2019/12/23

Laying track a much better way!


Those who have long put up with my blog, will know that I almost had this down.
But this video shows you how to do it properly.

I would only add that I still do not trust the mechanical electrical connection between the loose connected point blades and the DCC bus, and highly recommend adding those two connections.

Cheers
Rod Young

2019_12_23 Always a somber day here. In 2004 I held my departed wifes hand for the last time

2019_12_23 Somber (sombre) feelings none the less...more wiring!!

Last week Al finished the second reverse loop, and also went around the layout checking for heat damage. More buckles this year than before!

Today's job is to wire in these two roads and install two dual juicers to power the reversing loops.

And after you see the pictures you will know what my next job is to do :D Ha Ha

Another clean up, and buy some more storage boxes as well.



 So the Sydney cheat reversing loops are in place, just need to connect 20 droppers to the bus via the dual juicers rewired to operate as loop reversers.


 The bus on the floor is todays job. Connect it to the underside and add the droppers


 The 442 finds the end of the working bus.


 I need to finish the wiring now, but look at the mess the last month of hard work has produced. And of course those that follow this, know I used untracked benches as storage, however I have run out of such places!


Remember the pictures posted within the month?  How is it that I am so messy?


 This one only needs two point motors and it is finished track wise, at least.


 Fall out from work above?


 Point motor construction and searches for components spread over Coal Siding, about 12m of it :(


 Chasing the shorts has continued at this end.

I think both of the DB150 command stations are damaged The DCS200 looked to be as well. Obviously the wiring issue was stretching these components to their limits. However the good news is that after dividing all the bus lines into isolated sections, correcting all the mistakes made insulating points and sections, I reset the system and it appears the shorts have been eradicated.. At least I hope so.  I now have three command stations. The DCS 200 had the wrong power connection fitted with a booster jumper. It now works fine.

My Power supply is a Digitrax PS2012 which can deliver 25 amps when set to 220v (safe for 250v)
It can be set fo G scale, HO scale and N Scale.
Switched to HO it delivers 13.7 v  and with several locomotives on track is reading 2,20 amps. This according to my DCC ramp-meter. Hope that's normal?

The DCS 200 delivers 13.4 volts at up to 8 amps to a 8 pin heavy connector. This feeds 4 protected bus lines . Protection is NCE EB1 circuit breakers. These trip out and protect any locomotives from damage, however they are slow enough to let the DCS200 trip first. This is not what I want. I need to find out how to trip the EB1 first allowing the DCS200 to keep powering the other circuits ????

The second command staion is a DCS100 which supplies 5 amps at 13.7 v to one section only, also protected by two EB1 c/b's one for BG another for SG.

The third DB200 supplies 8 amps at 13.47 v to another 6 protected circuits (EB 1's)

I would like to have used the two DB150 at 5 amp each, but will have to wait to see if they need returning to Digitrax.


 Lot of work here and at least the track is finished. After cleaning this up, we can start laying the helix.


 Not long before I can populate this yard, and I guess 2020 will be fixing errors and laying scenery?


Oh God please help me. Their is no hope for me. Look at that mess!


Ok wiring the loops first, and then start cleaning it all up. Al is coming Thursday, so I have a couple days left... hold on its Christmas......


Cheers
Rod Young