Dave, your comment The outputs on the back of the 64 give out 5v when switched on so will light a led ok without a series resister   - tempting fate there with 5V. A  400 ohm resistor wil save it from too bright a short life I think. Better to run LEDs with a lower voltage than an over supply.

The leds are quite dim without the use of a series resistor. Anyway looks like time for a plan B as I think the old computer is objecting to being used!! Tonight I set it up in the garage so I could experement with the 7404 chips and relay driver circuit that I got off the internet last night. However first I had problems with loading the program from the tape. Then when I did load it I listed the commands then copied them on paper. Then listed them again and line 10 disapeared to be replaced with 88 !! AAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! The computer has gone back to being a door stop! Plan B is to build a control board instead. I have a kit that salvaged off a garage that I made for my nephew a couple of years back. Unfortunatly the sequence is wrong for 'british' traffic lights. I do however have a circuit diagram for a british traffic light that uses the same 4017 chip. So with some modification it should be possable to get the lights to change as required. Its just a shame that the computer idea didn't work as planed as this also allowed the red/green/flashing green for the pedestrians. Hopefully this wont take all weekend like the webcam last week!:roll:

Ok here's the link for a british traffic light. I will have to modify this slightly to operate two sets of lights.;-)

 

http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/projects/trafficlight.htm

Yesterday was a more productive day on the railway. After experementing with the old computer to control the traffic lights the idea was dropped in favour for somthing more reliable. In my last post, I posted a link for a british traffic light controler. When I compared the circuit diagram with the traffic light kit off the old garage model I found that they were similar the only real diffrence being the clock circuit. So out came the multimeter along with pen and paper and I sat and belled out all the outputs from the 4017 chip through the diodes and what lights they controlled. I found that by adding two extra diodes I could get the sequence that I required! With the controler now sorted attention turned to the lights themselves. A trip to the town on the morning resulted in another set of battrey powered tree lights otherwise known as leds! So for £1.99 I got a set of 20 multicoloured ones. These were then carefully removed from the wiring and cleaned up. Starting with the green they were then soldered to the top of a brass post and the wires threaded under the baseboard. Origanaly I intended to include the pedestrian lights aswell but as Im not using the computer the plan changed so that these are now represented by dummy lights. Heres the lights after the leds were first fitted……


Now we get creative! You will note the traffic bollard next to the car. These are included with the scalescenes roadways. But the great thing is they light up! By fitting a white led (more christmas decks) to the baseboard then fitting the bollard over the top you get this…..






One feature of british traffic lights is the distintive fences at the side of the road. This started out as a ratio fence….



Finaly I added the yellow boxes for the pedestrian crossings. These were scraps of balsa….






The only thing missing now is the white outline around the lights themselves. This will be added using some microstrip.;-)

Fantastic, Dave!  Love those lights!

Thanks Max just to prove they work heres a 'naff' video clip. Must get sorted with a video camera!!:roll:

Excellent, Dave.  Excellent!

Don't buy a JVC hard drive - well not until I get mine sorted . . .

Dave that is a nice bit of work,they do you justice sets the scene nicely.

:doublethumb;-):lol::lol::lol::lol::cool:

Thanks guys. Just downloaded scalescenes corner shops kit so looks like a day of building!:roll:

A bit more progress this afternoon. I have fitted the frame under the lift out section and then glued in place all the roadways and the bases for the shops/houses. The scalescenes shop kit is mint! It has alternitive shop fronts and window displays. I perticualy like the newsagents and the chip shop. Will look the bussiness with one of those animated flashing signs in the window! Anyway a couple of pics excuse the mess in the backgrounds I will get round to binning most of it!!

First a view showing how the traffic lights and buildings will fit in behind the canal section….



A bit closer in. The corner shops will be where the phone box is and more shops are planed across the road where the green/white busses are…



Next a view across from the back of the TMD.



This will give a better impresion of the buildings location.



And finaly a long shot looking back across to the warehouses and parcels depot..

thats a fair bit of space to fill,but looks like it wont take to long with the scalescenes
kit,they are very good.

:cheers;-):lol::lol::lol::lol::cool:

Absolutley fantastic as always !

Yesterday I finaly resolved the problem of my holidays over christmas. Basicly I was told to keep 4 days spare although as I was on call 1 bank holiday I gained an extra day. So with 5 days to take before the end of the year I booked the days between christmas and new year and requested that I carry 2 over to Jan. When the answer was no and if not taken I would loose them I managed to get today and tomorrow instead!!!!:lol:

So this morning I woke to find this……


When my Mrs arrived back home after doing a lap of the estate I was quite relived that I was indoors! Anyway some progress has been made with the houses/shops. I the usual scalescenes style I ignored the assembely instructions and went my own way. The houses are built by assembeling the walls between the houses first. Then you are suppose to fit the floors before fitting the roof then the outside walls. I decided that as the inside wont be seen why model it! So I have omitted the floors and used thick card for the inside wall instead. This will make lighting easer as 1 led can light up the whole building. To give the impresion of lights in diffrent rooms I will blank off the required windows from behind. Progress so far…

Basic construction…….



The row of shops…



View down the street….





General view of the lift out section…



Finaly a few showing how the buildings fit in with the rest of the layout…

 

 I take it that the rail service has been interrupted then hmm:hmm

What is all that stuff on your track :twisted:

 

 Dandruff

Surely you knew that expanding foam is hard to control.

Those shops look interesting already! That's a really nice part of the layout. Close to the canal too, isn't it?  edit: looking again, I'm thinking it's not.


Mike

Chris

I thinkDave must have gone a bit mad with the shaving foam this morning.

cheers Brian

Wot you lot like!!!

Looks like a snow plough will be on santas list this year! Mike the houses are located at the top of the hill behind the canal/warehouse section. Another trip to the town resulted in some more led's for the layout. As all the white ones had gone I had to make do with yellow for the insides of the houses……..

 



I managed to find some white ones from last years stock for the shops downstairs. The led's are mounted on wires that pass through the walls between the houses…


Now the lighting is fitted I can fit the walls once the printer has finished.;-)

A man after my own heart

" If you cant see it dont model it !"

:)