MattWallace Posted December 29, 2012 Author Share Posted December 29, 2012 For reasons best known to themselves [0] Senior management have taken the decision to allocate 20128 to "super-shunter" duties at Blockwall for the foreseeable future: At least it means that 66701 finally has a friend (and I have more than one train to play with!) In other news, The CANACC4 (solenoid point motor controller) is now installed in its correct position although there are a few teathing problems with the wiring which I need to resolve. I've also ordered enough components to make up 15 LDR-based block occupancy detectors. Why Light Dependant Resistors? Easy, it's cheap (approx. £22 inc. shipping for all the bits!), simple and I don't have to make any cuts in the track. (there's also a great article on how to make them in the current MERG journal - Winter 2012 - so I have a point of reference that I know will work with the other CBUS stuff I'm doing) Now I just need to fit them all with KaDee couplings and test out the magnets! [0] OK, I just wanted an excuse to buy a class 20... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 I've been working on the hardstanding tonight and instead of taking my time building up the layers as previously planned, I decided to revert to a previous technique I've used based on cutting artist's foamcore board to shape and then hollowing out the sides. I start by "colouring in" the track with a crayloa washable felt-tip and then pressing the entire sheet of foamcore on to the track before cutting it to shape: And then hollowing out the side: I then "thread" the foamcore down between the tracks: and it is now ready for further preparation to cover up the gaps: And already I think it looks quite good with 20128 collecting a solitary taker that was left behind whilst a rake of container-flats sit awaiting their next journey... Now I just need the other electronics to arrive! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 31, 2012 Author Share Posted December 31, 2012 Another day, another update - this one is just to show one of the reasons why I chose to lay points in the way that I did. I have an issue with one of my points not throwing properly (which now turns out to be an issue with the CANACC4 driver module) however to remove and replace it was easy: 1) Prise up the metal tabs either side of the motor: 2) Pull the motor down through the baseboard: 3) Check the motor for defects and operate it in full view: 4) Push the motor back up through the baseboard: 5) Push the tabs back down again: I think it works rather well... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted December 31, 2012 Author Share Posted December 31, 2012 It's starting to come to life: 20128 waits to return a rake of tankers to the receiving sidings so that 66701 can move in from the background and pick them up... 66701 waits for permission to bring an intermodal service into the junction whilst 20128 couples up to those tankers... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted January 2, 2013 Author Share Posted January 2, 2013 One last update before I return to work today and time available to me gets back to the usual short amount each evening... I created a video last night in two parts that demonstrates using EngineDriver on an Android mobile phone to control multiple locos and switch points so here it is:Part 1:Part 2:I'm happy to try and answer any questions if people have them about the above.Matt(waiting for Royal Mail to deliver all the other kits so he can complete the electronics on the layout...) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beresford Junction Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Hi Matt Thanks for the videos - very informative. I was about to change DCC controllers, but your thread has made me think of the alternatives, however this may be too close too home with my day job, and therefore not be a hobby any more. I'll keep watching the updates with interest to see how you get on. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted January 2, 2013 Author Share Posted January 2, 2013 Hi Matt Thanks for the videos - very informative. I was about to change DCC controllers, but your thread has made me think of the alternatives, however this may be too close too home with my day job, and therefore not be a hobby any more. I'll keep watching the updates with interest to see how you get on. Phil Hi Phil, Glad you liked them. The kits are relatively easy to assemble and take around an hour to two hours based on how many mistakes you make... I'm not too sure which part of the setup is "too close" to your day job - I had that concern when I started going down the route of Computer Control (I'm a Systems Administrator by day) - however I've found that this is just far enough away for me to feel that I'm learning new things without it feeling too much like another project that needs to be "delivered by Friday"! Anyhow, I keep an eye on Beresford on a regular basis so I'll be following your decisions regarding DCC and I'll post more things here as the block detection and other features of JMRI such as routing are made available on my layout. One of these days I'll stop being such a geek concentrating on the control and electronics of the layout and actually do some scenery "properly"... Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beresford Junction Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Hi Phil, Glad you liked them. The kits are relatively easy to assemble and take around an hour to two hours based on how many mistakes you make... I'm not too sure which part of the setup is "too close" to your day job - I had that concern when I started going down the route of Computer Control (I'm a Systems Administrator by day) - however I've found that this is just far enough away for me to feel that I'm learning new things without it feeling too much like another project that needs to be "delivered by Friday"! Anyhow, I keep an eye on Beresford on a regular basis so I'll be following your decisions regarding DCC and I'll post more things here as the block detection and other features of JMRI such as routing are made available on my layout. One of these days I'll stop being such a geek concentrating on the control and electronics of the layout and actually do some scenery "properly"... Matt Thanks - I would probably end up doing OS patches to the Pi rather than just playing trains. I'll let you get it all working first. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted January 3, 2013 Author Share Posted January 3, 2013 Thanks - I would probably end up doing OS patches to the Pi rather than just playing trains. I'll let you get it all working first. Phil lol, I'm trying to avoid straying down that route - thankfully I'm not a very good programmer in "real" languages so I'm managing to avoid anything that's too much like work at the moment! The next batch of electronics arrived today, so I should be in a position to start playing with routing etc. later on this week: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 I installed the Second CANACC4 last night and fixed all the boards so far into place under the layout using these: The CANUSB and CANCMD to the left, the Raspberry-Pi hidden behind the wiring on the right: The second CANACC4: I'm hoping to get the second CANACC4 programmed correctly and in to JMRI tonight before working on the third CANACC4 over the next few days. Once the second CANACC4 is programmed correctly, I should be able to set a route from the "mainline" to each of the receiving sidings and have all of the appropriate points change based on which siding I select. Once that's working, I'll try and upload a video of it all... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rammy Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Neat idea Matt with the self adhesive PCB supports. I used cable tie bases to hold the wiring under my loft layout, but I did end up having to put a spot of hot melt onto the pads for extra adhesion. Mind you I was using some very old stock I had, so hopefully yours will be a little stronger. Looking great mate! Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 All looks very interesting, took me a while to get my head round what you were doing but very impressed. If you scenery is as good it will be mega. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Nice neat job....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted January 27, 2013 Author Share Posted January 27, 2013 So some of you will have noticed that there has been a lack of progress on Blockwall Junction recently and those of you with very keen eyes will have seen my other thread about small layout design (8' x 2') elsewhere on this forum. It looks like we'll be moving in the next three months and it's not yet obvious where/if I will have room for my layout in the new house, therefore I have to dismantle what I've got so far and prepare it for storage (I'm not selling anything, just packaging it up for future use!). Once the future is more certain, I'll start working on it again, but don't expect any updates in the next 6 months or so... Thanks for all the support you've given, Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poindexter Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Good luck with the move Matt. I've enjoyed your thread, especially the MERG stuff Guy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted March 10, 2013 Author Share Posted March 10, 2013 For those of you following this thread, I've started a new one at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/69236-redcot/ which is my plans for the future based on all the help that you've given me on this thread over the past year or so. Be warned, it may never happen - especially as it may end up with both a Helix and an automated traverser! Cheers, Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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