SRman's Current Layout - Newton Broadway

[St Enodoc]

I decided to resurrect my Hornby Stanier Black 5, which had been playing up last time I ran it. I tested it on DC analogue after removing the Hornby decoder and it ran perfectly for several hours on the rolling road. I added a Hattons decoder and that ran perfectly.

 

Next, I decided to continue with the weathering process I started before it played up. Doing the dirty bits is not difficult; the problem I have is with matt varnishes not drying matt. I have used several different brands, all shaken and stirred thoroughly, but the results are very unreliable. At present, it is still not right but looks reasonable (only reasonable, not especially good!).

 

Here it is on the late 1950s/early 1960s parcels train at Newton Broadway.

 

 

Jeff, I've tried several varnishes since moving down under, and I've settled on Wattyl Estopal Polyurethane Matt spray. Bunnings doesn't stock it, but Mitre 10 or Hardware & General do. Hope this helps.

[SRman]

Thanks for that. I'll have to give that a go.

[SRman]

Next Saturday, the 15th August, I am hosting a British Railway Modellers of Australia (BRMA) meeting, so besides frantically cleaning up all the clutter around the house (or at least, that which will be in the "public" areas!), I am also trying to clear up the layout clutter and 'foolproof' the electrics.

To fix the latter, I am replacing the old double switches that allowed either inner or outer circuit to be switched between DC and DCC. this had a small risk attached in that if someone not in the know switched one circuit and used one of the crossovers, there was the potential for the two systems to meet, with possibly disastrous consequences for the DCC command station.

I needed a four pole switch, so shopped around on eBay and ended up with an eight position four pole rotary switch (actually, two of them, to allow for the upper circuits to be done the same way). Now, eight positions is way overkill, three or four positions would have been better, but these were the most suitable ones I could find, and they were very reasonably priced. I only want two 'live' positions and one isolated one.

After figuring out the wiring to allow the two track circuits to be powered separately by two DC controllers (actually an H & M Duette), but the whole layout to be powered at once by the NCE DCC system, I made a start this morning. It has involved a bit of rewiring but it is progressing. I have completed the DC wiring up, and am taking a short break, but when I go back to it, I will complete the DCC wiring to the switch.

While rewiring, I have also moved the two circuit breakers from their temporary positions to the main control panel.

This was the old temporary switch panel.




And this is the new arrangement, as yet unlabelled. I have put a mark where the DC live position is.




Doing it this way means that no one, not even I, can short it out or cause other problems. The whole LT part of the layout can only be DCC or DC at any one time.

[Gwiwer]

Sounds like a plan.

 

Wiring is to me about as comprehensible as a pan of cooked spaghetti - respect to those who can get to grips with it.

 

I look forward to seeing pictures of the gathering which I am forced to miss as things stand due to rostering requirements.  

[Peter Beckett]

Next Saturday, the 15th August, I am hosting a British Railway Modellers of Australia (BRMA) meeting, so besides frantically cleaning up all the clutter around the house (or at least, that which will be in the "public" areas!), I am also trying to clear up the layout clutter and 'foolproof' the electrics.

 

Doing it this way means that no one, not even I, can short it out or cause other problems. The whole LT part of the layout can only be DCC or DC at any one time.

Hi Jeff,

Looks great and certainly a lot neater and "fool proof"

BTW, apologies for next Saturday as I am in Charleville, Qld and still chasing the sun. (very nice 18 d today and not a cloud in sight)

 

Cheers

 

Peter

[Mallard60022]

What's the brake van in this pic of yours buddy?

 

Have you seen these? Marc models does them. I'm about to do a build if you are interested?

Love the EMUs by the way.

P

[SRman]

The brake van is the Cambrian Kits SECR 'dance hall' van. I also built one as the ballast brake, as Cambrian include the parts to do both - there are more details about building them in my workbench blog.




I'll be very interested in the plough brake van. Good luck with the build.

 

[Mallard60022]

Ah Cambrian; thanks. They both look excellent.

I love their rather vague instructions! Have just built one of their SR 25T B Vans and very nice it is too, however the instructions were a little confusing in places but fortunately I have some experience and have muddled through (so far!) .

The SECR van (built in BR form for me) should appear on Seatonjunctioish. 

Cheers,

Phil

[SRman]

A quick update to say the DCC side is now working successfully and reliably.

I decided to hook up a second DC controller temporarily to the DCC connections so I could be sure I had the polarities correct for the two track feeds - the locomotives on the tracks each went in the same direction when the controller was connected, firstly to one track at a time, then to both tracks.

Once I was sure all was as it should be, I connected up the command station and turned on the power (with just a little trepidation, still!). I have just had a half hour running session with several DCC locomotives running on both tracks, so I am now happy and, especially, feeling secure that no one can accidentally switch anything across from DC to DCC on adjacent tracks.

Edited August 8, 2015 by SRman

[DougN]

Now for the next amazing trick... Sr man will lay all the track to the upper level!

 

I guess it is just as well we didn't invite you guys over for pizza last night you had to finish the wiring!

[SRman]

Yes. It would have been nice, pizza with you and the kids.

 

I did make good progress, and today will be devoted to clearing up more clutter. A sharp gout attack last night has slowed me down a bit, but I'll get there before Saturday ... maybe not with extra track laid, though!

[SRman]

I have now labelled the rotary switch on the LT control panel, so any visiting operator can see at a glance what it is doing.



I still need to label all those signal switches. I added an extra signal in the tunnel after making up the diagram, so the switch for signal #1 is actually the second one from the left. Most of these are as yet unconnected: only signals 1, 2, 8 and 9 are connected, plus the extra one in the tunnel (not sure how I label that one without renumbering all of the signals!).   


Underneath, the wiring is still messy. I need to tidy it up but it works for the moment. The black wire cutting across from the 8-way 4-pole switch to the left of centre in the photo is actually cut too short and limiting the amount I can hinge the panel upwards, so that is another job for me to do ... later.




I have also added labels for the terminal block with the track feeds out, 12V DC feeds in and DCC feeds in, making it a little easier to fault-find ... hopefully, that won't be necessary, though! Again, much tidying up is needed. The track wires leading downwards at the left-hand end of the block are inadequate for DCC. At least using screw terminals makes it a relatively easy job to fix this.

Edited August 10, 2015 by SRman

[St Enodoc]

I have now labelled the rotary switch on the LT control panel, so any visiting operator can see at a glance what it is doing.

 

 

I still need to label all those signal switches. I added an extra signal in the tunnel after making up the diagram, so the switch for signal #1 is actually the second one from the left. Most of these are as yet unconnected: only signals 1, 2, 8 and 9 are connected, plus the extra one in the tunnel (not sure how I label that one without renumbering all of the signals!).   

 

 

Underneath, the wiring is still messy. I need to tidy it up but it works for the moment. The black wire cutting across from the 8-way 4-pole switch to the left of centre in the photo is actually cut too short and limiting the amount I can hinge the panel upwards, so that is another job for me to do ... later.

 

 

 

I have also added labels for the terminal block with the track feeds out, 12V DC feeds in and DCC feeds in, making it a little easier to fault-find ... hopefully, that won't be necessary, though! Again, much tidying up is needed. The track wires leading downwards at the left-hand end of the block are inadequate for DCC. At least using screw terminals makes it a relatively easy job to fix this.

 

Number 0. Quite common when an extra lever had to be added at the left hand end of a frame.

[SRman]

Thanks for that - extremely useful to know.

 

I was thinking in terms of using a letter code.

[SRman]

Bad news. One side of the DC feeds has decided to stop working! That leaves me with one track live for DC but everything still fine for the DCC side.

As I am hosting the BRMA meeting this afternoon, it will just have to remain that way until I have a little spare time to go over it properly.

[DougN]

Great day at the BRMA meeting... Great to see some members we have not seen in a while! There was a time when there was no room left in the room from so many people standing in there!

 

You deserve a rest tomorrow Jeff! You can keep off that foot of yours.

[St Enodoc]

Great day at the BRMA meeting... Great to see some members we have not seen in a while! There was a time when there was no room left in the room from so many people standing in there!

 

You deserve a rest tomorrow Jeff! You can keep off that foot of yours.

Glad it went well Jeff. I'm sure you coped with sitting around like Lord Muck while everyone else did the work

[SRman]

It did go well today. Thanks to all who came and especially to those who helped with operating the layout later in the afternoon, giving me a chance to sit and rest, and also time to trouble-shoot and fix a broken wire to the programming track.

[Neil_S_Wood]

Thanks for hosting the meeting Jeff even though you were having health problems, all went very well.  Good to catch up.  All coming along nicely on the layout.

 

Cheers

 

Neil

[P.C.M]

Hi Jeff,

It was a very enjoyable afternoon, The layout was running well with a good variety of stock running. 

 

I forgot to tell you that we tried to run your green Crompton but it sounded like the speaker was loose, I was going to see how well the Network rail class 37 ran but didn't get round to it.

 

Cheers Peter.

[SRman]

Hi Peter. I forgot to mention: the speaker is loose in the green 33!    

I have been meaning to remount the speakers in that 33 as it has been rattling a bit.

I like the pic of the 450s. I won't be able to run 12 cars but I will be able to recreate an eight car set in the not too distant future, with both units having sound. The 450 we had running on Saturday also needs its speaker reseated slightly as the sound from the other unit with the older v3.5 and 100 ohm speaker is actually slightly clearer, especially the horns.

 

You are always welcome to call in again and we'll run the 37, and retest that decoder if you want, seeing as I didn't get the programming track fixed until too late.

[Gwiwer]

Rattly Crompton eh?  Just like the real thing then

[SRman]

Before the BRMA meeting, I wanted to 'pretty' up the Church Hill. However, circumstances worked against me, so I had to minimise standing up for a while. As a quick fix, I used some of the Scalescenes road and pavement textures just as plain printed paper laid over some of the expanded foam.

Today, I re-did some of it, using the same printed bits attached to some card, then glued to the scenery properly. I ran a small amount of extra glue along the edge and put some grass material there.

This is by no means finished but it still improves the look considerably.

The lower road section is the access way to the cemetery. There will be more land sculpting and filling, plus stairs and pathways in the future.






Now: where did I put that Oxford Diecast hearse?

Of course, I will have to add walls and/or fences along the edge of the car park, otherwise some careless reversing could result in adding a few more occupants to the cemetery below.

[P.C.M]

Hi Peter. I forgot to mention: the speaker is loose in the green 33!    

 

I have been meaning to remount the speakers in that 33 as it has been rattling a bit.

 

I like the pic of the 450s. I won't be able to run 12 cars but I will be able to recreate an eight car set in the not too distant future, with both units having sound. The 450 we had running on Saturday also needs its speaker reseated slightly as the sound from the other unit with the older v3.5 and 100 ohm speaker is actually slightly clearer, especially the horns.

 

You are always welcome to call in again and we'll run the 37, and retest that decoder if you want, seeing as I didn't get the programming track fixed until too late.

No worries Jeff,

I am sure the 8 car will look great. From what I remember they were more common running in the 8 car formation anyway. I must admit it did sound good.

 

Cheers Peter.

[7APT7]

Hi SRMan's

 

I like the church building and the ground painted brown for the soil on top of what looks like polythene... but it make the soil like good as a base coat to add more trees/scrubs etc.

 

Great thread throughout, and nice pictures to.

 

Jamie