Off at a tangent once more.

Good to hear Toto,
It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

:cheers  Gormo

Hi Gormo,

As quickly as I can get started. Just had my daughter round for mums birthday with a card and a pressie, then Lynne's mum. Now got to go up to my mums, then I am taking her out to a haberdashery for some materials for some clothes she is going to make for herself. Could be late afternoon before I get going but never mind. It's SWMBO's day today. She's going out with her work colleagues tonight so I have tonight to myself.

I'll report back later

Cheers

Toto

Well it's only Engand and Wales on the rugby so why not Tom!!:lol::lol:

Cheers
Ron

Even if it was Scotland, it's debatable if I would have watched it anyway.

I nipped in to a D & G tyre services on the scrounge for some lead weights for my wagons. The guy couldn't have been more helpful. Any particular size, would a couple of each size be ok. I came away with about a dozen varied bits and bobs :thumbs

Kiwi fit ……. Not so helpful. They did give me a couple of old bits which is great but I heard one of the guys saying to his boss " I take it leads free on a Saturday. What he did not hear was that I offer to pay for them. Never mind.

I have a mate who is in that game and he can get me more no problem. A favour for a favour. I'm his domestic electrician.

Anyway,

I'll probably be messing around with weighing down wagons over the magnets as well as playing about with their heights. I will try the new Dapol wagons that I bought specifically for Highbridge. Should be on to it shortly. I'm just back in the door from taking SWMBO out for her stuff.

Cheers for now

Toto.

Hi,

Well spent a bit more time with the magnets. Tried lowering them, mixed results. Tried taking the intensifier plate off. That's a no no as it weakens the magnetic field too much to the point that the Kadee does not activate at all.

Decided to flush mount them again and add some weight.  Works if you put half a ton of lead in but again not convinced. I went back to default position. Flush mounted, with plate and will just need to persevere. They do work but the dance does tend to go on a bit. Not ideal but probably the most consistent of them all.

The thing is, once the coupling has activated, the shunt can take the wagons clear of the magnet so the dance does not happen. It's just ensuring that you manage to shunt before it re couples.

I think there could be an amount of operator error / inexperience which will need to be perfected. So, rather than waste too much more time on it at the moment, I am going to take a bit of a gamble that it is down to me and move on as it's munched away at my time. If it's still not boding well in the future, I'll retro fit some wee thingmy magnets doofers.

I fitted a couple more Kadee no 18's to a couple of wagons ( Dapol ) the first was bang on, the second the wagon coupling seemed a tad low. I looked at it to discover quite a bit of slop in the coupling ( vertical slop ) which was more or less remedied by tightening up a small screw. A dot of superglue may come later. Once tightened, the height is bang on.

I then turned my attention to a class 03 and when fitted with a Kadee  no 18, was a perfect fit. I need to get power to the rails and try operating the couplings on both the wagons and the loco electrically.

Cheers for now

Toto

Sounds a bit like my trials Tom! :???:

Cheers
Ron

I'll persevere with it Ron but I think when I come to getting Breadalbane off the ground, I am going to try Gormo's method with the staples. A lot less messing around I think.

Breadalbane will only have minimal need for uncoupling anyway so it can be another test bed. I've already spent a few quid on the Kadee's so I'll use them at the moment just in order to get something back for my dosh. You never know, I may get it working better yet or improve my technique whichever is the one letting me down at the moment.

The next thing for Highbridge now is to get the power to the rails. I'll run in a power BUS for the track next, maybe even tonight. Then I'll look at working on the frog polarity and getting that sorted out. Once that's done, I can get back onto sorting the bridges out and starting the rest of the scenics.

Cheers

Toto

Some images from earlier today.

changing the class o3 over to Kadees'




another view



done the front,




then remembered that the loco cant be turned and can only operate one way so done this,




and also done some more wagons,




and again,




and one last one.




As I said earlier, it will be the electrics tomorrow. I'll keep you updated.

 

cheers

 

toto

Good morning girls,

The sun is splitting the sky here in Edinburgh today. I feel some electrics followed by a power up coming on today on Highbridge.

Having a quick coffee and then it's time to reach for the BUS cable and the trusty soldering stick. So, without any more ado, it's time to get started.

Catch up later with some photo's.

Cheers

Toto

Morning Toto - only just.

My Kadee couplings arrived yesterday, one #18 didn't have the centering spring - I know there's a spare in the tube.
Not been succesful at all with neodyium magnets (1mm thick approx 3mm diameter), tried both between the sleepers and on top of the sleepers, will test further.

Ivatt Cls 2, Bachmann 7 plank and an old Airfix kit 20T brake van converted.

The 20T brake van has the Kadee 232 draft boxes with Bachmann EZ-Mate MK2 Undershank long couplings.

Will order up a Kadee uncoupler, and some more #18's for the wagons.

Any suggestions for the coaches - Dapol Stanier 57ft & 60ft corridor and non-corridors. I have done one set of non-corridors with a pair of EZ mates, and cut off the trip pins off - heights were way off to standard, but as both were at the same height it worked.

Paul

Paul,

Can I suggest you try the Kadee 321 (for code 100) or  the 322 (for code 83, suitable for code 75), 'Between the Rails' uncoupler. A lot of trial and error has gone into working out which neodymium magnet works the best on this link : http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=8481&forum_id=6&page=1 Have a quick read of this as it may save you some grief ! ;-)

As for fitting the coaches, this is where knowledge of what couplers are available, and perhaps mixing up the couplers with the draft boxes. See Kadee Couplers for reference: http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/coupler.htm

Cheers, Gary.

Just what I was going to say. drat.

 

I've been busy in the shed today and came back in for a medicinal beer. I started doing the electrics.




and again,




the above being the switches for the point polarity,




Not a lot to it really when you think of the R & GLR. Then I decided I need some kind of provision to hold the electrical doofers, so,

done a bit of this.



and a bit of the other,



Then I thought,:hmm I want a programming track facility so I started on this,



then this



to end up with this,




and left it ………..




like that

I want all the controls to the front of the layout as I think the best views will be had from there. There will be provision made for a cab at the rear as well. I am going back out shortly to connect up my whatsits and my bee bops. So wish me luck. I'll be back onto the scenic bits before you can say …….. anuver lager please arfur.

 

cheers

 

toto

Looking good Tom, make sure you wire up your whatsits the right way round!! :):)
Sorting out astro stuff in the shed today!!

Cheers
Ron

You have fun with your astro gear Ron. The results that you have shown via your photos are well worth it. Some amazing sights.

My whatsits have been connected to my doobery's and after a little encouragement all is running. I had to take my auto switch out of the circuit as there seems to be an issue with it.

The system ( power cab ) is now running ok under its own steam. I am going back out to the shed shortly to try and bring the auto switch on stream and have a play.
The auto switch switches the power between the layout and the programming track. A feature that I want as I prefer to have a separate programming track. Ie, not programming on the main. Dunno why …….. Just do. Gypsy lane works the same although through the power pro which automatically gives this feature.

My trusty class 24 runs a dream on the layout although too big to use really. My class 03 only seems to work on the default address of 3 and at that, it definitely requires stay alive as it stalls on most of the points. A decoder change required there then.

The points all work fine in both directions so no issues there then. I will go out and. Try a class 08 and see how that does. I may need to spend a little time just tweaking the track slightly but nothing to speak of.

Highbridge is now up and running. Soon be back to scenics time just as soon as I get the confidence that the track etc will not require to be lifted again for any reason. I'll get a couple of more photos posted up later.

Cheers

Toto

I incorporated my programming track on the layout,next to the loco shed but it is on a separate circuit independant from the rest..:)

Cheers
Ron

I take it you have just separated it using double insulated rail joiners.  Good enough.
I could have done similar but I have a couple of plans at the back of my mind which my current method suits best.

Very mysterious eh. Cloak and dagger stuff.

Cheers for now

Toto

No joins at all Tom, that's it on the right.. ]

Cheers
Ron

Ahhhhhh …… part of an old abandoned section of line. ideal. :thumbs

 

I went back out to the shed for a little while more. I think I found part of the problem with the auto switch and the layout track in general. A very bad soldered joint. I remade the joint and thinks have improved greatly. The class 03 and the 08 still have running issues. I think stay alive will be required for both.

A few more shots anyway,

One of the auto switch and the power cab PCP panel inside the plywood housing.






back in place.

and a shot from underneath.



my 08 being trialled




and ….. bring out the old faithfuls.



smooth as you like, these locos would run on rails of $h!t

one more



So, in summary then, Highbridge is wired and running from its powercab. some teething issues to look at.

1. stay alive for the class 03 and 08

2. one set of points where I think the polarity switch is maybe not making quite right

3. double test the programming track with another chipped loco although I think its resolved.

4. maybe a little tweaking of the track for the sake of the shunters. Bo Bo diesels run fine so its the old short chassis issue.

That is where we are. I want to get these issues sorted asap prior to commencing scenic anywhere near the track area in case it needs to come back up. the bad running characteristics with the shunters is no real surprise given that about 50 - 60 % of the layout trackwork comprises of points. Stay alive should assist.

 

Once I have dedicated the loco's that I will use to Highbridge  ( which is more or less a known ) I will need to re - gig the CV's to get the best running characteristics both to suit the loco type and the nature of the layout ……… slow running ….. shunting.

 

that it for today, any comments etc  as usual are welcome.

 

cheers

 

toto

My Bachmann 08 with sound has stay alive fitted and it makes a hell of a difference! 

Cheers
Ron

Hi Ron,

Good to hear. That's that settled then. Stay alive it is. Think I'll go do a bit retail therapy and price the chips.

The EWS 08 that was pictured gas sound but won't be running on Highbridge. I have two in BR green, one of which will be dedicated to Highbridge, half a dozen 03's of which two will be fitted out with Kadee's and stay alive for Highbridge. One in BR Blue and another recent release by a Bachmann in BR green.

That will be it. I could use a class 22 to push a train of wagons onto the loading platform prior to disappearing back to the Fiddle Yard but if I do, it will be the only one. No stay alive needed for that.

Well that's me for now. Thanks for posting

Toto