2020_02_13 Working hard still ...

2020_02_13 Working but not a lot to show.

Since my last post, Graeme and Grant from Murray Modellers visited and we installed another long length of lighting. I have to upgrade the power feed though, and need to upgrade the wire size to cope with the amps being drawn.

Al has returned each Thursday and we are working through a long list of faults.
As an example two weeks ago we tore out the four crossovers at the north end of Albury  and replaced them with new ones as the old recovered ones from my 1982 layout in Melbourne, were electrically and mechanically playing up.

As well we noticed that 4 wheel vehicles were not running into Bullarto from either end. They were tracking straight at both ends refusing to take the diverge when it was set.

We removed track from the troubled areas and checked the convergence of the tracks and in one case, levelled the track. Both problems fixed.

At the same time I noticed the last point motor fitted at Bullarto to the race was firing, and the blades were not moving.
I removed the motor and reset it, only to find we had broken the plastic tie bar and now the point was useless. Fortunately I had another point in stock, which needed repairs. The curved rail had parted the sleepers at the end. Easy fix was to super glue the rail back on, then paint the super glue to seal the bond and install the track. Works just fine.

During the week on my own, I decided to have a bit of break. In between the mundane things like shopping etc, I started installing sound into some locomotives.
 I found a C Class, G Class and an 81 which had been started, and never finished, for one reason or another.  I had all the components and so I put them together with mixed results.
The G Class runs well with sound off, but jerks and crackles with sound on. Unlike my other ESU products this Select was very quiet on full volume. I will reload the 645 Turbo today and see if that fixes the problem.
The 81 Class also seems to have a connectivity problem. I will do a video after and see if you can see what is wrong with this older Tsunami AT1000

THe C Class is work in progress and just for a change has an older WoW diesrl chip in it. Looking for a speaker that fits in the cab at the moment. So back to it ....
Cheers
Rod

2020_02_05 Still pro...............

2020_02_05 Trying to tidy up one more time

 Nearly there!    Nice to see you again Wodonga :D

And so two things were needed. More space so lets get rid of the computer?
But where to?
The tray under the desk top was taken out to make room for the armrests on chair. The tray hung too low.
So I cut the sides of the slide down and lifted the tray about 2 inches. This left just enough room for the lap top, and more room for my knees underneath, whilst sitting at the correct height. Good job done here.

Ok that works for me. See the handy storage box lower right?  $13.98 at Bunnings!

Took a little more than  an hour to build and install and like I thought at Bunnings, it was exactly the right size for this space.
In addition it stored most of my unfinished projects.

Cheers
Rod

2020_02_02 Procrastination!!

2020_02_02 I need to wire the old helix :(

Instead I find lots  to do, but the layout is finally back together and working better than it ever has, except for the helix which was stripped and never rewired.

In the last week....

Al finished the track work at old Bullarto

And I rewired it and fitted the point motors.

ALLANDALE

OOPS!!  I had not noticed that the backdrop had fallen in. Better fix that today :(

Al refurbished his namesake station that was suffering. He did such a good job, I think I might have to move the track and turn the building to face the aisle :)

AND I PROCRASTINATED!!

I guess I cleared the table. Its a big table and it accumulates a lot of stuff. It gets in the way and has never worked out for me.

But what am I going to do with all those unfinished jobs sitting on the layout?

 They certainly will not fit here, which was found under years of collected rubbish which was sorted and mostly thrown out.

So this is my work station.  To use it, I am just going to haveto learn to store stuff between jobs.
I think I will move the storage boxes on the left and build some shelves to hold all the unfinished stuff to keep it off this very small work place, to enable me to get some projects finished.

Cheers
Rod