Steam_Julie

I think that if I did the same thing again, I would draw the individual illustration slightly smaller. Julie

The two mineral trains, one empth and the other full, won't be turned at all, the empties will go round anti-clockwise and the fulls clockwise. these trains formed the majority of trains on the light railway. Passenger trains were very much an after thought. Julie

Unfortunately due to restrictions placed on file types that can be uploaded to RMWeb I cannot make the images into a movie. Julie

Nature does not allow for a vacuum, except in deep space and then it is not total. Julie

Hi The following sequence of drawings show a sequence of fiddleyard operations on Trefeglwvs Road The first part of the sequence allows the engine to run around it's train, keeping both the locomotive and it's train, in this case two coaches the same way around. This is more Prototypical than turning the whole train around! A similar process will be used when running around the pick up goods train, but it will be slightly more complex because of the requirement to change the brake van over too. Or change trains by All trains will be stored in the fiddleyard is the correct direction for their next duty. Julie

To switch between the main and the programming track. Main would be selected most of the time and programming track, when programming commands were detected. Julie

Hi I haven’t done much in the last few days, too much work to be done! Still I've finished of the wiring of the fiddleyard area. The NEC Autoswitch won't work with my controller, so I'm in the throws of returning it. Below are the three versions of the power bus cable clamps. The first design was difficult to replicate, the second design was easier to make in quantities, the third is basically the same as the second, turned over, with one less part, using the baseboard to replace it. This has the added advantage of making the wires run along in contact with the baseboard. It is my intention to connect the two baseboards together, electrically that is, with loops of flexible wire. The photograph below is the slot for one of the loops, this prevents the cable becoming damaged if the layout is placed upon a table. I have also had to rectify, on of the hinges, the screws had worked loose, because of the several attempts to get them in the correct position. The wood screws have been replaced with machine screws and nuts, with washers under both the screw head and the nut, to ensure strong and stable location of the hinge. Julie PS next task is to wire the scenic board. I've made a start by drilling the holes for the fixing screws and making the cable clamps.

Don't give up now! Julie

I've been working on the wiring this morning, and I found that the NEC Autoswitch does not work with my controller, because my controller has ONLY programming on the main mode. So I am having to return it and use a manual switch instead! Julie

The answer is DCC Supplies, I used the website and the unit arrived the next morning! Julie

It's just that we use to have a electrical shop in town, that catered for both the public and electricians. They use to stock all sorts of goodies, for us railway modellers. This closed about 12 months ago. We now only have a general hardware shop and a branch of B&Q. Julie

I now, 22:52 on 16/11/13, added a picture of the simple protection piece. Julie

When the layout is in transis the scenery is fully protected, but this would have prevented me getting access to the bottom of the board to do the wiring. Julie

Hi I've now reconnected both sides of the circle, following the cutting of the baseboard into two. This was a more lengthy process than expected, because of the very small radius curves used on the layout. I have also started the proper DCC wiring of the fiddleyard board, since red and black wire are difficult to buy, in the correct gauge, for the power bus, I have substituted brown for red and Blue for black. The DCC standards are set in the US, where power cable use red and black coloured wires. The dropper to the track are the correct colours, of Red and Black. The electronic board adjacent to the DCC input plug is an NEC Auto Switch. This switches between the main and the Programming Track automatically, my controller does not have a separate Programming Track output. The cable clips were made from styrene sheet, because none of the standard one meet my needs, there are two types on for securing the ends of the run and one used for the rest. When I turned the layout over to work on the electrics I accidentally damaged the stove chimney on the station building, not a disaster because the repair was easy, and it is now at a jaunty angle, more in keeping with a light railway structure. This has prompted me to add a protector board to prevent any further damage to the scenery whilst working on the underside. In now need to add the droppers to the fiddleyard sidings and then install the Power bus on the scenery board, and the links between the two boards. I will need to be very careful not to damage the track when fixing the power bus in place. Julie

Hi I finally been able to work on the layout again. I have relayed the track over one of the baseboard joints, see below. The mainline has been relayed in code 100 track, because the cassette sits better on it, than on code 75 track. I've been experimenting with various supports for the cassette to ensure alignment and good electrical connection. I have also decided to add a dedicated programming track, see below. The next task is to relay the track over the other joint, and then to wire the fiddeyard properly, including a plug in connection from the controller, making sure that the wiring is fixed down to the bottom of the baseboard. Julie PS I'm having problem uploading pictures, because of slow internet speeds.

I like the halo, how is it achieved? Was it difficult to do! Julie

I have realised that I can change the light quality, by how the layout is lite, ie both colour and brightness. Julie

The curve on the inside track is in fact no sharper than the front siding. Both sidings are gauge widened at the sharpest point. Julie

He's between a rock and a hard place.

Geoff uses hinges as the basis for jigs he builds, for example a jig to file thenose angle on a point crossing, you get the idea. Julie

The screws which are bottom right of the third picture are high performance ones, and I can thoroughly recommend their use, they make the layout much stronger, and at very little extra cost. they have deeper threads and are very hard, and thus they do not wear so much when being screwed into a hard material. Their grip into the end grain is excellent. The only downside is they cannot have their sharp end cut off using a hacksaw or disk cutter. Julie

Hi I've been working hard since the last post, and the pictures below will show you the fruits of my labours. I have cut the baseboard into two parts, on with the scenic area and the other the fiddleyard. This makes the area of the layout for transport smaller, but of course makes the depth larger. Another advantage in transit the electrical wiring is now inside and not exposed. This means that when I am transporting it on a train, I am not breaking National Carriage Conditions. See previous posting about this problem. See the following link for details http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1394/entry-12678-trefeglwvs-road-cambrian-railways-16/ The blocks you can see on the bottom picture are there because it is very difficult to cut a straight line through an existing baseboard, particularly a circular one. They mean that when the over centre catches are engaged the whole baseboard is rigid. The rebates are for the hinges to be located, then the two boards are not kept apart by the width of the hinges. There is a cover which goes over the scenic section to protect it in transit of course. Julie PS I must now get on a restore the track into the fiddleyard, across the new baseboard join. and complete the proper wiring, the layout still has only a few connections, the minimum to allow trains to run.

The layout fitted very well on the table in 1st class, I don't use 1st regularly, but in this instance the tables are larger and each has two 13A sockets. I had a standard class ticket and a weekend first upgrade. I think that the woman who objected had paid the full 1st class fare, and on this train there was not enough 1st accommodation to keeps upgrades totally separate from the others. The steward was very interested, as he told me Manchester Model Railway club. Her objection apart from sharing the carriage with one of the plebs, was the noise of the locomotive. The guard was simply attempting to keep the peace, but she insisted he phone his manager, he joined at the next stop, and it was him that was the 'Jobsworth'. Julie PS you cannot please everyone can you!

The diameter is 780mm and the track radius is about 700mm radius average. In the work that I am carrying out to make it more easily transportable, I have made a disturbing discovery! When I made the original baseboard, before I added the fascia I bent the MDF by placing in the bath for about 30 minutes. When I bent the fascia I simply wetted the surface with a brush. I added a small quantity of washing up liquid to the water in both cases. The original frame I have discovered is not as structurally sound as I expected, and I would definitely recommend to other's not to totally immerse the MDF before bending it. Julie

Hi I've had some problems with my computer recently, thanks once again to Andy Y and others for your help. I am very happy with the basic design of the layout. I can run trains in Roundy Roundy mode, for test purposes and to run in new items of rolling stock and locomotives. I can run it as a end to end using a sequence. With a few modifications I will be able to transport it to club nights and exhibition etc. I can even use it to test my blue diesel fleet! Although I have also had problems, when I took my partly completed layout on the train. I was informed by a manager that it breached National Carriage Conditions, not because of size, but because the wiring on the underside was not properly fixed down. The track side of the baseboard was fully covered, but not the bottom. I did however have some fun, running trains whilst travelling on the train, before a killjoy stop me! As a result I am considering some redesign of the baseboards, this does not include changing the track plan, that works, but changing the packaging so not to cause problems when transporting the layout on the train. In the next few weeks you will see the developments in the layout. Julie