TheSignalEngineer

That's right, I used a couple of scrap bits of Evergreen strip as scotches.

Still digging on the Snake Pass. They are hoping to break through later today.

First order would be for 100 PET bottle burning Leader Class for general use and clean up some of the rubbish from around the countryside. Crack expresses would be hauled by 150mph streamlined Ivatt/Stanier Pacifics running on pulverised coal blown into the firebox to burn like a gas.

I'm not sure of the exact values but I've had a meter on the circuit and I would estimate that the Gaugemaster set-up using a nominal 16 volt AC reaches the steady state at about 23 volts DC in 1 second from releasing the push button when the points have thrown. At that voltage Seeps go over like a Westinghouse EP machine.

It depends on the circuit resistance. For example the time constant is circuit resistance in ohms x capacitance in farads. The Steady State time is 5x the time constant

It should do, the output from a controller auxilliary supply is usually 1 amp. The recommended maximum charging voltage is usually 16 volt AC or 24 volt DC. The way the circuit is wired on the board, using the output via a point motor should effectively switch off the input circuit, so you don't short out the power supply. As point motors are controlled by a probe, push button, passing contact or centre off non locking switch they will only have a momentary pulse. Once the output is disconnected the capacitors should start to charge. Because the stored charge rises on a curve it will reach 63% of the charging voltage quite quickly depending on the resistance of the charging circuit. This is the Time Constant for the particular circuit. As the rate of increase drops away it takes 5 times the time constant to reach 99% of the charging voltage.

I made up mine with a flying lead to a chocolate block then used the 16/0,2 from there to the panel. On the first lot I did the flying lead was only 7/0.2 but being about 9" long it isn't a problem. The reason I used a separate common return conductor was to save on cores in the feed cable. It's a bit bigger than needed, probably enough to carry the current of 20 operating at once.

That's a lot of capacitor, 4x 4700microfarad capacitors are going to take a bit of charging. A bit of overkill? Having said that, once fully charged it should throw quite a lot of ends a once. The Gaugemaster and Peco units have 4400microfarads, so less than a quarter of the capacitance of that one. Charging time is directly proportional to the capacitance so is bigger really better?

That's AC input, DC output. Gaugemaster recommend 20v if you are using DC (IIRC). The uncontrolled AC output on the Gaugemaster D is 16v AC at 1amp which is perfectly sufficient for their CDU. On OO it should run up to six motors simultaneously if they are properly installed and the track is in good condition. Another advantage of using the CDU is that if one of your switches sticks closed it will not recharge, thus cannot burn out the solenoid.

My longest cable run to points is about 4.5 metres. On that board each end is fed individually via ribbon cable with 16/0.2mm cores. On those which are less than 2 metres from the panel I can happily feed two ends from the same core. The common return from each board is 2.5mm2 single core (I had about 20 metres of the old colours lying around - great for making plant ties for the garden). Using the Gaugemaster CDU I have each end of the points fed separately on that board.

A CDU should charge to near the peak value of the sine wave on AC. Discharging a capacitor charged from 15 volts AC should give a kick at just over 20 volts DC. If you put DC on the input of a capacitor you can end up with a bit less DC so would need a 20 to 24 volt DC input to give a similar result. I use a Gaugemaster CDU run from the AC output on a Gaugemaster D and have never had a problem with moving Seeps even when double ending a crossover.

I made one of these for holding a Seep central when installing. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/74234-seepeggy/?hl=seepeggy When fitting I screwed the seep onto two short strips of 9mm thick wood. I put a bit of double sided tape on the top of the wood, line up and test then put a screw into each piece of wood from the top about 10mm from the tie bar. If you get these in line at the same distance from the tie bar it is possible to ease them off slightly and move the wood to one side or the other if they need a bit of adjustment but half a millimetre is about all I have ever shifted them..

Thawing now. Digging out has started on The Snake. By the look of the pictures coming in the drifts a bit further up beyond where we walked yesterday were as high the machine trying to clear them. http://glossop.online/images/a57.jpg?=1520192751 Eejits were still ignoring the signs and thinking they were going to drive over the top. No time yet for how long it will take to get everything out of the way but they are hoping to be able to get a route through sometime on Monday. Some vehicles have been up there since Wednesday, drivers were rescued by the council and Mountain Rescue, one lorry driver having been stuck for 20 hours when they got to him.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/117054-seep-pm1-problem/?hl=%2Bseep+%2Bproblem I had a couple giving a similar problem when first installed. The rod was slightly bent and loose in the solenoid. It rotated when the solenoid was thrown and the points didn't move. Straightening the bar and a drop of superglue cured it. There were apparently a batch which hadn't been crimped properly, some rods rotated and others snapped off when used.

There have been some problems recently reported about the rods rotating in the solenoid. Can't find the thread at the moment but will look for it

Check out the building (and fence) to the left of the bubblecar in the 4th photo of this post http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/64117-out-of-marylebone-pre-chiltern-railways/

There were some of these stations in the West Midlands although many went during various improvements. The up side at Lapworth had a mirror image to the one shown right up to 1972.

I've still got a calculator on the work bench that my daughter had at school in 1987

As has already been said the continuity was dire. I was also amused by people in summer clothing in some shots. I was in Pickering at the time and went up past New Bridge to try to get a shot at the footpath crossing. It was so cold waiting we nearly gave up. That being said, I always enjoy the railway itself. For those who haven't been yet if you get the chance go to see a southbound train coming up the bank into Goathland. Spectacular sight especially if it is pointing the right way and has a good load on.

A57 Snake Pass half a mile East of Glossop about 2pm today. Between two and four feet of frozen snowdrift across the road. People are still driving past the Closed sign and round the cones thinking they can get to Sheffield, I turned two back about 100 yards below that lower drift and on the way down we were passed by a Sheffield taxi.

Westinghouse Style 63 was introduced in 1968. I believe that the 3-phase version may still available from Siemens Australia. They certainly had a data sheet for it in 2014. In UK the Surelock machine was the replacement from Westinghouse/Invensys/Siemens.

There's a picture of 9710 on the web taken in 1960 still in shirtbutton livery which IIRC was last used c1942

Most types of machine from the various contractors made up to then could be found along with BR Clamp Locks. Region and date of resignalling would help to determine the type that would be found.

Plenty of cars passed me heading east along the A57 towards the Snake Pass this afternoon. The same lot passed me heading west a few minutes later after they got as far as Glossop Golf Course and found the locals re-enacting the Winter Olympics down the middle of the road. The powdery snow was being propelled off the fairway by the wind funneling between Kinder and Bleaklow straight across the road. The Mountain Rescue have been up on Woodhead to rescue a lorry driver who was stranded there last night. Probably the eejit who overtook me on the inside when I was in free-fall coming down Mottram Moor.

GWR Upper Quadrant at NRM April 1984 Anyone got a picture at its original location?