Petermac's Railway

Hi Peter, I too was very impressed with the sound. I may have missed it somewhere in your thread, but what chip was it? I have several DMU's that I now feel should make a bit of a noise.

I couldn't help noticing the platform canopy as you come into the station. I knew I should have provided instructions. They go up in the air on on pole things.

  The station canopies are just there to see how far down the platform they'll come after the large overall roof, and to see if they're wide enough for my two faced platform Peter.  In fact, as you'll have seen, they're not quite wide enough being maybe 5mm narrower than the platform itself.  Another cm in width would have made them perect. :???:  Still, I'll live with that - afterall, I won't be one of the passengers getting wet !! :cool wink

The chip in this DMU is, I think, a Howes chip.  It does take a bit of "proper driving" to get the sounded locos right - not just a question of pressing buttons.  You'll have noticed I got it wrong as it drew to a halt in the station.  Revving the guts out of the poor engine as it inched it's way past the kettle …………:oops::oops::oops:  It did finally notch down as it came to a halt but I was worried …………

The next DMU I do will be one of Paul Chetter's Digitrains offerings.  I've got one of his in a Std. Class 3 - cleverly fitted by Max - and I'm over the moon with it.  In fact, loco purchases have virtually ground to a halt as what "stock" funds I have, are channelled into sound chips rather than more "wheels".

Great video Peter.

Nice decent run for the trains. The Mill looks great sitting in the corner and the approach view from the camera is fantastic. :thumbs 

I'm looking foward to more scenics on the layout. ;-)

Cheers, Gary.

Nice to see how it's all coming along, Peter. Now have a better idea about what you're up to.
   

I would have made you some 1cm wider if you'd asked. The standard ones are just coincidentally the same width as the platforms on my layout 

I think I will be spending the next year or so improving my rolling stock. The demolition of my Bidley Layout starts next week and I think a new railway room is at least a year away. I'll be watching your progress with vicarious interest.

It's some time sincve I added anything to this thread but I haven't been totalliy idle since January.

I've recently bought a Class 08 "Gronk" from  Paul Chetter with his sound project and a fantastic "stay alive" on  board.

I had my doubts about uploading this video to YouTube…………..

It's taken with an old Sony Handycam which requires loads of light.  I'd  tested for the best placement of a 150watt halogen flood and a second LED  floodlight  - then "pow", the halogen tube blew.  Of course, I didn't  have a spare so, my appologies for the poor quality of the lighting and  cameraman, to say nothing of how boring the end result has turned out to  be, but here's the "gronk" in action.

I'm still a total novice regarding "driving" this loco but there are so  many "driving options" and sounds programmed into it, that it's quite  bewildering.  I forgot to do the coupling up clash, the hook up of the  couplings and the taking up of the slack sounds, to name but 3 ………

Things I did remember were the hand priming of the motor before start-up  and the wheel squeal.  You can't really hear the windscreen wipers  ……………

Oh yes, please bear in mind that the track had not been specifically  cleaned and the point where the siding joins the main line near the  houses, is an insulfrog point …………..believe me, this "stay alive" is totally magic  :cheers:cheers:cheers

Of course, it goes without saying that my thanks go to Paul who has, I'm sure you'll agree, done a superb job of the project.
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qtSKGgYK5U&feature=youtu.be

That's a very impressive bit of kit now Peter. Maybe one day I'll look at getting sound into some of my N Gauge locos.

That is some great sound coming from the O8. Paul has done a fantastic job. I keep hearing these impressive sounds fom various locos and think to myself, 'one day…' Maybe I need to get intouch with Paul about sound for my 08.. ;-)

Cheers, Gary.

 

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

I had my doubts about uploading this video to YouTube…………..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qtSKGgYK5U&feature=youtu.be

Glad you did Peter, brilliant, enjoyed watching :thumbs


Ed

Very impressive, Paul does an excellent job!:)
Hoping to send my A4 to him soon!

Cheers
Ron

I,ve just enjoyed watching your video Pauls work is fantastic! I was talking to Paul at the Mansfield exhibition and he demonstrated the stay alive function on a little 0-4-0 diesel shunter by setting it of running -with sound- lifting it of the track and it carried on running along his demo, stand table!! if he hadn,t stopped it, it would have carried itself off the end of the table!!, love it.  :).
Pete.

Hi Peter,

I must admit, that was fantastic. You don't give yourself enough credit when it comes to the driving . It was nice to see. As for the sound, I think I will be having a word with Mr Chetter.

I wouldn't mind one of my 08's kitted out and I'd like to hear what he could do with a class 22 and 25.

If you have any more diesel sounds ……. Get them up please. Thanks for taking the time to post that

Cheers

Toto

Hi Peter

The video was a very impressive demonstration of the Zimo chip………both sound and running. An 0-6-0 crawling at that speed over insulfrog points was astonishing. I have googled CS68 without success to try and find the manufacturer of the "stay alive" capacitor. I will be very interestd to hear what Paul uses on your Pannier (and I definitely look forward to the video of that!)

There was some discussion on RMWeb about using TCS keep alive capacitors with Zimo decoders and Zimo have their own brand which they call energy support (or similar). I have used and like the TCS capacitors but I am very dubious about squeezing one into a pannier.

Another aspect of the video I enjoyed was to see the continued development of the links between the different modules……its really coming together:thumbs

:cheers

Many thanks John - methinks, having watched it again myself, you're being far too kind.  It really is a dreadful video :oops::oops::oops:.    When I get the pannier back, I'll try a different camera !!!!

The "SC 68" is manufactured by Zimo - it costs £22 ex Digitrains and it's tiny.  Paul says he thinks he can get one on the cab floor.  Painted matt black, you wouldn't see it.

I've never used the TCS version but have used the DCC Concepts one.  My grouse with theirs is that, when it cuts in, the loco seems to take a leap foward.  There's absolutely no noticable cut in point with this one - it's just completely smooth.  Paul was true to his word when he said you wouldn't know if power was coming from the rails or the cap.  If the pannier performs nearly as well, I'll be over the moon.

I've spent what bit of spare time I've had recently, fitting point motors to the points on the station board.  A mix of SEEPs and Peco surface mounted.  The former because I had them in stock and the latter because I forgot to drill holes for the control wires when I laid the double slips.  I've still got another unused LS150 so the next batch of points will make use of that.  Having wired up 15 SEEP/Peco motors, I'm inclined to agree that Tortoise are much easier on both time and wire !!!  I used cheap mini SPDT switches which I also had in stock so the switches were no great expense but I've certainly eaten up some wire !!!

I'm still pondering the gap between Doug's mill and my "Engineering" module (where you saw the cornflake packet strips).  If I want to keep the bridge over the main line, I need to blend in the landform from track level to track + 3" in a fairly short space.  I'm not sure how that would look.  It may be that I remove the bridge, hill and retaining walls although I don't really want to if I can find a way around it.

After that, my plan is to continue going right from the mill towards my "industrial valley" which butts up to the tube module………..then there's the "Wheregate Station" area and tram circuit to look at …………………:roll::roll::roll:;-)

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

Many thanks John - methinks, having watched it again myself, you're being far too kind.  It really is a dreadful video :oops::oops::oops:.    When I get the pannier back, I'll try a different camera !!!!

Well I truly enjoyed it……the only suggestion I would have is a health warning for the hard of hearing:lol:

Your trailer specially mentioned the hand priming at the start…….but for the first minute I could hear nothing…..I cranked up the laptop sound, changed the hearing aid batteries………..and then…….finally…..shot out of my chair…….the dogs (equally elderly but less hard of hearing) were not, I am afraid, impressed:lol::lol:

The "SC 68" is manufactured by Zimo - it costs £22 ex Digitrains and it's tiny.  Paul says he thinks he can get one on the cab floor.  Painted matt black, you wouldn't see it.    I've never used the TCS version but have used the DCC Concepts one.  My grouse with theirs is that, when it cuts in, the loco seems to take a leap foward.  There's absolutely no noticable cut in point with this one - it's just completely smooth.  Paul was true to his word when he said you wouldn't know if power was coming from the rails or the cap.  If the pannier performs nearly as well, I'll be over the moon.  

Thats exactly the experience I had with the DCC Concepts Stay Alive……I am afraid I cannot recommend them

I assume the S68s have to be attached to a Zimo decoder? I am really looking forward to seeing your Pannier

I'm still pondering the gap between Doug's mill and my "Engineering" module (where you saw the cornflake packet strips).  If I want to keep the bridge over the main line, I need to blend in the landform from track level to track + 3" in a fairly short space.  I'm not sure how that would look.  It may be that I remove the bridge, hill and retaining walls although I don't really want to if I can find a way around it.  

I thought it had lots of potential. I was thinking of a cutting blasted out of the rock…..a bit like the entry into Liverpool Lime Street……smoke blackened damp shiny rock ….mossy ledges….. built in walls at the base with a refuge or two………:thumbs

After that, my plan is to continue going right from the mill towards my "industrial valley" which butts up to the tube module………..then there's the "Wheregate Station" area and tram circuit to look at …………………:roll::roll::roll:;-)  

Its the the tram circuit with RR&Co that I am eagerly anticipating

:cheers:cheers

Brilliant video Peter,you underestimate your ability.The sound is fantastic and you have got me thinking.I've got a couple of 08's but where everything would go in N scale defeats me at the moment.

[user=1505]toto[/user] wrote:

As for the sound, I think I will be having a word with Mr Chetter.

I wouldn't mind one of my 08's kitted out and I'd like to hear what he could do with a class 22 and 25.

As it happens, I'm loading my new ProtoDrive Class 25 to a pair of N gauge Farish 'Rats' just now.

N gauge locos with 'working brakes', who'd have thought it?

I'll ty to post a video as soon as I can get to it.

Anyone can 'have a word with' me, just PM me to join my ZIMO News Group for all the latest developments.

Kind regards,

Paul

If you had visited my demo stand at the East Anglian show last weekend, I could have shown you how.

Kind regards,

Paul

ZIMO decoders have been widely regarded for many years as having the best motor control available. Many of the standard ZIMO features were added to ESU Loksound decoders when they launched the V4.0.

I think the decoder has a greater bearing on the way the stay alive capacitor works than the capacitor itself (provided the latter meets all the required criteria). I have used the DCC Concepts stay alive with ZIMO decoders without problem. In fact, next month's Hornby Magazine, issue 95, shows how I one fitted to a Hornby J94, along with sound, smoke, firebox flicker and working loco lamps.

The TCS decoders use a pack of Super Capacitors as their stay alive solution. I make DIY versions of these, shown in past issues of Hornby Magazine, for less than £10, which allows the loco to do this: View them, or skip to, the end to see the stay alive capacity. Both use my own DIY supercap solution.

In 00

https://youtu.be/l7W_Q6b-lwc

and in 0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA25MG9LLAo

The particular type fitted to Peter's model is a ZIMO SC68. Performance is between that of the DCC Concepts unit and the TCS pack.

The advantage is in its compact and flat format, allowing fitment where other types simple would not go.

ZIMO has a unique way to avoid parking on a dead or dirty peice of track, so that re-starts are always possible.

Kind regards,

Paul

Is it really 12 months since I added anything to this thread …………………..:oops::oops::oops:

I have had lots of problems with this junction.




It is made up of 2 x Peco insulfrog large Y points and an insulfrog diamond crossing.   
Problems have mainly been due to shorting on the diamond frogs and the picture shows some rough looking “extra” insulation on the frogs using nail varnish.  This temporarily stopped the shorts but gradually wore off with track cleaning and any short wheelbase, or slow moving locos simply stalled there.   

It will be replaced by these:



 2 x large Y electrofrog points and an electrofrog diamond – all in Code 75 Finsecale (simply because I had the diamond in stock so opted to use it).  As the rest of the layout is Code 100, obviously I’ll have to use some Code 100 to Code 75 adapter rails manufactured by Peco to connect the junction to the rest of the layout.  

The junction will be controlled by the following:



 A Mega Points Multipanel Processor (top left) which drives  
 A Mega Points Servo Controller (top right)  
 Actuation of the points is via the white mini servos (centre) and frog polarity is changed by the micro switches (also actuated by the servo arm)  
 
Frog polarity on the diamond crossing will be via a Tam  Valley dual Frog Juicer  ( centre bottom)   
 
The reason I opted for the servos on the points rather than using a hexfrog juicer for the whole junction is that I’d read that you need a short rail break between one frog and the next using a juicer otherwise, should the polarity need changing on the 2^nd frog,  it may also change the polarity on the first one whilst the loco is still on it.  Adding a rail break, however short, on this junction would have thrown the geometry way out.