RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted April 17, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2015 Well I had doubts about the minx and they've unfortunately been realised. The point for the yard would only change one way and alarmed with no action the other way. I ended up having to swap it with the other siding point motor so one down . . . . . Not impressed! Worked fine for two days after the mods then this. Any movement, and I suspect the hot trip in the car is part of it, and they want re calibrating. Compared to the robust tortoise they are a nightmare. I'm going to seriously consider binning these for a portable layout and finding a way to make a tortoise fit or go back to the Peco servos which I dropped with others experiencing problems. I hope not but I suspect that Lulworth may experience engineers possessions and wheels free this weekend. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Well, as Paul will know, I got there, took a look and we had a chat - always nice to meet a fellow subscriber face-to-face. I took a few random photos around the exhibition, which I will be uploading in the next few days here http://s234.photobucket.com/user/railwest/library/WimRail2015 . Naturally I've started off with a couple which I took of Lulworth <g>, tho' I'm afraid that they do not really do the layout justice. Good luck with fixing those pesky motors! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted April 19, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 19, 2015 Cheers and yes nice to meet and chat, hope you enjoyed the whole show. I will be talking to John at Minx tomorrow, we've already corresponded about the under board mounting problems. I don't think it's a bad product but I do think it's too sensitive to cope with portable layouts. I don't build like a tank's going to sit on the boards but they aren't flimsy either and with three layouts recently exhibited in HOm and G without issues I think my construction is fairly sturdy. Rhätia worked first time after a year in storage. Re calibrating IS simple but it shouldn't need doing every time you move the layout, re synching is barely noticeable to the punters but again one crossover seemed to do it about once an hour while the other did it twice today. I don't like the uncertainty so they will be replaced, probably by cobalts which the new ones seem to be nearly as good as tortoise and a little smaller. The minx may well be used in the less critical signal mode to get the bounce and can migrate a couple to the G layout too for that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melangoose Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Really liked Lulworth Castle, nice small compact layout with plenty of operational content. Well done Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post PaulRhB Posted April 20, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted April 20, 2015 Cheers Nigel So we went from this, 8th March To this 17th April and I caught this chap in shot and realised it proves my concept on height with wheelchairs 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Morning Paul, that looks excellent mate, really really nice job. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitbull1845 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Yes it was a really nice layout Paul, some nice little details. Simple things that I'd never think of like the ballast across the tracks forming a road. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AireValley1962 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Very nice presentation, Paul. I really like the way it's turned out. Cheers, William Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted April 23, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 23, 2015 Well my rtr signal has turned up just needs a servo or minx trying for the mech. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Looks much nicer than the one you had last week :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted April 23, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 23, 2015 And it moves Just reading up on the actuators in signal mode so I can have a bouncy signal. Then hopefully I can mount it so the signal is removable easily for maintenance 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted May 14, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 14, 2015 (edited) Finally a bit of time to sort out the points Cobalt motors went in last week but I needed to have a separate bus for when operating under the Britmod system so I could isolate the point supply from the track. A simple DPST switch no means on its own it all runs off the main BUS but for Britmod I can switch the points to the Z21 and leave the modular bus to supply the track with no way of shorting the two as the Z21 uses a separate plug in. Edited October 18, 2015 by PaulRhB 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted May 14, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 14, 2015 One thing that did rear it's head in programming the Cobalt ip motors was that the instructions are a little vague on the programming saying follow the instructions for your system to set the address, http://www.dccconcepts.com/vamr/owners-manual-cobalt-ip-digital-point-motors What would have been helpful was it saying put the switch to set and then use the address as though you were going to change the point and it will learn it when you select it. NCE - to program cobaltip address (1st to deactivate auto centre using 198) Connect dcc input Put switch to SET SELECT ACCY - 198 - ENTER - 1 SELECT ACCY - 198 - ENTER - 1 Disconnect dcc input Put switch to NORMAL Connect dcc input Put switch to SET SELECT ACCY - ADDRESS NO. - ENTER - 1 SELECT ACCY - ADDRESS NO. - ENTER - 1 Disconnect dcc input Put switch to NORMAL Connect dcc input Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted May 15, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 15, 2015 Well the points work beautifully after being moved around and set up again in the spare room, no more faffing around each time http://youtu.be/7vNk7exfF_E Back up in the spare room for testing of the new digital point control and a bit of superpower on the clay tank! 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Hi Paul Enjoying the layout very much. Do you mind me asking how are you finding the Z21 in operation? Mines still in the box until I get my proposed layout sorted. Cheers Grahame Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted May 15, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 15, 2015 I like it, it has it's quirks and the old iphone locks up occasionally but it's done 8 long days at various shows and the most it needed was a quick reboot when we lost the wifi which we think was a poweful local wifi interfering. I'd certainly buy it again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AireValley1962 Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 The layout looks great. Are you going to run it in different eras - maybe BR Steam one day and then post privatization the next? I think it might work . . . . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted May 15, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 15, 2015 Yes the station building and yard hut are interchangeable with modern buildings I've yet to finish. The station name board just sits in two holes and the Signalbox is having a magnet glued inside and two alternate era style names mounted on steel cut from a can I will probably offer it as one or the other for shows to save clutter in the car but at home it will run as: 1- SR branch line 2- BR branch 1960's 3- 2000's era with SWT and EWS etc. 4- 19?? Branch line with metropolitan BoBo's and J15 fantasy I just like it. 5- 80's West Highland with Large logo 37's and the K1 on the mini Jacobite 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted May 19, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 19, 2015 (edited) Took the oppotunity tonight to do a bit of programming of the first two modern locos to get chipped to run on Lulworth. 60048 working the clay tanks and a screenshot of the Z21 control screen with the icons you just tap Not chipped yet but I couldn't resist the shorty 159 in push along mode Edited May 20, 2015 by PaulRhB 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 That's looking good Paul, I do like the idea of different eras mate, very clever, as like you I cant make my mind up what I want, will it be a T9 in Olive or a 67 in DBS, hahhah. Looks really nice mate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted May 20, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20, 2015 I just need to change the vehicles and buildings over too, this was just a bit of playing to check the programming was suitable 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted May 20, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 20, 2015 Yes the station building and yard hut are interchangeable with modern buildings I've yet to finish. The station name board just sits in two holes and the Signalbox is having a magnet glued inside and two alternate era style names mounted on steel cut from a can I like it Paul. Are you going to have removable thickets of invasive Buddleia to fill the trackside for the more modern period??? Cheers, Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted May 20, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20, 2015 I could as Temairaire found a good source! No I think I'll leave it as I kept Marchwood when I was Signalman there, well weeded in the gaps between trains. Them were the days, (only 15 years ago!), when you could put the signals to danger and get stuff done without three courses, a planning pack and full ppe to do weeding! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 ..and the weedkiller that you could use actually worked ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted May 20, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20, 2015 (edited) I used the Kilfrost as it was useless for de-icing but soaked up spilt diesel from over filled locos just off the yard and killed weeds a treat! Ah it changes so fast. I had a nice sort of wild flower lawn slowly evolving on the platform too but that was let go and got tarmac'd. Edited May 20, 2015 by PaulRhB 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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