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AllScales

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  1. AllScales
    Back in September, I was thinking of implementing a single track signalling system using some PIC's, custome circuit boards and a lot of blood sweat and tears... Then one day, best mate pointed out that you can buy Arduino clones on ebay for stupid prices...
     
    Just how stupid? Try £2.33! Each! Including P&P! From China.... It takes about two weeks for them to get here, but there's no rush, so that's fine...
     
    So five were duly ordered, the correct driver was located and they arrived a bit before Christmas...
     
    One big issue was that they needed to talk to each other with as few wires as possible. Having a gander around the Wibbly Wobbly Webbie thing produced the answer... Configure them in a ring: If an Arduino generates an event (e.g. A train passing), it shoots a message to the next one, which then takes any action requires and forwards it to the next. All the way round untill it makes it back to the sender, where it's stopped (or "Eaten" as I call call it).
     
    So today I started to actually develop the software, I have written the low level bits which allow the collection of Arduinos to work out how many there are in the circle and have written some driver software to switch signals to the correct aspect...
     
    I have made one big assumption: The station at the end can take an infinite number of trains... Fair enough? How can I mak this realistic (within limits)?
  2. AllScales
    The RhB is well known for some of the engineering that was done in order to build its lines. On the Albula line there is the famous Landwasser viaduct, curved arches ending in a vertical cliff face and the Albula spiral.
     
    On the Filisur to Davos line is the famous Wiessen viaduct, a wonderful stone built arched bridge over a large gorge. The section of the line between Davos and Klosters also features turnback tunnels as used on the Albula.
     
    Both the Arosa and Bernina lines have on street running, the Arosa line runs though the streets of Chur and gains its own right of way at the end of town. The Bernina has two sections, one at the Southern end of Poschiavo (just before it reaches the lake of the same name), the other down the Via Elvezia at the Northern end of Tirano. Finally the Bernina also has the famous Brusio spiral.
     
    In terms of stations, the construction varies from wooden station, through near identical stations on the Engadin line (St. Moritz to Scuol-Tarasp), to Italian influenced buildings at the Southern end of the Bernina...
     
    For the modeller in HOm, several useful structures can be found. Faller have produced Susch station and currently both Ardez and Guarda can be found in the shops. All three are Engadin stations. They are also producing Litzirüti station on the Arosa line. Kibri has a model of Bahnhof Solis which on the lower section of the Albula lines between Thusis and Filisur, trains no longer stop at this station... Solis is of the wood type.
     
    Although not on the RhB, Kibri also produce Oberried station located on the metre gauge Zentral Bahn on the shores of the Brienzersee, this is a mixed brick/wood type of building, which wouldn't look too much out of place in Graubunden...
     
    For bridges, one could cobble together an approximation of the Wiessen viaduct, using a Faller bridge of a similar design. The Landwasser viaduct is similarly possible with off the shelf kits.. The Brusio spiral could be a challenge though!
     
    Just remember is that there are very few metal bridges on the RhB! The used to be one near Reichenau Tamins (the junction a few miles west of Chur), however this was removed and replaced with a concrete bridge as part of a road building scheme, many years ago...
     
    If you are modelling in N then it becomes a lot harder! Obviously there is the Kato Swiss station, which is an RhB station (can't remember which one though). However for the rest, there really isn't much. That may soon change though with the release of the Kato Glacier Expresses and the Allegra railcars...
     
    For those of you wanting to try to model the train in road sections, there is a special roller available on Shapeways. This is available for HO/OO, HOm, TT, HOe and N... I've not seen it used yet though. Usage is simple, you fill a section of track and shoulders with DAS and then use the roller, to cut out the grooves for the flanges, at the same time it will leave a cobble stone patterned imprint. This may or may not suit you, the two sections of train in road on the Bernina are both tarmac.
     
    In both HO and N, Brawa produce skilifts, there are both cable cars, as well as bubble lifts. I'm hoping to be able to fit one in, in some way, but until I get further down track and actually see how the layout is going to fit, I'm not going to commit...
     
    I was going to include lots of links and pictures in this entry, but I think it's quite long enough already! So go on to Google Images have a look...
  3. AllScales
    Historically the RhB was planning to extend the Inn valley line beyond Scuol/Tarasp all the way to Landeck. Unfortunately WW1 intervened (as it did with the extension into Italy from Sankt Moritz over the Maloja pass).
     
    So the Austrian part represents an HOe version the railway bulit under post war austerity from Landeck to both a border crossing at Schalkl and the village of Nauders.
     
    During the steam era a steam depot was at Prutz, but these days with diesel traction this is no longer required, so it's been sold off to club 760.
     
    The ÖBB and ZB run services on the mainline to Nauders, these normally consist of one of the ZB Gmeinders or an old ÖBB 2095 class accompanied by 4 Mariazeller coaches or 3 coaches and a bicycle van. In the summer an Mh 6 with upto 6 bogies can also be seen, or Mh 3 with the SLB historical rake.
     
    A 5090 railcar operates the service to Schalkl from Prutz.
     
    Club 760 have a couple of rakes of coaches based at Prutz, and these operate a tourist service from Prutz up to Schalkl in between the 5090 railcar doing the shuttle. The trains are mostly behind HF110's, or a U class. Occaisionally the preserved 2093 class might be pressed into use, e.g. In the event the steam loco fails...
     
    Lastly, there is a occaisional bit of logging traffic from Landeck to Schalkl, at Schalkl this tranfered onto the RhB for forwarding... This is hauled by a 2095 class repainted in the factory colours and is owned by club 760...
     
    A look at Google maps, will help as will a quick look at yesterday's post...
  4. AllScales

    A layout in the sky!

    By AllScales,

    As I mentioned on the last post on Gerlos, I would be starting a new blog for the new layout...
     
    Even though construction on the loft conversion hasn't even started, I'm already planning what's going to go in it. The original plan had Gerlos moved up into the loft where I had envisaged to fix two problems it:
     
    The ramp up to the upper level station on one side was a considerable 4%. This severely limited the length of train that most of my loco's can haul when going that way round.
     
    The second major problem was the lack of height difference between the lower station and the upper station meaning it all looked a bit, meh!
     
    So the plan was to extend layout on one side to allow for a longer climb to the upper station. By making this around 3.5m in linear distance, I could also raise the upper station to a giddy 10cm above baseboard with a <3% gradient! The other ramp could easily go that high as it was already approximately 3.5m long.
     
    However then a third limitation shows up: A lack of depth, the layout is only 3 feet deep. And this would mean lots of near vertical rock faces. So it wasn't really going to look very good.
     
    The loft offers other possibilities, the internal surface will around 6x3.6m (20x12), which would give a usable floor space of around 15x12x20 (allowing for the door and a place to put a radiator (never directly under the layout!). Plenty of space for some serious HOe action...
     
    My holiday last summer has rekindled (together with the additional space) a desire to run the HOm Bemo models on a layout as well. Creating an HOm layout is something I've set out to do twice before in '96 and '06, in both cases it had to be shelved due to a lack of room (despite making ridiculous compromises). Third time lucky perhaps?
     
    I picked up a Swiss magazine over the summer in Interlaken (at the wallet emptying shop) and an article in it described a layout built by a professional builder for an English client. This comprised a fiddle yard/reverse loop to reverse loop arrangement with a single intermediate station.
     
    As the trains leave the fiddle yard, they climb first up to the station, then using a spiral (part visible) up to the reverse loop. Looks pretty ideal to me....
     
    However, I'd like to have more than just one station and I'd like a branch as well! Just to make it even worse, I'd like to have an interchange station as well between the HOe section and the HOm section....
     
    Yes, quite a list but as a long term and only project, I would like to think it can be done.
     
    So all the talking out of the way, here's the conceptual plan:
     

     
    It's even in a U shape to suit the space available!
     
    More ramblings soon and my apologies for the lack of pictures!
  5. AllScales
    I have a Noch kit for an N gauge level crossing, more of a barrow crossing as it's wood, however it's for straight lines only. I need my road crossing on a bend...
     
    So armed with some left over rail, my normal fat fingers, a pair of pliers, super glue, some platform ballast, I've had a bash, so here is exhibit A:
     

     
    It needs more ballast, I know!
     
    Now the gap is huge between the running rails and the guiding rails for the heart piece, perhaps next time I should trim off some of the base of the rail? The track is firmly up against the chairs of the running rails.
     
    I have tested this and it works well with my oldest stock (Jouef Eggerbahn stuff...), so I'm tempted to leave as is....
  6. AllScales
    Well, not quite actually! I finally got around to buying some actual people to populate the layout, as well as a beetle (car) to check sizes such as road widths. I've never gotten to this stage before! And with that I mean being somewhat realistic. My most scenic'd layout from my younger days featured one house and some road surface and very unrealistic grass. The whole lot was inside the reversing loop, with no way out! However that doesn't really matter when you're ten!
     
    It wasn't until after I had bought the car that I realised a couple of fairly basic errors:

    It's OO scale
    It's got British plates
    The steering wheel is on the wrong side

    Oops! Never mind, an Austriaphile on holiday is my excuse...
     
    So this is the current status, I can't fit in the whole layout as the room isn't big enough:
     

     
    And the corner that's missing, with printer (Mount Laserjet):
     

     
    And just for completeness the far corner which is a bit vague in the first shot:
     

     
    The heights you see are approximately right I'm constructing supports for the ramps at the moment. Tomorrow I'll be fixing the lower end at the station exit, after I've trimmed off some excess wood, and continuing on building the supports...
     
    In my original plan, the top station was going to be much higher, but as you can see in the pictures above, the top station (light grey), is now only at about 6cm above the lower level so now the track snaking up is going to be physically much closer to the upper station so some trickery is going to required I feel!
     

     
    In this picture you can see the two places where the tracks are closest together, marked by a spray can and a paint sampler pot, my intention is to have the lower front track in a tunnel at this point and have an avalanche gallery of some form in the outward bulge, how does that sound?
     
    The aim is to have trains running round the whole loop by the end of July, should be do-able no?
  7. AllScales
    Not much got done over the weekend, except to visit the Chatham show and pick up a few bits and pieces...
     
    So, I now have some yard lights, and platform lights (although ZB platforms don't really have them, I'll put them in for the atmosphere). A Viesmann HO water crane also arrived. This is the motorised variety so will swing through 90 degrees on command. It's even DCC compatible right from the box!
     
    I think there might be an opportunity for a British version! Would make a great addition to a layout....
     
    I also picked an HO stock box, I wanted an OO9/HOe version, but have never really found one. As I have plenty of foam lying around from N-gauge stock boxes, I used some scraps, with some superglue to create a custom stock box:
     

     
    Out on the sides there are bits of foam to cover the stock and prevent the rolling stock from hitting the top.
     
    The locos and coaches come from the two start sets I bought about seven years ago, that I never got around to giving a proper home. So now they have, now I'll have to re-arrange the crates... It never ends... ;-)
     
    As for the reference to legless layouts? Besides going to the Chatham show I helped my friend ngauged to put some legs on his layout, it's just been resting on another table for more than a year now. Now it's got legs of its own they can finally have a proper family dinner, invite friends and sort out the hornet's nest under the layout... ;-)
  8. AllScales

    True colours!

    By AllScales,

    Hi All,
     
    Not much progress today, housework gets in the way sometimes! However I need to do some work under the layout so tonight I cleared out all the crates stored underneath and stacked them elsewhere. So first job, some dangling cables under the layout. Now the previous weekend, I bought some new stuff to hold up cables under the layout. I had been using cable loops with nails, but it's a pain to try and nail these on whilst lying on the floor, so I'm trying these stick on pads and cable ties:
     

     
    For the rest, yesterday I built the Vollmer model of the Mayrhofen coal shed, this is normally used to store the coal for the "Drive a steam loco" train. A once a week opportunity to drive a steam on the Zillertalbahn mainline. This is how it looks in real life:
     

     
    The loco is the little one used to haul the two coaches for friends and family. The model is somewhat lighter in colour:
     

     
    So what would be the best way of making the model a tad more like the real thing?
     
    The model has a full on water tower, as you can see in photo two, these days, it's just a hose. I guess the tiny loco doesn't have very large tanks...
  9. AllScales
    I originally started to lay the track for Gerlos around Christmas 2010! So it is great to find that I'm making progress with the layout again. Over the last week or so I've been taking some of the lessons I've learned and started to apply them.
     
    So if you go back you can see the upper level having been cut and the track being stripped out.
     
    So without further ado, tada!
     

     
    The track is back, much better aligned than before, I used a massive one metre long ruler clamped to the baseboard to get it right. Now all the points have a dropper wire from the frog for eventual polarisation. Of course all the point motors still need re-connecting to the point decoder, but that's a minor job!
     
    Next will be demolishing the fiddle yard so I can fit dropper wires there too...
     
    On the upper level front, I've started to add some supports to keep the upper level flat, and to allow it to be attached to the main board in due course...
    This isn't very visible so I haven't bothered with photo's...
     
    However, on the realistic modelling front... I'm after a source of signs... Railways signs of Austrian origin, any clues as to where they might available?
     
    A something or other sign (if anyone knows please let me know what it means):

     
    A crossing sign:

     
    And I guess this will have to come from the Austrian Railways Group (but I think it's striking to put most of the time table on a massive sign):

  10. AllScales
    Yesterday, I promised a picture of the cut upper level, well here it is:

     
    It was quite an effort to make sure whole lot didn't break and it's time like that you wish you had a properly equipped workshop with a nice big bench.
     
    The advantages of doing it all as one piece is that you the wood helps to make the transition smooth. Of course there might be some issues at the bottom but they can be overcome.
     
    Next I will be laying a cork strip along central track formation, then the whole lot will be painted grey before supports are put under the board. I'll be screwing the ends of the ramps to baseboard.
     
    Lots of the offcuts will be used to provide the pillars, plenty of PVA will be required!
     
    Now does anyone know of a electronic spirit level? I'd like to be able to place it on the ramp to measure the angles accurately to make sure I have a consistent gradient.
  11. AllScales
    Hi Again,
     
    I've calmed down a bit now, after all I got it pretty much setup as it should be. This is:

    Change the SSID so it no longer has a number on the end. This is (probably) a serial number and gives hackers a way in...
    Change the Wifi password (this is very likely to be calculated from the serial number, so if the secret gets out...)
    Change the name of the Adminstrator (in the case of this router it's a well disguised admin) and password (admin again, so hard to guess!).
    Prevent wireless access to the settings, disabling this will force an intruder to be in the building to try to hack your router.

    I've managed most of these, but I've had numerous issues.... So:

    Only change one setting at a time
    If you fail to make a change stick, you'll have to reset the router to factory defaults, this means you have to stick a small pin into the little hole on the left of the power supply for 5 seconds or more (when viewed from the back).
    Once you've reset the hub to default settings, you've lost all the settings including the changes made for Roco....
    I've NOT managed to change the admin password (as yet).

    Why am I so concerned about all this? My neighbour's bog standard home network got abused last summer and he ended up for a bill for the data... Not nice...
     
    However, if you're never going to connect your Z21 to the internet all you can suffer is being locked out of it!
     
    Meanwhile experiments with the Z21 are continuing, so far so good.... Some issues with the apps, but nothing that can't be fixed...
     
    Good night,
     
    All Scales
  12. AllScales
    Hi All,
     
    I'm just back from a week of visiting North Wales' finest: the narrow gauge lines. So while I try and get a grip on the amount of video (over 90 minutes) and the photo's (about 500), here is an introduction!
     
    The whole thing started when I realised just how many preserved lines there are in North Wales, but being on my own it isn't much fun, however now that a couple of friends have come out of the guard's van as it were and professed for their love of trains (especially steam), and that they have a less physically able son, it seemed like the perfect time to give it a go!
     
    Our itinerary was as follows (this will work for much of the South-East & Anglia):
     
    1. Drive up to Much Wenlock (the home of the modern Olympics), we went through Bridgnorth so could have done the SVR, if we had left early but as I live in Kent, we arrived too late. However we did go on funicular railway so all was not lost!
     
    2. Head to Welshpool for the W&Ll... When you get there, ask for the "Great little trains of Wales" card. It costs £10, but it pays back giving 20% discount... Continue to Aberystwyth.
     
    3. Head for the north end of the Promenade, and go on the funicular railway, after head for the main station and the Rheidol.
     
    4. Head off to the Tal-y-llyn, and spend the day there. At this point you can either return to Aberystwyth or head on to Portmadog.
     
    5. If you stayed in Aberystwyth, then head for Porthmadog via Corris, if you picked the right day then visit the Railway, if not continue to Porthmadog for the Ffestiniog. It is possible to do both.
     
    6. Depending on the weather do either the Snowdon or the WHR over the next two days, swap depending on the weather.
     
    7. Head back via Betws Y Coed and visit the museum there
     
    8. Sleep..... It's remarkably tiring, spending days on trains!
  13. AllScales
    As I now have two layouts in development (both HOe) and one in "Stock Collection" stage (N gauge) I thought I should separate my Linksuberdorf entries from the big HOe layout (Gerlos).
     
    LUD started back in March when I came across my pile of Peco points (10 of them) that I bought about 6 years ago when I started to think about building a proper layout for my then very small collection oh HOe rolling stock. I also had a piece of 12mm 3 foot square MDF, so I laid out the points on the board and figured I had a viable plan....
     
    At the same time I needed to build a ramp, to check if my little steam loco's could go up the slope that was being planned for Gerlos.
     
    So a week before the Ally Pally show I said to a friend that I'd be bringing over my new test track. I had planned to finish only a single track loop, but in the end after a good number of hours every evening during the week, I had finished everything except for the ramp. Ok the point motors weren't there yet, but all the track was there. So we spent an amusing Sunday running a few trains and generally getting in each other's way. As the layout is DCC no complicated switching banks are required and wiring as you lay the track is the best way to go.
     
    Since then the point motors have been put in and these have also been wired to the DCC bus. I've used some Train Tech decoders for that as they have a CDU built in. If the SEEPS are aligned correctly, you can drive two motors from a single output, this has allowed me to wire crossovers together and so saving me the cost of a third decoder.
     
    I have posted pictures of the layout on my Gerlos blog, and not much has changed over the last few weeks except that the board now has handles to make it a bit easier to carry and the points have been fitted with dummy levers, today I've painted the areas around the tracks a light grey to conceal any cases of missing ballast. Next will be ballasting!
     
    So there it is, a very crowded little test track with three stations: Linksuberdorf, Nichteinsteigen (a lot of trains seem to go there from everywhere in Germany ;-) ) and Bergspitz....
  14. AllScales
    I promised a photo of the wiring after installation of the point decoders, so here it is:
     

     
    As you can see the two decoders are simply screwed to the bottom of the board and all the wires from the points around it simply head towards it, in the end only two wires lead into the central hub where it connects to the central distribution point.
     
    Simples....
     
    Yesterday when I went to try the layout right way up, one point motor failed to switch it's point properly. It fired, and you could see the point blades move but they failed to flick... So today, the layout went on upside once more, a bigger drill was used and now it seems to flick every time... This is a bit finicky and you need a drill with a rod to make sure you don't drill through the arm of point motor.
     
    At this point I have to say that the point decoders I bought are superb. They are simple to program: press a button to set the base address, send a command to flick a point. Job done!
     
    There's a built in CDU, which recharges off the DCC bus, which is not my preference, but the unit does wait until it's fully recharged before flicking a point. I don't know if it waits when it receives multiple requests, but then I can't send the signals fast enough!
     
    They can also drive a pair of Seeps from a single output (at least in Hoe/OO9) if the motors are well aligned. Of course it then takes a bit longer longer than if you're driving a single point. These are the new Tran-Tech decoders...
     
    Next is the landscaping, so:
     
    1. Mountain construction, or:
    2. Ballasting
     
    ??
     
    Which should I start first? My instinct says to build the mountain first. Views welcome...
  15. AllScales
    Hi All,
     
    I didn't expect this weekend to amount to much in terms of progress, but when your expectations are low they can only go up!
     
    I was visiting some friends to help with their test track, it's a basic three loop track all N-gauge using set track (Fleischmann). As an aside we visited a train shop, where I found some new DCC point decoders of a type I've been looking for my test track, so bought those.
     
    We tested them this morning and found they work with a Fleischmann ProfiBoss (made by Uhlenbrock I believe). So all good so far!
     
    Once home I put them on the layout and all is looking good! Just one snag: fixing them to the board! I'm using 12mm MDF, and would like to screw the decoders to the bottom of the board.
     
    Of all the small screws I have, even the smallest don't seem to small enough. I have a similar problem with mounting point motors... The difference is only about 0.5mm, I need 2mm screws I believe.
     
    So my question is: Where to get small screws? The ones being sold retail all seem to be just a tad on the large side! I have tried everywhere, the home improvement chains the common trade sellers, but there still seem to be screws that you can get in things such as curtains that are of a size you can't find anywhere!
     
    All help greatly appreciated!
     
    Thanks,
     
    Friso
  16. AllScales

    Luggage overload...

    By AllScales,

    Sorry but no massive number of photos to attach to this, however Miniatur Wunderland was amazing!
     
    The only problem is that it is also very busy, so it is difficult to get anything other than narrow shots of specific scenes. So even though we came loaded with video camera and several cameras, we only took photos of the little HSB part of the layout.
     
    One of the most spectacular parts of the whole thing is the Swiss section, this is a two storey section with narrow gauge trains running all the way from the bottom to the top!
     
    The next morning we hit a number of model shops to stock up on kits, then we went downtown and did the shops there. Hamburg has a number of very good department stores so everyone was happy.
     
    When we arrived at the airport on Sunday we found out that the total weight of our purchases was 11kg, which put our suitcase over the limit! Some quick stuffing into hand luggage and our shared suitcase was back within limits.
     
    So if you get a chance to go to Hamburg, then take a WHOLE day to visit the layout... We got there at 10 and left about 4:30...
     
    I have pretty much everything to finish LUD, so tonight I put two point motors in place and tested them upside down and they work, only eight more to go! The hunt for DCC point controllers is almost over, I have a likely candidate, just checking dimensions...
     
    As there are two single track sections I may add some signals to indicate direction of travel. These will be strictly non-functional without train control... Again details to follow!
  17. AllScales
    Like I mentioned last week, there wouldn't be quite such a hive of activity this week, for starters there was work to contend with, and then the house needs looking after as well!
     
    I did do a little rail grinding, but not much... I also decided that it would be best to fit point motors before going far down the scenic route.... So on Saturday it was off to see Andy at KGR and the builders merchants. The result? One sheet of 50mm polystyrene cut into four chunks four ease of handling, a rock starter kit, some n-gauge track crossings, a bus shelter, light coloured ballast and some fence posts.
     
    Anyway, I put the board on its side and have attempted fitting three motors, and it's not been a great success. I just don't seem to be able to get it right. The lest time I fitted some the points were parallel with the edge of the board which helps in terms of orientation, this time they're not!
     
    Any suggestions on how to make it easier? I think turning the board properly upside down will help but this will require a jig due to ramp and the buffer stops.
     
    Any advice greatly appreciated! Now lunch first, then it's time to mow the lawn!
  18. AllScales
    After some measuring, chopping, glueing and general noise, dust and everything, the last piece of track has now been completed!
     
    This is a big milestone in the development of "Linksuberdorf". The track at the top of the incline has a 51mm gap under it, just enough for a big Gmeinder diesel to pass underneath (or a ZB U 1, they have very tall chimneys).
     
    I found some bus stops and station name signs on Saturday, so I've put them on now. At the top of the incline by one of the shelters is little Liliput D11, which arrived there under its own steam (though stopping for little breaks on the way up as it lost power), towing a whole three goods vans. Quite remarkable given the slope is between 1 in 20 and 1 in 25. The U 1 also made it up the slope with those vans, so the coaches must be just a bit less free-running. However the coaches are newer (the three goods wagons comprise an old "Stiegl", a Liliput 40th anniversary and a new "Zillertaler Bier"), so should go better!
     
    Never mind, I some things I can possibly melt into the axle boxes to give lighter running. I have a scrap coach so I might give that a go sometime.
     
    Next on the list is to stop the loco's from waddling across the points, this is because the piece of rail on the frog side of the point has an insulated rail joiner on it, which lifts the rail a fraction when inserted (my track is now about 6 years old so Peco may have fixed it, I hope they have), I will do this by sanding the railhead down a fraction.
     
    The other thing that needs improving is the wires up against the outside of the rails. If they rise above the railhead even a fraction, it can cause the valve gear to snag and stop them dead or (in the case of D11) lose power.
     
    Here's an areal shot of the layout, taken precariously from a wheeled and swivelling chair:

  19. AllScales
    This years summer (whenever that might arrive) has on it two important items:

    A visit to Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg
    Visit most of the main narrow gauge lines in Wales

    Currently the plan is to visit the Miniatur Wunderland shortly after Easter. I'm getting my shopping list ready now, and a list of Hamburg Model shops...
     
    I'm well aware of the shop opening hours too... ;-) So we are flying out on Thursday night...
  20. AllScales
    Of course not long after getting back from Skiing I get sick! Proper, unable to move type, sick... So again not a lot got done. I did manage to build a kit I bought before getting sick, so now I have a PECO great little trains 4 Wheel Coach. A bit crooked because I didn't quite get the underframe right, but on the whole pretty good.
     
    For the rest the garden has taken a lot of my time, and I mean a lot! It's been back breaking work to clear the mess and get it ready for turning the back third into an orchard with meadow (to save me having to mow it).
     
    Today I've been to collect the new Zillertalbahn Gmeinder diesel D15. It should have had a plain coach with as well as driving trailer, but we couldn't find the last bit... Possibly it's arrived, so I'll call Andy during the week, to see if it came in or not.
     
    I've just put the loco and intermediate coach on the track for a test run. Fantastic!
     
    The loco runs very well, nice and slow and has working headlights. The coach is much longer than any previous ZB coach, so the overhang looks really ridiculous on the PECO N gauge radius 1 curves. Radius 3 isn't much better...
     
    Loco features:
     

    Directional headlights with switches for configuring push-pull and shunting operations 21 pin DCC decoder socket Speaker socket Comes with HOe bosnia couplings, kaydee couplings and two flat draw bars
    The coach comes with the following:
     

    Built in power pickups on the bogies The same set of coupling options as above A pack of little metal bits to get the power from the bogies to an internal lighting bar A switch underneath to turn the lights on or off (first time I've ever seen that)
    The detailing in both cases is superb, I cannot vouch for the accuracy though and with my eyesight you can slip quite a bit past me, but with my magnifying glass it all looks fantastic.
     
    One issue I do have is the propensity for the loco to become detached when using the Bosnia couplings. As they don't have a loop it let's go rather quickly when there is a bump in the track.
     
    Recently I also managed to get hold of a Liliput U 2 (L141481) with the new running gear. Admittedly it runs very nicely, but it doesn't seem to have any pulling power whatsoever! 3 four wheeled coaches seems to be about the limit, which is not really what I had in mind, I had expected a hauling capacity of at least 6!
     
    On the chipability front it does seem to do quite well: It has a little PCB with the various connections well marked, so putting in a Lenz silver mini should be too hard!
     
    Mine came with a piece of foam under the trailing truck, I've left it in place as the pressure seems to be just right to prevent it from jumping when going across a piece of rough track. This is a problem I have with my 2091 class loco....
     
    I would have included some photo's in this piece but my computer doesn't seem to like my new memory card for some obscure reason.... I'll get some tomorrow!
  21. AllScales
    As suggested by "buffalo" in response to my last post I set up a bit of a jury rigged climb to test the locos. So I have jury rigged a piece of 4 foot long by 8 inch wide piece of ply, with a bit of a run-up...
     
    The end is at just over 5 cm so that over 4 feet is just a bit steeper than the required slope!
     
    First I put a completely straight track along the incline, and 4 four wheeled coaches as the train. The I tried in turn: U2 (0-6-2T), Mh6 (0-8-0), HF 110 (0-6-0), and ZB D11 (0-4-0).
     
    All made it up the slope, although D11 (a tiny shunter) did slip a bit. All of them managed a stop part way up the hill.
     
    Next I replaced the straights with sequence of curves to simulate a track snaking up the hill. The results with the same rake were encouraging but not as good:

    U2 - Managed the slope well (with minor slippage)
    Mh6 - Incline? What Incline?
    HF110 - I think I can, but only with three coaches!
    D11 - Sorry, I'm not built for this!

    The performance of the U2 was a surprise, I really did not expect it to do so well.
     
    Lastly I decided to put a rake of 4 Mariazeller coaches on the windy slope, this is an old 4 coach Liliput set I got from the German Railway Society years ago and not something I've seen since!
     
    To test these coaches on the incline, I tried two locos: Mh.6 and an old Liliput 2095 loco. Both of these didn't even know the slope was there.
     
    The bogie coaches do look rather entertaining on the windy slope:
     

     
    Anyway, I think possibly with fiddling (i.e. improving the bearings on the coaches) both the D11 and the HF 110's should be able to get up the slope with a rake of 4 (remember this was a bit steeper than required). So all good!
  22. AllScales
    I have finally figured out how to get the photos in a size that will fit within the 2MB limit. So here are two photos of the new track plan, precariously supported by some Kato Unitrack pillars.
     

     
    This shows the right hand side of the layout. At back on the bottom is the fiddle yard, perched above it is the upper station.
     

     
    Next is the left hand side of the layout, you can see both tracks leading up the top station. The only concern is the far up slope. This needs to rise 5 cm (almost two inches) in a little under 1.5 m (5 feet). We'll have to see how some of the smaller loco's cope with it.
     
    The Mh's, the 2095's and Gmeinders shouldn't have a problem, but something like this might:
     

     
    Unfortunately getting these to double head is going to require some work if that's what's required!
  23. AllScales
    My dad sent over a link from some New Zealand snow ploughing on the Athur's Pass route from Chistchurch to the West Coast.
     
    Go and have a look on youtube... No snow plough required. Maybe Network Rail needs to go downunder for some training?
     
    Search for "New Zealand snow plough".....
     
  25. AllScales
    I've been raking my brain to find out how to eliminate the ROCO point motors, and I now have the solution for all but one.
     
    The problem places are the point at the top of the spiral, the place where the track enters the fiddle yard on the right, and where the front track joins the main through line in the station (Gerlos) at the front.
     
    The one at the top of the spiral I've solved simply by shifting the point to the right by reducing the length of the straight to the right of the upper station and moving that to in between the spiral and the left hand end of the upper station...
     
    The one in Gerlos station at the front I will have to solve by taking a chunk out of the frame and replace it with a metal plate instead.
     
    The point at the far end of the fiddle yard (back right), is the only one that can't be done as far as I can see. If I cut a chunk out the frame, then the point is still so close to the outside of the board, that the screw on the outside is too close to the outside edge of the board... So does anyone know of a way to fix a Seep above board like you can do with a PECO point motor? Or even underneath with an offset... That would be ideal!
     
    I can't use the PECO point motors as the ROCO points don't lock! On top of that the ROCO points only have a point operating arm sticking out on the straight side of the point...
     
    Meanwhile thoughts about the Orpington and Downe tramway are continuing... I'll start a separate blog about that when it moves from Phantom to Ghost, to something tactile....
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