Stubby47's Project #1 - DM Four Mill Something

[dhjgreen]

But a blast door is supposed to prevent light, smoke & high pressure wind escaping...

The blast has to go somewhere though, blast chimney?

[avonside1563]

But a blast door is supposed to prevent light, smoke & high pressure wind escaping...

Better not let Damian anywhere near this then....

[Stubby47]

So far, I'm intending for a working hoist and working blast doors (6 off).

 

The hoist will have three stop positions, but as it will be some 4ft-5ft from the operator, some sort of mechanical stop will be needed to ensure vertical alignment.  Obviously the bottom will be easy to do. I'm considering a pair of simple wire-in-tube contraptions to provide a simple projecting spike that will prevent the hoist from falling below the middle level, or rising above the ground level. 

 

A similar concept could also be used for the 6 blast doors (cheaper than 6x tortoise / cobalt motors). But, it would be nice to provide a remote (electrical) operation for these to allow the viewing public to get involved.

 

Point motors will be Seeps, they seem to work ok on Tinners Forge, so I see no reason to change.

 

The middle level track will be 00, the lower ground whatever the Tillig NG is (I'm assuming 9mm) - both will be inset into a concrete floor

[stevejjjexcov]

Stubby I have yet to find anything that will prevent the escape of high pressure wind!!

I do like your idea for the trackplan though

All the best Steve

[Captain Kernow]

Thanks.

Nothing more complex than the free downloadable 'paint.net'.

Sorry to labour this one, but do you mean the 'Paint' programme that usually comes free with Microsoft-fitted computers these days?

[Captain Kernow]

But a blast door is supposed to prevent high pressure wind escaping...

Well,whatever else you may think, you are clearly not going to be able to contain the by-products of The Baron after a medium curry.

[Stubby47]

Sorry to labour this one, but do you mean the 'Paint' programme that usually comes free with Microsoft-fitted computers these days?

No, it's an independent product. It allows you to add layers, pre-defined shape types of shape, full colour choice, gradient fills, plus more complex adjustments such as motion blur and red-eye removal.

 

paint.net

[Captain Kernow]

No, it's an independent product. It allows you to add layers, pre-defined shape types of shape, full colour choice, gradient fills, plus more complex adjustments such as motion blur and red-eye removal.

 

paint.net

Thanks Stu, but it's asking me if I want something called 'Corel' or similar. Is that the same thing?

 

[Stubby47]

No, it's different.

 

Click the download link on the right. (Paint.net 4.0.16)

[dhjgreen]

You have to search for getpaint.net to find it.

[Captain Kernow]

Ta Stubs. Done that and I've now got a shiny new .zip file to have a look at.

[Stubby47]

Using Anyrail, we have a better plan.

 

The extension to the right will be a fiddle-stick, the main FY will be off to the left.

 

 

I'm thinking of using a cabinet with bi-folding doors - the doors to the right will provide support for the fiddle stick when folded back.

[Robin2]

A similar concept could also be used for the 6 blast doors (cheaper than 6x tortoise / cobalt motors). But, it would be nice to provide a remote (electrical) operation for these to allow the viewing public to get involved.

I don't think there is anything that a Tortoise motor can do that cannot be done much more cheaply with a small servo. And you could get a servo to do things that a Tortoise cannot do.

 

...R

Edited May 9, 2017 by Robin2

[Stubby47]

Thanks Robin,

I am considering servos, although I have never used any as yet.

Once I get over that learning hurdle, there will no doubt be lots of applications they can be put to  (opening/closing doors, moving the hoist locking bar, signals) plus other random automation.

[Robin2]

 there will no doubt be lots of applications they can be put to  (opening/closing doors, moving the hoist locking bar, signals) plus other random automation.

Indeed.

 

One idea that has occurred to me recently (in the context of operating signals - but could have more general application) is to replace the servo arm with a cam so that a small movement could be associated with a much larger angular movement of the servo and without any risk of a huge movement causing damage to delicate parts. I have not tested this yet, but I can't envisage any obvious problem.

 

And, of course, one could make a cam with a complex shape to give the effect of bounce, for example.

 

...R

[dhjgreen]

This may be of interest

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/96929-no-stall-servo-point-motor-servo-hack/

[Alister_G]

For signals with realistic bounce, take a look here:

 

https://www.heathcote-electronics.co.uk/bouncing_semaphore_controller.html

 

You can buy the controller, (which has configurable bounce action), servo motor, bracket and operating wire all for about £20.

 

No connection, just a happy customer.

 

Al.

[Stubby47]

I've been out looking at wood for the baseboards today.

 

One idea was a kitchen cabinet carcass laid on its side, but the dimensions don't work.  My thinking is a box-like structure would be self-stiffening, rather than using three conventional baseboards simply stacked.

 

Another idea is to use sheets of melamine and conventional MFI / Ikea type connections.

[colin penfold]

But a blast door is supposed to prevent light, smoke & high pressure wind escaping...

My wife says she's going to fit one of those to my trousers.

[Stubby47]

Having just measured up both Treamble and Tinner's Forge, a baseboard of 48" x 18" will work for the planned track plan. I will need the foot long fiddle stick on the right, plus a separate fiddle yard on the left, but both of these will be stored within the layout 'box'.

 

Height wise, each of the lower levels will need no more than 6", leaving a generous 15" for the ground level. These will only be 9" wide, leaving a void behind.

 

Sheets of 9mm ply will be used for the baseboards and end boards, thinner ply will be used to form the theatre framing.

[Stubby47]

Point control:

Treamble uses DPDT slide switches with wire-in-tube. This is mostly reliable but one point occasionally misbehaves.

TF uses Seeps with internal switches - again one is not always obedient.

 

Although I need 9 points for Something, I am tempted to use w-I-t but with better engineering.

[dhjgreen]

Point control:

Treamble uses DPDT slide switches with wire-in-tube. This is mostly reliable but one point occasionally misbehaves.

TF uses Seeps with internal switches - again one is not always obedient.

Although I need 9 points for Something, I am tempted to use w-I-t but with better engineering.

Do you use omega loops with your WIT.

[Stubby47]

Do you use omega loops with your WIT.

No, the throw on the slide switch matched the throw of the tiebar, so I just used a straight wire.

 

Edit : With better engineering planed, I might well do next time.

Edited May 14, 2017 by Stubby47

[colin penfold]

I am suffering an issue that the throw of my points is almost identical to the throw of the DPDT switches i have used. It was fine after testing but now starting to be insufficient to throw the points all the way over. I think i need some larger switches with a longer throw or use gem point levers and connect both the point and the switch to the lever. What switches are you using Stubbers?

[Stubby47]

As far as I know they are just slide switches, though there do appear to be miniature versions as well.

 

 

 

 

The choc-block connectors are used to hold the end of the plastic tube - this allows for minor adjustments when setting them up.