Petermac's Railway

Frustrating innit. My layout is in sections, but simply with a switch for each one. This means that a short anywhere causes the whole lot to shut down, I can then turn off all switches, reset the Lenz and turn them back on one at a time. This narrows the search area and avoids the expense of multiple circuit breakers.

I've not seen anything of John for ages now. Hopefully he's OK.

Well done for persevering and tracking down a really unfair and frustrating short Peter. It really does hurt the mojo when such things happen.

There is a downside of course…. 'erindoors is going to start wondering why her list is suddenly getting longer!

I've recently had to rectify a fault in one of my under board switch motors. Like you, I can get under the baseboards…. getting up again is much harder and even came with a dizzy spell.

I hope that the approaching off season gives you some time on the railway.

all the best

I'm the resident expert on dizzy spells since I fell orf me trailer while I was truck driving. I've had BPPV since 2006 and it ain't much fun.

I've built my layout to be bomb proof so that when I get up from the chair on wheels, I can use a layout leg to help me on my way. The actual 'being under there' and looking up tends to make me feel rotten, but I've just got used to it over the years.

Onwards and upwards wiv fings under the base board.

Hi Peter

Your tale of woe dragged me out of hibernation:)

I am so glad you finally found the short. As I know all too well, there is nothing more frustrating than the time consuming, non-productive search for a short. As you may recall a number of my such episodes were turntable related.

I cant remember how your TT was wired - I seem to remember it was connected to the standard Fleischmann switch which worked correctly but I have a vague memory there may have been an issue with the bridge polarity?

Have you reconfigured the exit tracks? The rail connectors from the TT extensions (the segments inserted into the TT) to the standard rail look quite new in the photo - regardless they are likely to cause you problems. The Fleischmann is designed so that power is supplied directly to the bridge. The TT extension should be isolated and only receive power when the bridge has come to a standstill and thus made a power connection. You may need to change all the rail connections between your exit tracks and their TT extension to insulated rail joiners. However, before doings so could you check if the bridge has its own direct power supply from the DCC bus?

We are both surprisingly well and active in the garden despite the aches and pains of old age.

Our very best wishes to you and Liz

peterm said

Frustrating innit. My layout is in sections, but simply with a switch for each one. This means that a short anywhere causes the whole lot to shut down, I can then turn off all switches, reset the Lenz and turn them back on one at a time. This narrows the search area and avoids the expense of multiple circuit breakers.

I've not seen anything of John for ages now. Hopefully he's OK.

From “Post #288,319”, 29th July 2023, 11:59 pm

Thanks Pete- it is kind of you to think of me.  I am afraid I have been a very poor correspondent this year - hopefully I can do better in the second half of the year.

Best wishes

Good to see you back, John. Been missing Granby Junction.

Thanks for the words of encouragement Chaps - like a tonic to an old man ……………………….

My turntable is an old, probably original, version John - as I said, designed for both the old Marklin 3 rail centre stud contact system or a 2 rail system although there is no built-in polarity change for the deck.  As a result, I've had to install a DPDT switch on the deck power feeds.

You are correct in that it's operated (turned) via the Fleischmann panel mounted switch powered by a separate 12v DC supply.  There are 3 other wires attached to,  and thus powering,  the bridge itself - 2 yellow and 1 white.  Online research on this model suggests the 2 yellow wires power the rails from the DC or DCC bus via a DPDT switch in the case of a 2 rail system and the white was for powering the centre rail stud contacts in the above mentioned Marklin system.  With the Marklin system, the 2 yellow wires were joined and fed by one side of the supply and the white from the other.

Regarding the track feeder segments - the track entering from the layout is insulated from the turntable and requires use of the DPDT switch to avoid a short but all other tracks are fed only by the powered bridge once it locks in place.  The slight downside of this system is that once the turntable moves away from whichever track, power to that track is lost so sound locos just cut out. 

The segments are not new John - just smartened up with some elbow grease and track cleaner.

The upside of this whole episode is that in future, don't assume anything, check every possibility however unlikely it may seem but above all, take heed of advice from those who've been there and done that - I could have saved quite a bit of pain and frustration if I'd installed those circuit breakers Mr Dew urged me to install !!!!  At least my search would have been narrowed down to one corner although I suspect it would still have been some time before I actually discovered the problem.

Hi Peter

I really must stop jumping to hasty conclusions - apologies for raising a false alarm.:wub:   Thats a perfectly workmanlike solution particularly when you are manually switching bridge polarity.

 

Nice to see you both back here. Shorts are a real beep beep beep, that along with unexplained areas of no power. I have just come up through France on my way to the UK, unfortunatey there wasn't time to see if you were around Peter. I would like to see how the layout is coming along.

After being in Oz since 1974 I no longer like long trousers, or strides as they're sometimes called here. It's also out of the ordinary to wear shoes, and, no, I'm not an ocker. Look it up. :-)

It would have been great to see you again Dave but I fear you might not have seen huge progress on the layout since your last visit.   Most of what's been done is "unseen" work plus a great deal of messing about instead of actually modelling……………

Those darned lists again - that's my excuse anyway !! 

I wasn't sure if your trouserless phrase was something to do with Australian darts Pete - close but not quite !!  It's quite surprising how quickly we adapt to "local" dress codes - here in this part of France, dress code is extremely casual - ties almost don't exist along with suits.  Jackets, when worn, are usually a clean bomber jacket, biker type jackets or those multi-pocketed shooting "vests" ……….  Nowadays, the only times I wear a jacket and tie are for Rotary events and funerals.

I no longer posess a suit that fits, relying on my kilt for weddings etc. and sports jacket for other "formal" occasions.   The other day, I went to a local funeral - shirt and black tie, sombre sports jacket and "proper" shoes.  I felt decidedly over dressed - only 2 other ties, both worn by Englishmen, not a single pair of "proper" shoes, trainers and loafers being the order of the day and hardly any jackets of any sort.  "Respect" seemed to have been shown by the wearing of a clean (probably new) flat cap or beret……………………..

I can relate to your woes Peter.  I just erected my layout after an extended period of wiring.  It all works except for one turnout.  I just spent the last two days under the thing and I'm having ever increasing problems getting back up again.  My friend is due to visit later today so I'll get him to help me to mount the offending boards in the vertical.

John

I wouldn't put the population through seeing me with no trousers, Peter.  

John, I reckon the floor's getting further away the older I get.

peterm said

I wouldn't put the population through seeing me with no trousers, Peter.  

John, I reckon the floor's getting further away the older I get.

From “Post #288,339”, 2nd August 2023, 12:18 am

Maybe you're still growing like me Peterm - certainly my legs must be getting longer because my arms can't reach my feet anymore …………………..

And gravity's getting stronger.

It would appear to be 3 months since I added anything to this thread - let me correct that now ………….

Whilst summer out here isn't my best time for modelling, I do manage the odd hour or so from time to time.  I have been trying to add some scenic interest to a corner of Maxmill and have come up with the following:

In the centre of the picture is my idea of the means to access the engine shed from the higher station level.  Without this, there would have been no sensible method of gaining vehicular access to this area.

Top right of the picture is the mill from which "Max"mill takes it's name.  The terraced houses are just temporarily stored there - a road will occupy that area leading into the mill via the arch.  The 4 storey wall is at a tight angle to the arch block although from the photo, it looks as if it ought really to continue over the arch.  Currently, there's nothing behind the mill wall but it is intended to be full relief.

Any critiques would be gratefully recieved - others see things differently from those who are too close to the woods !

An additional advantage of seeing things through the camera's eye is that mistakes and finishing touches are very much more visible …………  There are plenty of both in this image !!

It’s coming together Peter, if I were you I would concentrate on the track ballast etc. before sorting out buildings as the track is the main structure of any layout, get this to look right and you’re half way there  

Looks ok to me  


Ed

Phil.c said

It’s coming together Peter, if I were you I would concentrate on the track ballast etc. before sorting out buildings as the track is the main structure of any layout, get this to look right and you’re half way there  

From “Post #289,115”, 30th November 2023, 7:39 pm

You're right Phil - that's one of the things that shouted out from the photo that I'd sort of ignored whilst doing "other things".  All of what you see regarding ballast was already there from the original layout, I've just removed bits where I needed to and haven't got round to redoing it.  I did however, need to place that central structure before ballasting.  There are also several "edges" screaming out to be painted ………………..  

Petermac said

An additional advantage of seeing things through the camera's eye is that mistakes and finishing touches are very much more visible …………  There are plenty of both in this image !!

From “Post #289,114”, 30th November 2023, 4:54 pm

I agree, Peter. The camera lens is brutal 😒

Cheers,
Claus