dale159

Well I have done absolutely nothing to the layout since the last post 4 weeks ago. Although most of the empty boxes that made up box tunnel now find themselves for sale on eBay (yes there is a market for such a thing apparently) and a few have gone already to a friend. One job I have done today - I had been meaning to sort out a way of hanging the control panel up rather than resting it on the track (I got told off for leaving it in place!) I looked at hanging it between the two sets of shelves that my stock lives on but one is about 2 inches higher than the other so I decided that hanging it under the right hand pair would be better. and whilst rummaging around in the garage I unearthed some small hooks and eyes which looked ideal. The eye the screwed into the bottom of the panel as not to interfere with the hinge hence the reason it leans back towards the bottom. So once I've shifted the all the boxes there should hopefully be some progress. I suspect I've fallen into the same trap as many others of getting a completed loop and just wanting to play trains! Dale

No progress to report of late but as the revised thread title implies - Couldn't resist, an absolute bargain off eBay, not boxed and the powered car exhaust baffle is a bit dented but its not that noticeable. I do also have some Mk3s which will go between them when suitably modified. Dale

Bit of a scare yesterday. I was running my class 70 around the outside track though to one of the inside roads in the fiddle yard crossing over both scissor crossings but the rear bogie kept derailing going over the facing crossover by the door so I tried just tweaking the V rail on the diamond crossing with a pair of pliers when all of a sudden PING........... 'Oh dear' I may have said, or words to that effect fearing I was going to have to rip the whole thing out and chop up a new diamond crossing. Fortunately I have managed to repair it by lifting that bottom left point and sliding the rail back into the diamond, luckily its wasn't the other end of the scissors where there is a board joint meaning I have cut away the last sleeper and soldered the railhead to a pair of brass screws, I really would have been pulling my hair out if that had happened. Dale

Another few little jobs finished off. I have installed 4 blocks of wood along the baton, upon measuring up I realised that there wasn't enough room for modesty blocks - and I could only find 2! I have also taken the plunge and bought a pair of Gaugemaster Model W handheld controllers which means I can now return the one I've had since I first started running trains can be returned to the local club. Another change is on the temporary track, I have invested in some Peco 3rd and 4th radius curves to replace the 2nd radius I had to hand previously. And with the larger radius curves meant that the track has been pushed back towards the wall and as such the mound of empty boxes was in the way. A quick reshuffle and box mountain became Box Tunnel - Sorry! Couldn't resist! Dale

Well I think I have just discovered the cause of the high spot in the back corner. Going around measuring the legs it seems that the one nearest the back wall is about 10mm taller than all the others down that side of the layout, not sure how that has happened, and being the board with 4 legs I'm going to have to dismantle that entire side to sort it out, so while I'm at it I may as well fit the modesty blocks along the baton on the back wall. Never mind! Dale

Time for me to stop playing trains and get on with some more work. I have finally sourced a transformer for the track feeds An open case transformer with twin output 15v AC. Given that the transformer has a twin output I decided to modify the connection into the layout, previously the feeds to both handhelds were jointed together for one feed. Those that have worked with open case transformers will know that it is good practise to put them in some sort of case for safety reasons, I couldn't find anything to buy on the same site as the transformer so I have had to improvise. Fortunately a quick rummage through the recycling box revealed this Coleslaw pot, just the job! I have also found that the layout has started walking towards the door again, I think some modesty blocks on the baton across the back wall should prevent this. I also noticed there is a high point across the board joint between the back corner and main fiddle yard which had been causing some derailments. It could be that the baton is a bit low, I have wedged a bit of MDF under the board as a temporary measure to counter this. Dale

Another YouTube video http://youtu.be/wQuiLK0apzw For the first time I have had 2 trains running round in opposite directions on DCC, Makes a change to play trains as its not something I've been able to do for quite a while. Dale

I had a bit of brain wave last night. With the electrics seemingly behaving themselves I figured I could use some of the old code 100 Peco setrack I had in stock to complete a temporary twin track loop around the other side of the layout, this morning I went to the local model shop and bought a pack of Peco SL-113s to convert from code 75 to code 100. Unfortunately I had forgotten that when my friend Simon came around to help me have a clear out I gave him all the old code 100 track but a few messages and I was able to arrange to borrow it back again. Such was my delight I have made a few videos which I have posted to YouTube At the time of filming I was unable to run on the inner track as the point motor pin on the scissors along the back wall was too long and derailed everything I tried to run over it. However, I have now borrowed the big pair of cutters that I used for all the other point from my other friend Keith and rectified this problem. Dale

At long last I appear to have tamed the electrics. First the lift-out end scissor reset - after some time spent with the multimeter and a few jump leads I concluded that the problem was a poor continuity across one of the ATX connectors, fortunately there were two spare wires within that block so I doubled up with a small loop of wire from the original one. And of course the same mod to the other half of the connector, crude but it seems to work! Having got that working a bit of testing revealed that throwing the facing crossover did not interlock the trailing crossover, I traced this to the newly installed micro switch under the point motor being set badly, First I tried adjusting its position with its screws but it just it just kept finding the same two holes then I realised it would be far easier to bend the arm of the micro switch a bit. I now need to give the layout another run over every track with a small selection of stock to route out any further Pway issues and I need to put some sort of safety fence around the outside and inside edges. Dale

Good news is that the 143 passes the scissors crossing test. Well worth the wait, Congratulations to Charlie and all the Realtrack team for an outstanding model. Dale

Quick test run over the scissors. Dale

Well finally some good news! First a slightly red faced job on the previous set up - it didn't work because I had disconnected the yellow common return wire across the narrow joint along the back wall, which I had obviously forgotten about - whooooops! The micro switches were delivered earlier in the week but I had to wait until my rest day today before I could do anything with them. Quite a simple set up, the wires through each micro switch the throw for the opposing crossing. One other problem is still outstanding - the reset on the lifting section does not appear to be powerful enough to reset all 4 points, annoyingly it only throws the nearest 2 points to the switch which are not the ones the micro switches are fitted to. This may be a similar problem to the one I had before the more powerful transformer. Another thing I noticed is that the entire layout appears to have walked about 2 inches towards the garage door to the extent that the 2 boards across the back wall were not resting on the baton as designed. Dale

Glad that my work has inspired you to build your own layout and that some of the things I have learned in building mine are useful as well. All the best with yours. Dale

My second batch of momentary switches arrived this morning, so this afternoon I have been out installing one of them, and having done that the scissor crossing was completely dead but all my other points worked fine. So I have decided to try another method, I have ordered some long lever micro switches from eBay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291206177531?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&var=590360835845&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT- I will fit 2 under each scissors to one point from each crossover so in theory the tie bar of the motor will operate the micro switch and break the connection to the opposite crossover, hopefully! Dale

Well the switches I ordered from eBay have arrived but unfortunately they are not the correct type, they are only momentary one way, having gone back and read the description this is actually correct so my mistake. I have now found and ordered the correct ones. Serves me right for ordering at about 2 in the morning whilst trying to sleep! Dale

Yes please that would be much appreciated. Dale

Thanks Pete, Have ordered 3 of the ones in the eBay link, Did you happen to see if they had what I'd describe as a double pole push to make switch? I.E pushing one button closes 2 otherwise unconnected circuits, can't find anything of the sort on the internet. Dale

Think I might be on to something here, Ordered a few of these - http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=111389297337&alt=web To be used in place of the current single pole toggle switches, one side for interlocks with a feed taken from the middle cdu and the other for the scissor motors. I was trying to find a double pole push to make switch to do the same with the reset but can't find anything on the net,so a single car relay may have to be pressed back into use for that, here's to hoping! Dale

The new CDU from Railroom Electronics came in the post today. I have just been and installed it and reconfigured the wiring to how it was originally and not surprisingly the operation is back to how it was as well, interlock motors work but not those on the layout. I think I need to consult our electronics genius up the local club. Dale

In Exmouth Marina, Not exactly sure how one might otherwise escape? Dale

I have used Kadee No.5s which are about the most common type used on British stock - Also avalable in bulk pack No.11 for the heads and No.242 for the gearboxes (2 packs of 242s required for each pack of 11s) My tightest curve is where the DVT was buffer locking with the coach before I modified the buffers, I'd say that this was just a little bit bigger than 3rd radius. Can't be 100% sure about the 91 and Mk4s as I don't own any but I would imagine it wouldn't be too dissimilar to HST power cars and Mk3s. Hope this helps. Dale

No further progress with the electrics since the last post. Today I have ordered a heavy duty CDU from eBay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231308735047?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT. Hopefully this will be substantial enough to move 6 points at once as advertised and I'll be able to do away with the car relays as I haven't been able to get them to work reliably. Dale

DVT or coaches? Coaches are quite simple, 2 cuts down the buffer beam with a razor saw using the kadee as a guide, then I break out the required bit between the two saw cuts with a pair of pliers and then clean up with a file, some coaches may require a shim of plasticard to get the height right. Dale

Thanks Bob, It's an option but a daunting task of fitting about 70 mk3s of Hornby, Lima and even a few Jouef coaches, mainly used with HSTs some with the modern Hornby type power car with a single motorised power car and some with Lima power cars fitted with the Hornby railroad chassis powered both ends. Dale

Buffer problem now sorted Pulled the buffers out, cut the head of the shanks and glued them straight to the chassis. Much better, although the set still doesn't like being propelled across reverse curves, maybe needs more weight in them Dale