Comtrain goes H0! H0! H0!: 05/17/16

2016/05/17

2016_05_17 (Stepping Back) and working on track circuits and signalling.

2016_05_17 Well the damage to the back scenes has gone no further. Sheet one is rippled and needs replacement, however sheet two is quite acceptable, making me think that a brand new unused sheet two might go on perfectly with what we have learned. But stepping back for a little while.

So what has happened whilst this wall scene drama has been escalating. Not a lot

Wiring:- As the wiring has been changed so many times, I am bound to find problems. This happened a few weeks back when I found the branch line was shorting out. Not enough to set of circuit breakers. But a certain amount of warmth was found in some heavy wires.
Disconnecting them stopping the short and then carefully adding the droppers back into the circuit locatied at least three insulation problems and I have not reached the end yet.

I found that when the wiring was removed some track sections were still live. Bullioh was getting an unwanted + feed from the north and a - feed from the other end.
Then I found some droppers had been connected to locally protected circuits and others had somehow been joined to the DCC bus lines. This of course bypassed the local circuit breakers.

So I gradually removed duplicated feeds and got everything to go to where it was designed to go. Just a few droppers to solder in place and that maintenance work will be finished
Signals and Detection
I also started locating some San Mateo Signals. They are pretty good. The only problem I have found is that these signals use a common negative and the nice Australian made detectors I found on EBay are DCC compliant. This QLD supplier is going to fool around with his circuit and see if he can modify it to be common negative. What a champion! I am pretty sure some others out there might like to buy a San Mateo detector from a local business that shows a lot of care for his potential customer

You can find him here
jonesaj73 EBay Account

The new baby.... E Class
I also noticed an E Tank loco was offered for sale on Face Book. Of course I asked to get second offer if the first guy did not go on with it. I was offered the engine on the basis that the seller wanted funds in a few days, and that is how I bought this....

And as I don't think this is a loco that will not make it in plastic in my time, I am happy with the opportunity :) Looks pretty nice I reckon?
Cheers
Rod

About my Railway

The Australian National Railways was established by the Whitlam Federal Government following a commitment made in the 1972 election to invite the states to hand over their railway systems to the federal government. In July 1975 Australian National Railways was formed taking over the operations of the federal government owned Commonwealth Railways.

The state governments of South Australia and Tasmania whose railway systems were deeply in debt, accepted. During the next two years discussions between these two states and the federal government resulted in a number of staffing and operating agreements being made that resulted in all South Australian Railways services (except for the Adelaide metropolitan passenger network) and all Tasmanian Government Railways services transferring to Australian National Railway in March 1978, the latter being re-branded AN Tasrail.

At first Victoria declined to hand over its Railways, however a change of Government after Bolte retired meant Victoria could be absorbed into AN as well.
Despite doing everything they could to tarnish ALP leader Clyde Holding, The ALP were able to defeat Hamer who was seen to be just another Bolte, doing more of the same into the future.

Clyde Holding handed over Victorian Railways to the Commonwealth where it prospered as a division of AN retaining its VR colours until later when AN decided to re-brand it as V/Line.

My Railway thus reflects what could have been ;)
And of course National Rail (Pacific National) has no place in my little scenario. Australian National was never privatised and has continually taken East Coast loads off the Highways. As well many branch lines were upgraded and Whitlam's policy of decentralisation actually moved employment to towns with a ready pool of workers, which of course took the pressure of Melbourne which was starting to expand as bush kids moved away from the Country in search of education and employment ( just as Gough Whitlam envisaged it would do)
Rod Young

Comtrain goes H0! H0! H0!

2016/05/17

2016_05_17 (Stepping Back) and working on track circuits and signalling.

Photographs

About Me

Time Line