wasdavetheroad

I find elektrical trickery confusing so can I do this without burning the layout room down.

Present situation - I have 3 additional 240V LED lights wired in parallel to a switched 13A socket using 3A cable, needing about 0.5A?, works great

I want to change this to add 2 x 12V switched power supplies for point motor control, one in the scenic section and one in the fiddle yard.

The point motors are Kato with Kato passing contact switches. They run on 12V DC. a maximum of 2 motors will be switched simultaneously.

The 2 power supplies I have are;

A BT router one, input 240V AC 300mA, output 12V DC 1.5A

An APD? one, input 240V AC 850mA, output 12V DC 1.5A

I have tested the BT one and it fires 2 point motors no problem.

I plan the connections to be from the 13A socket to a 4 way 13Amp individually switched power strip and from 3 plugs on there to the lights and the power supplies.

Advice on problems please and what cable will I need to connect the power supplies which are up to 5 metres from the sockets.

1 hour ago, Dungrange said:

 

I'd change the 'will' to 'may'.  Yes, there is a risk that you may have problems with the reverse curve shown (particularly if you are snaking through the tracks), but it's very much stock dependent and you have reverse curves in all crossovers (as we all do).  You refer to the curved road of the turnout being 490 mm radius, which is greater than the second radius (438 mm) employed in the set track geometry and this works in many train sets.  I think 490 mm is about third radius.  The stock that you're referring to is also not likely to be as problematic as larger stock, since the wheelbase is shorter, the overhang less and end throw is also likely to be less than some other items of stock.

 

My only advice is to test your particular track and stock combination before you commit too heavily to the plan.  You're not going to get a definitive answer any other way, as it's the combination of track, stock dimensions, as well as buffer size and position and couplings (type and spacing) that will define whether or not you actually have a problem.  My gut feeling is that you'll probably be okay, but if you could incorporate a short straight between the toes of the turnouts, then I would probably look at doing so.

Thanks for the advice, I read through the posts again and checked the turnout finding there is a 20mm straight section between the end of the point blades and the end. that gives 40mm of straight built in and I think I can add an additional 60mm section giving 100mm. All the stock will have medium Hornby tension locks fitted. I actually like the 'train set' appearance 

Confused with this reverse curve problem. This is part of a layout I am designing which uses Kato HO scale 490mm radius turnouts in the fiddle yard. Am I right  that there will be problems with wagons/coaches traversing the section above the red 100mm ruler. The wagons will be mostly 4 wheel and the coaches Mk1's and Staniers

Beautiful, lets have a look under the bonnet 

I have used Irfanview for years. It is very comprehensive and you can download it for non commercial use for free.

When I used to do military vehicle modelling I formed rivet patterns by drilling on plasticard and then using a old ball point pen to press the pattern into thin card. I suppose it would work with metal foil as well?

50 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

I operate a BLT to real time, so don’t have to worry about time compression in the way that Dungrange does.  The working timetable simply makes an time allowance for different classes of train to run to the junction and the signalmen to block back and exchange tokens with the drivers, which determines the minimum actual time that must elapse before the next train appears from the fiddle yard.  
 

‘Cwmdimbath Time’ is shown on a battery master clock that can be switched on during running sessions; no running is allowed when it is switched off, and it runs at normal speed when it is switched on.  This has nothing to do with scale speeds, and Cwmdimbath Time is real, not scale, though can be stopped.  The challenge is to complete the more complex shunting in the times allowed by the WTT at reasonably realistic speeds before the next incoming train arrives, assisted by an offstage imaginary outer home and advance starter signal.  If the next train is delayed offstage at the outer home by overrunning shunting, a knock on effect will delay traffic on the single line section for some time afterwards, and ‘stopping the clock’ to catch up is cheating. 

I remember a famous modeller doing that at an exhibition, 'when is the next train due' I asked. 'in 45 minutes' he replied. 'nice trees' i said, backing away rapidly 

As for scale speeds, 31 seconds around the UP Main is scale 60 mph on my layout, everything is simple after that. I cheat of course, unfitted freights are about 60 seconds not 74.4 seconds 

Have a look at these magnetic connectors from Micron radio control

Micron Radio Control : Power Connectors

Also search for Bahoma connectors, they used to be commonly available in different sizes

I have the earlier Fowler 2-6-4T and that does not have a spring or washer either.

I found the modern narrow tension locks were less reliable than the older wider types. Apart from the width of the bar the latest types have flexibility in the bar and hook. Older types have a rigid bar and the flexibility is in the hook.

So I am converting all my   wagons for shunting , almost all 4 wheels, to Hornby medium tension locks, and leaving the long freights which are pulled on the main line with the narrow tension locks. I might convert the whole lot eventually. Some will be horrified at this but I don't care as I quite like the 'train set' look. Just having the hook on one wagon might help as well, especially if you can get that hook near the centre of the bar.

Apparently in Europe the most common freight coupler is the 'english type' so kadees are just as wrong as tension locks!

I converted my external brick garage by having a 'warm roof' professionally installed which gave more headroom. Then I secured the up and over door internally and built an insulated stud wall immediately behind it. The other walls were battened and insulation/plaster panels added. The floor was already damp proofed so I added insulation and thick tongue and grove floorboards. Ventilation is via vents in the single width side door. Apart from the roof I did all the work myself. General storage was moved into a garden shed. I don't have a car but if I did like everybody else around here it would be parked on the kerb or in front of the garage. Electricity was professionally installed with circuit breakers at each end daylight fluorescent tubes and self installed daylight spot lamps. Heating via a fan heater. Have a fire extinguisher in there as well.

Advantages

- nice and snug railway room with good security 

- A 4.9m x 2.3m space for the railway

- easily converted back to a garage if needed

Disadvantages

- the side door entrance compromises the fiddle yard length, I want a 12 coach Express but have to compromise on a 9 coach. An additional 1m or more of length would be great but there is no room to extend the garage.

- Only 2.3m width split into 0.9m scenic and 0.7m each for the operating well and fiddle yard. The operating well is a bit too cosy for more than one person.

- Going out there in blizzards and rain.

I am happy with my Lima model. I painted the connecting rods red and fitted a replacement CD motor. It has a top scale speed of about 20mph  powered by single Lipo battery and radio control. I have a spare chassis and one day I want to install radio controlled tension lock uncoupling at both ends.

The Hornby Dublo 2 rail might be an option as well, even more room inside?

Just looked at a review of the Dublo version, don't think I will be buying one.

My earlier Hornby Fowler 2-6-4 Tank loco has a securing screw hidden behind the rear bogie and the front of the body 2 small locating lugs on the chassis. Maybe the Stanier version is the same.

If you want to install two power bogies you need them speed matched within 10%. According to DCCwiki that or better is what you need for successful consisting so may be true for twin bogies.

For servicing a lima motor this video is useful

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lima+motor+servicing&&view=detail&mid=745FC1D654CFE1FCBFDA745FC1D654CFE1FCBFDA&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dlima%2Bmotor%2Bservicing%26FORM%3DHDRSC3

On 23/03/2021 at 07:55, relaxinghobby said:

Don't worry printers are far more accurate than any wobbly hand and knife combination.

This is done on a Samsung laser about 3 years old. The biggest problem was learning the drawing application, Inkscapes way of doing it seemed so counter intuitive to someone bought up with paper and pencil. Then persuading all the operating system, the printer drivers and stuff which try to improve your finished work as you pass it down the line to the printer. App changes the finished work of art to become printer ready, then the operating system, Microsoft in this case changes it as it passes it on to the Samsung printer-driver which then modifies it as it sees fit, then the printer gets it and tweaks it slightly to fit the paper or some cleaver thing. Techno Chinese whispers gone mad. So I could never get my plan printed to exactly the proper size. Always draw two lines say 40 millimeters in an L shape so you can check the size of the printed drawing, all that hand along processing seems to change the outcome and you can end up making something to say 3.8 mm or 4.1 mm to the foot. Grrrrrrr.

 

In the end I found if you used the Inkscape option to convert the drawing file to a PDF  option the procession of printing apps would leave the dimensions alone and I could have my scale drawing dimensional unmolested.

 

Colours are great they let you keep track of different bits, try different options on your particular PC and printer combination.

I go for 0.2 mm lines on the original drawing, they seem to give good results. I just cut along them with my eyesight that's as good as I get, still gives far better result than by wobbly pencil and set square.

 

Some trial and error and repeat as you learn your set up. Only the dustman needs to know about the less successful ones.

I found this technique good when I was scratch building my station canopies. I needed lots of identical parts so used Inkscape to produce the template drawings and set the line width as narrow as it would print on my Epson Stylus inkjet. The prints on plain paper were stuck to the card ( I used card for the project) using repositionable spray mount and the lines scored through enough to allow the template to be removed and the card then cut through. I used a new sharp scalpel blade.

I have just found this link about fitting a Hornby motor bogie to a Lima chassis. It is about EM gauge and a twin bogie fit but the method seems simple and can apply to 00 gauge as well.

This method is attractive to me as the Lima locos usually have cavernous bodies with lots of space inside for batteries if you have a garden railway BPRC (battery power radio control) solves your power collection problems or for those who prefer BPRC even indoors. I bought my Lima locos second hand when they were only about £30. 

http://www.emgauge70s.co.uk/project_lima31mods.html

Not sure, I saw an online demo somewhere pitting a twin power bogie against the best central motor model. The twin power bogie loco happily won the tug of war, pulling the other loco backwards.

It might have been on here?

Try fitting two power bogies for enough hauling power to pull your house wall down

I have some rising damp in my brick built garage, about 6 feet worth. THE DPC in that area is defunct. A friend had a similar problem with his old single brick porch wall. He fixed it by installing dryrod so no damp now. I am going to try it on my garage. There is also horizontal moving damp from an adjacent butting wall that seems to have been back filled years ago so I will try the dryrod vertically as well.

Or upgrade the Lima ringfield motor with a CD type.

Or buy the correct Hornby motor bogie spare and modify the Lima chassis so it fits

Dapol couplers are even worse for escaping coupling hooks. I used tiny dots of superglue to fix a small piece of thin black card over the hook hinge. It worked. 

I have also met the occasional Hornby hook that won't return to the down position, carefully remove the hook and check the hinge end has no burrs, also the socket might be slightly obstructed. I still have some awkward hooks though and intend to add weight to the drop bar to persuade them to drop.

1 hour ago, jcm@gwr said:

There are various alternatives to PVA, for ballasting you have the choice of Klear

(now called Johnsons floor polish) or Copydex.

For fixing lead, as a weight in locos, either UHU, or cheap super-glue.

 

I have used PVA, Klear and Copydex for ballasting. I found Copydex goes brown after a year or so which is OK if you want scruffy ballast

Since last September my dehumidifier has been running for 189 days at an average cost of just under £2.50 per week. The RH averages 50%, never above 56% and the lowest temperature is about 8.5 degrees. There may be some damp problems so some simple remedial work may be justified.

I use a dehumidifier and suggest that the dessicating version is better for lower temperatures

I wish - that Dapol or someone would produce a clear plastic body shell for their Stanier 57! stock that was slightly narrower so you could apply a pre printed Clear vinyl side. Electra do 00 versions of various Mk1 stock although I have never tried one.

A few years ago I produced a vinyl home printed kitchen card sides for use on a modified Bachmann 50' brake, The windows were not transparent and I could not get the colours quite right. The model in the photo is now awaiting later BR maroon sides. I used Inkscape to do the drawings.