2021_10_31 Magnetic couplings for V/Line Sprinters (Explorers too)

 2021-10-31  More video!

Ctrl P Models

Showing how well the Ctrl P magnetic couplers work.

Cheers

Rod

2021_10_30 A video?

 2021-10-30  Playing with J544 and some B's

Cheers

Rod

2021_10_30 Kilmore East visits Hobsons Bay Northern Division.

 2021-10-30 So a week in pictures and videos

LAYING MORE TRACK

And so after a month or so of running trains, we discovered a bottle neck. Trains heading out of Albury towards Junee, can climb up to the top level and proceed to the old helix. But sometimes trains rising over the old helix will block its passage. So I installed this crossing loop to open it up a little.

44220 crosses S313 at (new) Chiltern Loop.

42220 now has a clear track down helix to Wanganella.

IXION J CLASS problems

Out of the box I could not connect the tender to the J. No matter what! The electrical plug was loose and the connector bar would keep dropping out. So damn frustrating. I solved the problem, by super gluing an 8ba nut onto the pin locking the two together. I then used a lot of pressure on the electrical connector and managed to secure it finally. 

I reached a set of points that are perfectly aligned and give me no problems whatsoever. The train hit a brick wall and derailed. I then had to pull the engine                                                                           away from the track and found the brake gear had been ripped off the keeper plate.  With memories of the Trainbuilder X Class and K Class which also drops its brake gear (sih) ;) ok out with the super glue.

I will put up a video after the blog. After installing a DCC sound project (Thank you Mike)

Graeme improves the Tunnel on new Helix

Here we were widening the cutting to allow for the gangers to get their vehicles along side the track.

Repairing and preparing!  Ground cover next.

Graeme  decided the rounded off boulder look was not doing it for him :)  So out came the chisels.

Well worth the effort. I will paint over it and get rid of thestark whiteness of the plaster before we start making it look like rock.

Bunnings had  a cheap can of yellow pain, and so that becomes our base paint colour.

Nice job Graeme.

Really nice.

too wet to clean up just yet. But I will save some of those "boulders" to dress it up later.

SHORTS AND MORE DAMN SHORTS (cont)

As my regulars will know I have had serious wiring issues in recent months. With Steve up from Kilmore East we went around the top of the layout checking for wheels that might be bridging an insulated section of track. Eagle eyes Steve looks in the bogie exchange shed.

And lifts it off the layout to find this engine sitting underneath. Now the bogie exchange shed sits over the break of gauge and hides the fact that I really don't have a real broad gauge. However anything moving from the right to the left simulates the movement to the BG and it is the only place on the layout where trains can move from BG to SG and back again.

Under neath the fuel tank is a double insulator which means one bogie is sitting on BG circuits, and the other on SG circuits. When BG and SG are running in same direction, no problem! However reverse one and the persistent and frustrating short returned.

And of course I modifies other places trying to sort it out. 

I now have to go back and return these "modifications" to their original settings, because I have now to undo all the new problems I have created.

(Al will be smirking away..shut up Al !!)

ok will publish a couple of videos in a few minutes

Cheers Rod.

2021_10_09

 2021_10_09  OK need to cross SG trains here!!

Too many trains and not enough storage ;)

Aim today was to get a loop in and running. However I ran out of energy and light about the same time.

What was happening? Trains were being stored in track 2 (SG) on the old helix. Could fit up to 4 trains here, except they all needed to run in same direction. Track 1 (SG) was the through track in both directions.   Thus I needed to build the new SG loop to cross trains. It should fix the bottleneck. The existing SG track becomes the loop. Minor adjustments to the BG and the new track just needs droppers and the point to be connected. Now what will I call this loop??Maybe Chiltern?

Cheers                                                                                                                                                      Rod

2021_10_05 New Train-AV carriages

 2021-10-05  I purchased these three V cars from Allan Curtis.

Allan does some nice stuff, and you should get on his mailing list if interested.

A BGM brass locomotive substitutes for the SDS D3 which is very close to being delivered

So at this stage I have 3 V cars, but new cars are being produced, so I will see if Allan is interested in doing a couple more for me. These carriages are very nice.

First Class 23 AV

Composite car 24 ABL

Guards Van 2CV

And my old BGM D3 heads up the train.

our V set awaits departure of the morning pass to Wangaratta. In turn it will pick up and run to Fernleigh.  It will return  an evening train later today.

Cheers

Rod Young