Whatever you two are on - I want some of it.   :chicken

Don't worry Peter, Max has been side "tracked" for a couple of days- he will be back "on line" soon.

He's probably busy with his "Tragics" site Sol - I'll pop in and see what's going on …………….:cheers

In earlier threads & posts, I had shown these photos of the staging/storage tracks





Since then, I did modify some tracks to be through running and now well, I've been busy ballasting not only the main line track next to the wall but all others as well ( because they are visible) and I wanted to get it done before I start on the bridge going across all tracks.


 the pointwork to be finished




ready for another group to cast their eyes over the D&S on this coming Sunday.

It all looks very business-like Sol.

How many tracks are through tracks and, on those that aren't, how do you get the loco to the right end ?

Peter , of the 9 storage, 3 are through running  and any train that goes in loco first to the dead end tracks ( they have auto stop facilites) the brake van & loco are manually reversed ( skycrane) on the train, then backed in ready for its next use some time in a future session

A PO Grain van for the flour mill at Tawnton




A Parkside Dundas kit

I think what you have completed is really good I will be watching with interest

Hi Ron

Looking good as always. I recall that you experimented with micro switches working in conjunction with your peco surface mounted point motors. In one of the pictures I think I can detect a couple of micro switches on two of the points. I played around with a micro switch when I was last home to operate a pair of light signals guarding a junction. I had mixed results. I was wondering how you got on with these in the end. The arrangement I was trialling had a point motor working 3 red/green sets of lights, via a small micro switch. I did not have a CDU in the circuit and the point motor buzzed a bit each time I operated it, but I guess a CDU would sort that out? I would welcome any thoughts you might have.

Bob

Bob, yes using AC to operate the solenoid motor will give a buzz & a CDU will, I am sure, be better. The setting of the microswitch is fiddly.
The solenoid has to be aligned with tiebar perfectly with good locking spring tension & I find that having the microswitch operate at the end of the lever movement is best - this lets the solenoid do its job first before trying to move another lever.

[user=606]Sol[/user] wrote:

Bob, yes using AC to operate the solenoid motor will give a buzz & a CDU will, I am sure, be better. The setting of the microswitch is fiddly.
The solenoid has to be aligned with tiebar perfectly with good locking spring tension & I find that having the microswitch operate at the end of the lever movement is best - this lets the solenoid do its job first before trying to move another lever.

Ah, thanks for that. I will continue playing with them. My plan was to have lights operating in this way for two reasons: 1. It saves having to operate the lights on a seperate switch as i invariably forget to change them, and 2. I use the lights as route indicators, rather than having an illuminated panel. In my experiments, like you, I found the switches worked best right at the end of the solenoid throw.

Bob

A revamped Roco track cleaning car for the D&S

Before ( with Kadee couplers plugged in )


after my usual modifications - bogies, couplings body mounted, name plate for the Company initials & dull coated.




to be part of my soon-to-be Goods Express train made up of modified Bachmann VDA vans.
Some minor track changes on the books for the storage of this new train plus Tawnton changes to allow for storage of Local passenger services.

Is that just a "scrubber" Sol or is there some fluid involved ?

Roco is a "scrubber" type - like a softish Peco track cleaner  or the rough surface of masonite  ( Masonite - Wikipedia )

Thanks Sol. How well does it work - is the wagon weighted ?  I'd have thought you'd need a reasonable amount of pressure to do much cleaning but maybe I'm not gentle enough with my tracks……………:roll::roll:

The wagon is heavy  - like a small 0-6-0 loco & the pad is sprung keeping it firmly against the rails.
Once the crud has gone using the traditional block ( not Peco but Roco/Fleischmann are better ), then this wagon keeos it clean.

Long time since I posted on here - one of the main station Tawnton panels needed to be updated.

I combined this


and this - initially controlled by the Train Controller/Dispatcher ( me ) who did not run trains during a session.


added a couple more points,plenty of LED's & ended up with this

I used some bi-colour  yellow/green LEDs



this will allow the Tawnton operator better control of his station.

That's becoming a work of art, Ron.

As I laid my track a bit closer to the 6ft way concept ( The term six foot way is railway slang for the 6' spacing between adjacent running lines) , my rails are almost 7ft way & thus the Peco track gauge for adjacent trackage was not accurate, it is more like 8ft way,so  when I wanted to instal a new crossover, I had to modify the tails by removing approx 13-14mm on the outer curved rail.



as you can imagine, fitting this crossover into existing tracks  with insulated fishplates was fun.

I will get a closeup of the joins shortly.

OK, a close up - yes the gaps are large but a Pannier runs through them slowly even with dead frogs.




as this crossover is about 2'6" - to 2'9" away from the viewer, once painted & ballasted and other scenery prersent, the gaps won't be that noticable.