Off at a tangent once more.

Here you go -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz4lPHMMxTk

G`day Toto,

The system as set out on the video Paul posted initially grabbed me and I thought what a great idea. I don`t have a good working knowledge of Kadees…..never used them…but then it struck me that the coupling was completely releasing on the move. So for shunting where you are pushing wagons into a siding and over the magnet, it means that every wagon will release as it passes over the magnet.
On the other hand, as you quite rightly say, you will be pulling wagons over the magnet therefore because the couplings will be under tension, they won`t release until you choose which wagon to separate. That`s fine and will work on the site, however this method is like half of a system if you want to employ it to push and select.
I guess it`s horses for courses…….the way the magnets are placed on your railway means you only need a one way system.
So in that context, it works really well.

:cheers  Gormo

I'm surprised that you cannot get the system I use (Perry's technique) to work. The three rows of five 3mm cubed neodymium magnets work for me just fine. Even my son Jack can uncouple wagons on Linden Ford quite easily. In a matter of fact, over the last two days of the exhibition, Jack's shunting skills have improved immensley. I use this system on Industry Lane as well with no problems. I have to ask, have you added enough weight to the wagons ??

I agree with Gormo's comment about the magnets uncoupling every wagon/coach that travelled over them being pushed, "but then it struck me that the coupling was completely releasing on the move. So for shunting where you are pushing wagons into a siding and over the magnet, it means that every wagon will release as it passes over the magnet."

That is not an ideal solution. If you intend to drop off two wagons into one siding, the two wagons would uncouple from each other, including the loco. With the method I use, I can shunt many wagons across the magnets without them uncoupling, park the wagon/s I wish to uncouple and uncouple the loco or wagons, back up the loco or train, allowing the Kadees to fully open, then loose shunt the wagons into the siding, before reversing back out of the siding. This is the way Kadee designed their couplers to work as 'delayed couplers'.

Cheers, Gary.

Hi Gary,

I agree with Gormo that the system being used on Highbridge may only half work. The thing is, the part that does work is the way it needs to ( or was intended for Highbridge.

The train goes in loco first as it actually necessitates the use of two shunters so it's not a compromise for Highbridge. It actually works to its advantage. ( by default ) due to the compression / tension scenario.

I suggested that I would do a sketch, maybe I should as it will allow the theory ( for Highbridge ) to be discussed easier.

I'll try and get a sketch or a track plans back up to allow discussion.

Cheers

Toto

Hi,

Still to get the sketch up. Been distracted with a few things. My apologies.

In fact it's not been a very productive weekend at all. A couple of unexpected things today and the trip to the caravan park yesterday. Tonight it was packing the case for tomorrow. I'd forgotten what it was like to be doing that on a Sunday night.

Look out the suits
Organise enough shirts and ties for the week
Polish the shoes
Check I have enough toiletries and medication.
Fill the car up with diesel
Check my diary to see what meeting is going to bore the crap out of me first
Make a sandwich for the journey
Check to see that I've put the mobile phone charger back in the car
Ditto the I Pad charger

It goes on and on.

Also doing a bit of reading up on the contract for this role as I have been temporarily promoted as such into a Contract Managers role and my ass is now slightly more a target for being shot at than normal. Talk about out your comfort zone. still, all good experience I suppose.

A well, I feel better now that I have that spewed into the open

The only physical work I have done on the layout this weekend was to dismantle the bridge supports and try a new configuration for the push pull rods on my point switches made out of the bicycle spokes that I salvaged lady week.

I did also do a bit of planning for the rebuild of the bridge supports utilising the thinner 3mm ply with the intention of gluing Metcalfe red brick card to it and also looking at concrete bridge bearings. That will be with some printed concrete paper that I salvaged from a Scalescenes bridge kit.

I've got my table saw today so I will probably start ripping up some ply strips for my trackside embankment walls. They to will be covered with stiff red brick card. I'll work out something for the capping stones nearer the time.

So, I'm in the exact same position that I was in last weekend. I will have Friday night and Saturday of next weekend as I'll be at the Dundee show next Sunday. I have no plans to buy anything ( shock horror ) but I have been reliably informed that " Squires tools " have a stall there.

With that in mind, I maybe on the lookout for some sanding sticks, small hand tools etc but not much else. Maybe some scenic scatter materials. It could also be a day for scouring the bargain bins for odds and sods.

That's all for now really,

Cheers

Toto

( note to self…swift kick on Tom's ankle to slow him down…..gives me a chance at them bargain bins  before he Hoover's up all the good stuff ) 

You'd just need to carry me so suit yourself. …….. And I'll start a bidding war.

My strategy is to feed you up with burgers and beer the night before. Plenty of stodge to make you waddle ( more than normal ).

I got some clamps things when I was buying my table saw yesterday. Between 3 and 4 quid each. Quite heavy duty. B and Q would have been charging at least double that. Great for holding some of the bigger stuff in place when doing baseboard stuff and the ramped areas etc.

Still to check the train tickets yet …….. Forgot all about that. Can you get trains for Dundee straight from lithgy?

Cheers

Toto

A link to the exhibits at the Dundee show this weekend

http://www.dundeemrc.talktalk.net/dmrc_010.htm

Paul

Thought for a minute I was gonna get clamped

Could still happen yet Matt.

Wednesday already. Not posting much as there is very little happening at the moment whilst I am up in Inverness. In fact, even when I'm at home.

Hopefully I may change that on Friday / Saturday. I may get the table saw going and get some of my 3mm ply ripped up for the reworking of the bridge abutments and trackside walls.

We'll see if I can get some uninterrupted time. SWMBO is busy on Saturday so that free's me up to do what I want as long as I can keep an eye on the dogs.

If it's too wet to work with the shed door open, I can always turn to fitting my decoders and stay alive units.

Choices, choices.

Toto

Turning my attention to my wish list for Sundays outing at the Dundee show.

Scenic scatter and ballast. Can't decide on the ballast colour. It's a goods siding primarily so I wouldn't imagine that the ballast would be that dirty. It's not as if it's a maintenance shed with liars of oil and stuff leaking everywhere. I suppose on how long it's been since the ballast gad been laid. It may look better with a slightly unkempt overgrown look with some weeds and grasses starting to sprout through.

The base ballast colour could be anything really.:hmm need to do a bit more thinking on that one.

A good rake in the second hand buckets for some oddities and maybe some small tools. Loco's are on the banned list for thus outing. So are wagons unless there is a real oddity that jumps out.

I'll go for a browse for some ideas.

Cheers for now

Toto

Matt, this should be fun to watch - Toto showing restraint, probably get better odds for winning the lottery than Toto pulling that plan off

See you both on Sunday.

Paul

I'm a changed man ………. And the coffers are a bit low as I try to save for Warley.

I don't need any more loco's ………. Until the other 37's are released from Bachmann and the 25's and the 29's from Dapol. Hopefully Warley will see the release of at least one of them.

No …….. I'm on my best behaviour. Matt will probably spend more on burgers.

Nearly bought some sash and case windows there Until I seen the postage. Made me go all dizzy so it did. you see ……. There ……. Restraint at its best. I have ordered some stuff from Howard scenics though. Some fine brown ballast, grass tufts and some fine coal thingy stuff. Free postage ……… Or has it just been made more palatable by being costed into the product :hmm always sceptical.

That was you getting my started on windows with these tenement buildings of yours. I dare say they could be equally t home being used on the Metcalfe models ( flats above the shops etc ).

Cheers for now.

Toto

Some fine  coal thingy stuff …we have a coal fire and I've a large tub of coal thingy stuff…..the real coal thingy stuff.  :roll:

Looking forward to a day out on Sunday Paul.... And yup watching Tom with hands in pockets looking at shinies with tears in his eyes.....??priceless.

I won't be broken. …….. You'll see. :tongue

Good morrow,

Getting myself into gear here for a shift on Highbridge. I'll be springing my table saw into service today and doing some test fitting of my wall structures and possibly the bridge abutments.

That's the plan. I'll post up some pictures as I go. I will get the main plywood sections sized and in place and then start to look at using my Metcalfe brick paper / card to bring it to life a bit. My rectangular magnets arrived through the week so I'll do a bit of test fitting on my test board / track but that s not for today.

The weather is holding out. Not great but still dry at the moment so I am going to set up the garden bench outside the shed for working on. Much better than using saws etc in the shed. More room to work with.

Cheers for now


Toto

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

I won't be broken. …….. You'll see. :tongue

C'mon now Toto, I have never known you not to turn down a bargain ! :mrgreen:  …and if it is a bargain, you'll buy two, possibly three !

Cheers, Gary.

Ahhhhhhhh ……. Nooooooooo, it's a conspiracy.

No big purchases …….. Defo.

The wallet is having a holiday.  So don't go throwing temptation in my way …….. Bad man.



Back to Highbridge. Cheers for now.

Toto.

Just back from a trip to an exhibition in Sheffield only a small one day show, I had a few shinies tokens left over from our Blackpool trip and jumped straight in on a bargain O gauge 03 shunter kit, I should have realised you only get what you pay for, its an old Eric Underhill kit and had been started on then left, it said on the box complete, and I should have looked closer at the show got it home and discovered the chassis is missing along with some detail parts, brakes, steps etc, still I can scratch build missing parts but it is still a pita! when I get to build it I will keep you in the loop. Sorry to have drifted of topic :oops: but I got a little carried away.

Cheers for now, Pete.