Stephen.

[bertiedog]

The outline for the diesel with the bogie.

 

[alastairq]

with a clip-on base like MDC's...UE looks like it might be suitable for something along the lines of Sentinel's running gear.......is it possible [for someone with your skills?]....to re-model the outer bearing plate...possibly to involve outside frames and fly cranks?

 

[maybe affixing metal sleeves over the axle ends, running in enlarged bearing holes..then fly cranks and rods??]

[bertiedog]

with a clip-on base like MDC's...UE looks like it might be suitable for something along the lines of Sentinel's running gear.......is it possible [for someone with your skills?]....to re-model the outer bearing plate...possibly to involve outside frames and fly cranks?

 

[maybe affixing metal sleeves over the axle ends, running in enlarged bearing holes..then fly cranks and rods??]

 

As the axles are split, the wheels are on stubs so the needle bearing could be drilled out and fly-cranks fitted, but it would then need a complete new frame to locate the axles, as the plastic chassis does not locate them, only the pinpoints, a most unusual arrangement. The new metal frame would be both bearings and pickups at the same time.

Better to start from scratch for fly-cranks I think.

Stephen.