2011 May 21

2011 May 21 Saturday

Gee not much happening around here

Although I have laid some track. Purchased a lot of supplies, and new stuff.

Wired up another 20 points, but yet to lay any of them.
I guess I am having trouble kick starting my self in any real way at the moment.....

I swept the floor, sorted out some junk and dumped it, and swept the floor once again!
And here it is near 4.30 in the afternoon, and nothing much done this day

I really need a new partner in this business. Increasingly I am finding it too big a project and wonder if another bod, would give me the enthusiasm to continue.
Going to see the quack this week. Maybe its a medical problem? We will see, I guess
Cheers
Rod

2011 May 22  Monday
On Sunday last....


Miserable and cold, but a good day in the shed, for me
Bright took a Holden over the line at Winton, after falling way back to 17th after the first tyre change. Holden Holden Holden (something) Holden Holden Holden Holden and lots more as well!
With the other mob pulling out of Australian Manufacture in the next few years, I wonder if we will see Generic Vehicles from the US racing against the Holden's, or perhaps Camry's with V8's?? Ha Ha

Whilst keeping one eye on the motor racing I had the other one looking down a long straight (about 12 m long)
it had more wiggles and kinks, all I had to do was put mud holes in the ballast, and it would really be a model of the North East!
However I spent several hours trying to straighten it. Nothing much helped, even a very long spirit level. Then I remembered that I had a single straight tracksetta! I simply placed it at one end and pushed, dragged it to the other end. The foam underlay was already straight, and now the track looks very nice Not perfect, mind you, but realistic.
I managed to get the three way point in ready for wiring, connected to the diamond crossover both in code 75. (Yeah I know should have done them both in code 100) but as I cannot obtain conversion rail joiners, I have to squash down a code 100 rail joiner and solder the code 75 rail on top. Still cannot solder and after two hours trying to get the heat into the join whilst holding the rail in place with a bloody heat sink (pliers) I found the bitter cold too much and returned in doors.
Two days in a row maybe three tomorrow
Cheers
Rod

2011 23 May    Monday.
Wow!! three days in a row
Well not a great day, but things did get done. I found the three way point was sitting on a warp in the ply Had to undo most of yesterdays work, and fix the board. Still not perfect, but much better. I can run stuff through it at speed and it stays on, so worth the effort.

Was not happy with my soldering. So I removed both conversion track pieces and redid them. This time I made them about 6 inches long (instead of 3 inches) And clamped the rails together before soldering them together. Removed the sleepers and used a bigger iron. Heated them up and touched the solder to the fish plate, and removed it . Yey!! worked perfectly. When it cooled I replaced the sleepers and fitted them either side of the crossover. Looks great. Runs great.
Managed to fix another 4 lengths of track, but discovered I do not have enough room for the passing siding on the branch. I will be able to shorten it and return to a single line on the long wall where it joins the three way point. So that will have to do.

Murray Railway Modellers Exhibition is running at Albury next weekend. So not sure how much work I will get done till that is behind me
Cheers
Rod

2011 May 23 Tuesday  .
Preparing some stuff for the Exhibition. Thought it a good time to show of the collection.
Surprisingly my steam collection has increased somewhat over the last 12 months.
About 20 years ago I sold off all my Australian Brass Steamers and concentrated on Diesels.
Thanks To David Foulkes at SEM, I have one more engine being resurrected from the dead. My original Model Dockyard R Class, has a new can motor, gearbox and brass numbers. And that one is away getting put together.

I would like to buy two more engines. A D3 and an N Class. However they seem to be too expensive for me at this time.

 The line up sits on the South Grafton turntable. (Another E-Bay pick up)

 SEM kit R752 Built my friend Mike Walters and won First place in the Hobson's Bay Exhibition modelling Competition 2011

K 165 I purchased from Mike McGrath here at Wodonga.

 The A2 just received from Precision Brass (fitted digitrax DCC out of box)

 The SOP as yet unnamed won on E-Bay DC

Second Series Dockyard R fitted DCC bought on VR Enthusiasts
And an almost steamer (has side rods The Trainbuilder E Class

oops!!! No its not That's the old ROCO one?? Hope the Trainbuilder one is sitting in the box

The Postman has been very busy as well delivering the Parcels

Here a new DB200+ I already have a DCS200 Command Station & Booster.

The 8 amp version of the DB150 (but without command station capability). This booster is great for layouts that run lots of locos and for large-scale layouts where power requirements are heavy. This is a booster only and does not have command station capabilities.
 

 A Ramp Meter!
The only inexpensive device that accurately measures DCC Volts/Amps.
Also measures AC and DC Volts/Amps.
Costs less than DVMs that cannot measure DCC. Ver I, II, & III rated at 6 Amps and Ver IV rated at 20 Amps.
Measures true RMS Volts/Amps, +/- 2%.
Suitable for all scales. 

This one was a bit of a mess up I got this delivered before I understood that I had ordered the wrong device. It is a 5 Amp Command Booster and it cost me a lot more than the 8 Amp booster I thought I was ordering. Its for sale and I want $230 plus postage at cost.

From left...
DT402D dual channel radio throttle
UT4D dual channel radio throttle
UT4D dual channel radio throttle
UT4 Tethered throttle
UT4 Tethered throttle
UT4 Tethered throttle
dt100 tethered throttle (older version of DT400)
UT1 Tethered throttle ( bit useless because it can only select simple address (2 numbers) Although it can steal a 4 number address.
Track laying? 
Look what I have gone and done The three way sits over a join. Sadly I was paying more attention to the placement of the point motors, and did not notice the hump. However I seem to have sorted out the problem One problem on the code joining piece top of picture will probably fix, if I solder a circuit board sleeper in under the rail joiner, to hold it down. Hope I don't melt the foam with my lousy soldering skills.

 oops I ran out of room
Can't be helped because the other side is the stone quarry, and it needs all the width I have allowed. Other considerations such as the bridge immediately in front of the three way point also determined where the three way went. I will just have to shorten the siding in Bowser.

The ganger's view of the long straight. SG track still to be laid

The end of the long straight. Here you see the crossover into the grain silos. Down BG trains set back into the siding, and up trains drive in, setting back over the SG to depart. The Engineers really wanted to operate two SG crossovers, but the added cost of two CTC crossovers caused them to do it this way.

 And last pictures are of a mystery locomotive. I believe it is possibly a Southern Pacific engine, although the front object over the firebox door probably means it is not.

It is a 2-8-2 Steamer with Vanderbilt oil tender in pretty good condition. It has been decaled for some private road, but the decals should remove easily.
It has no gearbox, otherwise it is complete. A North Yard Gearbox can be obtained for about $40 if you are confident enough to remove the wheels from an axle and replace the gear on the axle. If you have the ability, run American outline, this would be a cheap acquisition for you Any offers?


Cheers
Rod