Deneside - BR North Eastern Region

[danstercivicman]

Very nice

[Brian D]

Don't know if it will help but here is a summary of how I made my ration signals.  FYI I use servo motors and love them.  First I make a steel base and solder on two sections of brass tubing.  The steel base is so that I can use magnets to position and level.  I attach the steel base to the plastic base.  Thread the actuating wires through the tubes and attach to the weight arms.  Final picture shows a signal in place.  Can provide more details if appropriate.

Signal Base.jpgSignal base 2.jpgSignal Base 3.jpgSignal Base mag.jpgSignal base 2.jpg

 

Impressive work.  I have no experience of using servos so have not really considered their use in this respect.  I would certainly be interested to hear more, especially about how you source, mount and wire the servos.  Thanks very much for your interesting post.

Regards,

Brian.

PS One element of the signal installation that perplexes me is how to install them so that they can be removed for any fault finding and maintenance.  I would value your advice on this aspect also.

[Ray H]

I mount my signals on a piece of plywood and then cut a hole in the baseboard top so that the piece of plywood is an interference fit.

 

The servos are mounted on the other face of the plywood so all I need to do is detach the servo lead and tease the construction out with a bit of persuasion from below. I shall have to rethink this idea for the other station on the layout as I can't get to the underside of the baseboard. However, as I'm using MSE signal kits, it isn't impossible to gently pull the signal upward by the post.

[Theakerr]

So far I have bought my servos, which are all 9gm, either direct from various sources in China or from Hobby King who are located in Hong Kong but with warehouses in several places.  From China I have paid as little as Can$1.50 and from Hobby King they are Can$2.00 to 2.50.  I have bought both digital and analog and find no difference except price.  The analog are cheaper.  I have found no difference in quality from either source.  I buy the extension leads required to connect the servos from Hobby King or make my own from multi strand telephone wire.  All my servos are controlled by Megapoint's units ( https://megapointscontrollers.com/wp1/ ) that cost UK£50 and control 12 servos.  Finally, I built my own switch box.  Note: MERG sells all the necessary components, are very helpful to deal with but you have to assemble the kits.  I like the servos because the speed of operation can be controlled (3 speeds) so on plastic signals the slow speed can be used resulting in a very gentle movement.  I do not use the bounce feature because a) I don't think it is realistic and b) I think it would be hard on plastic signals.  To mount them I use some AL channel which holds the servo motor and screws under the baseboard.  If I don't have a picture I can take one shortly because I have to remount one of my signals (I forgot to allow for the overhang of the coaches).  The wire you see coming down below the signal is bent at the appropriate place and slotted into the servo motor arm.

One of the reasons I went for the metal (steel) base is for mounting.  I make a basic hole big enough to insert the operating tubes and use the principle of the three legged stool with magnets placed on three screws in holes around my main hole.  The screws can be adjusted individually to get the correct lean angle and the signal can be removed simply by pulling.  However, once I am satisfied I usually bed the signals into the drainage cinders.   Do you have FaceTime or Skype?  I have just gone through my photos and I don't have any pictures of my mounting brackets, but will take some in the next couple of days.  

Note Dave Fenton at Mega points is very good and he has a lot of how to videos on U-Tube (no connection)

[Theakerr]

Got a couple of pictures showing an underboard mount - sort of the focus is very poor - but I think it gives the general impression.

 

Edited to get the correct pictures

Edited March 5, 2018 by Theakerr

[Brian D]

I mount my signals on a piece of plywood and then cut a hole in the baseboard top so that the piece of plywood is an interference fit.

 

The servos are mounted on the other face of the plywood so all I need to do is detach the servo lead and tease the construction out with a bit of persuasion from below. I shall have to rethink this idea for the other station on the layout as I can't get to the underside of the baseboard. However, as I'm using MSE signal kits, it isn't impossible to gently pull the signal upward by the post.

 

Many thanks for that, Ray.  I don't really think that I gave signals and their disposition on the layout enough thought at the baseboard/track laying stage so I'm winging it a little bit at the moment    This particular location is particularly tricky because the main baseboard is dropped to accommodate the river valley.   Thanks again for your insight though.

Regards,

Brian.

[Brian D]

So far I have bought my servos, which are all 9gm, either direct from various sources in China or from Hobby King who are located in Hong Kong but with warehouses in several places.  From China I have paid as little as Can$1.50 and from Hobby King they are Can$2.00 to 2.50.  I have bought both digital and analog and find no difference except price.  The analog are cheaper.  I have found no difference in quality from either source.  I buy the extension leads required to connect the servos from Hobby King or make my own from multi strand telephone wire.  All my servos are controlled by Megapoint's units ( https://megapointscontrollers.com/wp1/ ) that cost UK£50 and control 12 servos.  Finally, I built my own switch box.  Note: MERG sells all the necessary components, are very helpful to deal with but you have to assemble the kits.  I like the servos because the speed of operation can be controlled (3 speeds) so on plastic signals the slow speed can be used resulting in a very gentle movement.  I do not use the bounce feature because a) I don't think it is realistic and b) I think it would be hard on plastic signals.  To mount them I use some AL channel which holds the servo motor and screws under the baseboard.  If I don't have a picture I can take one shortly because I have to remount one of my signals (I forgot to allow for the overhang of the coaches).  The wire you see coming down below the signal is bent at the appropriate place and slotted into the servo motor arm.

One of the reasons I went for the metal (steel) base is for mounting.  I make a basic hole big enough to insert the operating tubes and use the principle of the three legged stool with magnets placed on three screws in holes around my main hole.  The screws can be adjusted individually to get the correct lean angle and the signal can be removed simply by pulling.  However, once I am satisfied I usually bed the signals into the drainage cinders.   Do you have FaceTime or Skype?  I have just gone through my photos and I don't have any pictures of my mounting brackets, but will take some in the next couple of days.  

Note Dave Fenton at Mega points is very good and he has a lot of how to videos on U-Tube (no connection)

 

 

Servo 2.jpgServo 1.jpgGot a couple of pictures showing an underboard mount - sort of the focus is very poor - but I think it gives the general impression.

 

Edited to get the correct pictures

 

This is all terrific stuff and thanks for sharing.  I did spot these cheap servos on flea bay but didn't fully understand how to power them which seems to be the expensive part of the installation.  I'll have a look at the YouTube videos and ponder it further.  In the meantime I might still persevere with some sort of mechanical control because basically I'm a cheapskate 

Thanks again for sharing this wealth of info.

Regards,

Brian.

[Brian D]

Wow, kind words indeed, John.  Thank you so much for your lovely comment and your patience in ploughing through my ramblings.  I was going to take some better pics of the station area with the DSLR for you but the battery is flat.  99% of the pics on here are camera phone shots sometimes photo-shopped slightly.  I'll take some DSLR pics tomorrow if I get the chance.

Once again, many thanks for your interest.

 

Regards,

Brian.

 

Following on from this, I did take some pics of the station area with the "big camera" the other day but the RMWeb upload resizing doesn't necessarily make them any better than the phone pics.  So, what follows now are simply some pics taken from slightly different view points than previously.

 

 

 

 

 

Regards,

Brian.

[380John]

Following on from this, I did take some pics of the station area with the "big camera" the other day but the RMWeb upload resizing doesn't necessarily make them any better than the phone pics. So, what follows now are simply some pics taken from slightly different view points than previously.

 

DSC00008rev.jpg

 

DSC00010rev.jpg

 

DSC00013rev.jpg

 

DSC00016rev.jpg

 

Regards,

Brian.

Wonderful shots Brian. Love the station throat and approach under the bridge. It segregates the parts of the layout nicely and attracts the eye to tge action. Thanks for taking the time to take these pictures. Much appreciated

 

All the best,

John

[Theakerr]

Whilst I have used servos I did think about a simple mechanical movements at the tube exit.   My extension tubes would remain but cut to the height of the baseboard and I would mount a crank on an extension bracket to my steel base.  On said extension I would mount a crank so that activation would now be at right angles to the extension tubes.  A spring could be fitted to pull the signal back to danger.

 

Edited to correct English

Edited March 7, 2018 by Theakerr

[danstercivicman]

Following on from this, I did take some pics of the station area with the "big camera" the other day but the RMWeb upload resizing doesn't necessarily make them any better than the phone pics.  So, what follows now are simply some pics taken from slightly different view points than previously.

 

DSC00008rev.jpg

 

DSC00010rev.jpg

 

DSC00013rev.jpg

 

DSC00016rev.jpg

 

Regards,

Brian.

 

Great Work

[Brian D]

Signal work continues.  Meanwhile....

 

...the chime whistle of a big engine approaching heralds the early morning papers/parcels train nearing Deneside.

 

 

 

 

The A2 and train, having passed the awaiting station pilot in the head-shunt slides into platform 3.

 

 

 

The J72 removes the train and backs it into platform 4.

 

 

 

Duties over for now, the J72 takes refuge in the goods road as the A2 drifts past shed bound...

 

 

...where it is prepared for the return journey.

 

 

 

Later, fed and watered, the A2 awaits departure.

 

 

Note to self:  Must stop playing trains and get on with it.

 

Regards,

Brian.

[Northroader]

Your lines looking great, play trains, hinny.

[Two_sugars]

Note to self:  Must stop playing trains and get on with it.

 

 

Why Man divn't be si daft . . . . That's why you're building it. . . . To Play Trains.

 

 

 

John

[Brian D]

Your lines looking great, play trains, hinny.

 

 

Note to self:  Must stop playing trains and get on with it.

 

 

Why Man divn't be si daft . . . . That's why you're building it. . . . To Play Trains.

 

 

 

John

 

Why aye man.  Why not, me bonnie lads!

[Brian D]

Signal work has been parked for the moment while I mull over the means of operation so I have gone back to the river valley scenics.  This has involved more static grassing to hide the joins (Ern  ) between the scenic jigsaw puzzle parts, ...

 

 

putting in a hard standing for the garage and its forecourt...

 

 

and putting a painted and talced road surface on the bridge.

 

 

Meanwhile....

 

...a K1 approaches with a short engineer's train.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, there is some work to do on this train - the ballast wagons are the wrong colour (they should be black not olive for my chosen period) and the sharks are still labelled "Stratford".  Ho hum.

 

Regards,

Brian.

[Andrew P]

Some lovely pics there Brian, clean and crisp, and some good work going on as well.

[Brian D]

Scenic work around the garage down to the riverbank continues.

 

 

The snowy area is filler covering the expanded polystyrene land form.  It will be painted and grassed in due course.  Meanwhile...

 

...a K1, having taken empties to the colliery, returns to shed.

 

 

 

 

 

Later, the colliery shunter waits to assemble the train of fulls...

 

 

...and a local stopper approaches...

 

 

...and terminates...

 

 

...after which the London connection departs.

 

 

Regards,

Brian.

[Brian D]

The land form between the garage and the riverbank has now been grassed...

 

 

 

 

...and I have extended the baseboard edge profile from the river along to the colliery.

 

 

 

 

All of this will eventually be painted matt black.

 

Regards,

Brian.

[380John]

Hi Brian,

 

What grasses do you use?

I particularly like the transition between brown and green at the canal edge.

 

Many thanks

 

John

[Brian D]

Hi Brian,

 

What grasses do you use?

I particularly like the transition between brown and green at the canal edge.

 

Many thanks

 

John

 

Hi John,

Thanks for your interest.  On the basis that a picture is worth a thousand words, here are two!

 

 

 

All I would say in further explanation is that I paint the plastered/modroced landform with brown poster paint, leaving it to dry suffiently, before overpainting with pva glue and then administering the grassing tool.

 

Regards,

Brian.

[380John]

Hi John,

Thanks for your interest. On the basis that a picture is worth a thousand words, here are two!

 

20180317_132214.jpg

 

20180317_132236.jpg

 

All I would say in further explanation is that I paint the plastered/modroced landform with brown poster paint, leaving it to dry suffiently, before overpainting with pva glue and then administering the grassing tool.

 

Regards,

Brian.

Cheers Brian!

 

John

[danstercivicman]

Great stuff

[Brian D]

Great stuff

Thanks Dan. I hope your house move goes well and I look forward to seeing your new or recycled layout on RMweb soon. Thanks again for your interest in my ramblings.

Best Regards,

Brian.

Edited March 17, 2018 by Brian D

[jukebox]

Hi John,

Thanks for your interest.  On the basis that a picture is worth a thousand words, here are two!

 

20180317_132214.jpg

 

20180317_132236.jpg

 

All I would say in further explanation is that I paint the plastered/modroced landform with brown poster paint, leaving it to dry suffiently, before overpainting with pva glue and then administering the grassing tool.

 

Regards,

Brian.

 

Thanks for that Brian - you've just shown me a supplier who *isn't* charging £15+ postage for a half dozen bags of static grass.  I think they will be getting my business!

 

Cheers

 

Scott