Junctionmad

9 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

I'm not sure what might still be around but not all that long ago they were numerous.

Really. I always thought MAS was associated with track circuit block and hence post dated mechanical levers 

Should be able to do it , in the next fortnight. I’ll try and do up a cad diagram as I need one my self 

Surely there is no prototype of three aspect , ie MAS controlled by mechanical leverframes 

14 hours ago, brossard said:

I've heard that Peco foam underlay crumbles Jeff.  I have also heard it takes a long time. 

 

WS foam is not the same and I think I trust Woodland Scenics.  

 

John

Friend of mine has a big 

layout all done in PECO foam , 30 years later it’s still perfect 

If you want the dimensions of a full size W&T ets machine I can measure that two 

( certainly within two weeks ) 

On 16/05/2020 at 12:49, Nick C said:

Modelling, as I am, a former LBSC branch, I figure that the single line sections would probably be controlled by the electric train staff.

 

Does anyone make a 4mm model of the machines? Or does anyone have drawings (or at least dimensions) so I can carve a pair out of plasticard?

 

 

We have two miniature web and Thompson’s in our club , I could measure them 

On 07/05/2020 at 18:29, John Clitsome said:

1. Remember that most multimeters wont give a true DCC reading. On mine the 16v supply reads as about 3.2 on the handheld multimeter - good enough if I know what to expect and for comparison purposes. Fortunately I have access to an Avometer which reads the correct figures as well - you can pick these up in the second-hand market for a reasonable price - new ones of course are silly money for our purposes.

2

lovely things AVOMeters , my granddad gave me his , these days best polished and kept on the mantle piece , as a £10 quid DMM is more accurate 

Fullers' earth was a constituent of cat litter

and used in removing the dye from red diesel !!!!!!!

People get confused about soldering iron power. A 70w iron doesn’t get hotter etc , power is used to reduce the recovery time it takes an iron to restore the tip temperature after each use. More power is always better and modern irons are now using integrated 100w elements   etc 

I have all Hakko irons. Great stuff 

I would recommend two things irrespective of brand , (a) 50w or greater , and (b) temperature controlled 

you need the power to aid the recovery time , especially if you venture into brass kits or soldering big wires , 25w takes too long to bring these fixtures up to temp or maintain them. Even for electronics etc 50w is about the minimum as it lets you solder fast 

For reference , despite them being as advertised as JST connections , these servos have molex “ PicoBlade “ connectors , the pins are on a 1.25 mm pitch , there’s is no compatible JST connector. 

We use about 40 frog juicers , ( tam valley ) on our big club layout 

works perfectly , and we have just removed the last few switched by the cobalts 

let’s put to bed some nonsense 

FJs don’t short the track , they detect current rise  and switch at around 1,6-2A. 
there is No arcing or wheel or track damage using a FJ 

it is a completely acceptable means of switching frogs and for complex track it makes such wiring very simple 

in fiddle yards , where we have operators making up trains , point motor switched frogs called many shorts as operators push a coach back briefly onto the frog , Fjs removed all that 

if you want to use them , there are great and switching current using solid state switches is preferable to the switches in point motors 

A MERG member has released a juicer that doesn’t need the current to rise at all , if you are against that sort of things. 

I have not used the ECoS unit , but I have used these servos extensively ,( on signals )  they are rated at a max. Operating voltage of 4.7 , though they seem to survive at 5V. My drivers boards are now tweaked to 4.5v

other then that they operate exactly the same way as SG90 

We have about 50 cobalts on a club O gauge , no issues after three years 

Lads , let’s move on , in a world completely changed , it’s rather depressing this topic is being aired again , “ the dreary steeples of Fermanagh” , etc etc 

Bachmann might have been originally US owned but not in recent years , it’s own by Hong Kong based Kader 

it’s misleading to attribute NMRA wheel standards such success , it’s largely adopted by default in the absence of anything better 

We’ve clearly failed here to hold back the pandemic  

Quote

 

Having experience with both UK and US systems I've come to prefer the US version. (I installed all the power in my workshop a couple of years ago, including all the metal conduits.) Personally I think the ring system is not a good idea at all.

There has been a drift away to radial circuits anyway due to the economics of ring cabling , less common to see rings in new builds these days 

the US system is draft as you have dual voltages because of the inability of 110vac to handle big loads and 110 is more expensive to cable. I won’t mention the failure to introduce whole house RCD either ! 

8 hours ago, jim.snowdon said:

Certainly off-topic, but I believe the change was  brought about to bring the UK into line with the rest of Europe, not just for the domestic single phase supply but also the normal industrial three-phase supply, which went from 440V to 400V between phases. The benefits were to the manufacturers of electrical equipment.

 

Jim

No actual voltage change has occurred , much of Europe was 220vac including Ireland , where as the Uk is nominally 240 

the allowed voltage tolerances where changed to allow both system to be standardised as being 230 vac , even though no country is actually generating it ! , the uk remains generating 240 vac 

Quote

NOTE ON SUPPLY VOLTAGE LEVEL
For many years the supply voltage for single-phase supplies in the UK has been 240V +/- 6%, giving a possible spread of voltage from 226V to 254 V. For three-phase supplies the voltage was 415 V +/- 6%, the spread being from 390 V to 440V. Most continental voltage levels have been 220/380V.

In 1988 an agreement was reached that voltage levels across Europe should be unified at 230V single phase and 400V three-phase with effect from January 1st, 1995. In both cases the tolerance levels have become -6% to +10%, giving a single-phase voltage spread of 216 V to 253 V, with three-phase values between 376V and 440 V. It is proposed that on January 1st, 2003 the tolerance levels will be widened to +/- 10%.

Since the present supply voltages in the UK lie within the acceptable spread of values, Supply Companies are not intending to reduce their voltages in the near future.

all I would say is do not use MDF , horizontal sections unless massiely supported will bow over time 

good quality Scandinavian or russian birch ply with Moisture resistant glue , ( no need for external grade glue ) dont use far eastern ply 

with  irons , use a good 60-70 watt iron , temp controlled 

Dave 

On 07/04/2020 at 20:06, Mallard60022 said:

Why is there always someone that has to 'have a dig' when this poster is obviously having a whale of a time and loves his wires and whizzy things? If you know about other things then be generous, not condescending. I for one am envious of this particular project. My signals, if they ever get to work, are Semaphores so will probably be operated by bits of string and some wire!

Phil

chill , there bro.  I wasn't having a dig , merely a comment , its seems counter intuitive to me , but as I said , whatever floats your boat etc 

9 hours ago, Titanius Anglesmith said:

 

+1.  On my patch of "real" railway we have a mixture of relay interlocking and electronic.  The electronic systems keep us entertained with a variety of problems that relays are simply immune to.  The relay sites "just work".

As an EE I can design electronic switches that outperform  and outlive any “ relay “. If you wished it could survive conditions that would have extinguished all life on Earth. 
 

It’s all a matter of spec ( and cost ) I used to work in space and defense 

to me it doesn’t make sense to use relays to switch semiconductor leds !!!! 
 

buy hey as they say whatever floats your boat. 
 

To me relays are less suitable , require more assembly and wiring ( hence unreliability ) etc 

dave 

I still don’t get it , 8 way open collector driver chips are about 10p each ! 
 

dave 

My rules are simple 

wire droppers to every distinct section of track , however small , never rely on rail  Joiners to carry current 

don’t relay on rails conducting or not conducting anything over a base board joint , always use a wired connector for this purpose 

the resulting reliability justifies all that wiring 

Forgive me, why would one use relays to switch model railway led colour lights ? 

Dace