Newton Broadway

Discussion in 'Members Personal Layouts' started by SRman, Apr 17, 2016.

  1. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    I have been building up my two level layout for some six years now. The original baseboards were constructed by my friend Doug Newton, but I have been adding my own trackbeds and other woodwork.

    I have documented progress from the very start on a couple of other forums, but I don't intend backtracking here. However, I can show occasional improvements and progress from here on.

    As a quick way of introducing the London Transport Underground part of the layout, I have been experimenting with a Panasonic video camera mounted on a bogie bolster wagon. The station was named to honour Doug's contribution, and while fictional, is not too far removed from some real place names. The station and layout themselves are entirely fictional, but intended to give some of the atmosphere of London's underground lines on the lower level, and British Railways' Southern Region lines on the upper level, once I finish that. In the meantime, anything and everything presently runs on the lower level.

    Track curves are very roughly to commercial manufacturers' third and fourth radius but all laid with flexible track (Peco code 100) with transition curves wherever possible.

    Anyway, if anyone is interested, the videos are posted on YouTube and Facebook (for friends only in the latter). If interested, the links are as follows:



    with a Heljan class 33 and legomanbiffo sound;



    with a Bachmann class 37 and Howes sound;




    with a Heljan class 52 and Howes sound.

    I am learning as I go and trying to put more features to make them more watchable and interesting, as well as using different locos to give a variety of sounds. I hope to improve as I create a few more of these videos.

    Edited to get the YouTube links working properly.
     
  2. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Terrific stuff.

    I like the signalling. Loads of nice little details there as well.

    :thumbs:
     
  3. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    Thanks Tom.

    At the moment, only five of the signals are wired up, and are manually operated through toggle switches. For the future I will be semi-automating them; that is, the trains will pass and set them back to red, and when further around, set them back to green, but I will be able to override the settings. I will also have inputs from the points, which is where the extra terminals on the Peco micro-switches will come in handy.

    I have thought that maybe I could wire in repeaters on the control panel, but that would add an extra few miles of wiring. Something for the future if I get bored, perhaps?

    The signals at the eastern (not with the overbridge) end of the platform (not wired up) are placeholders and will be replaced by some mounted on a simple girder-style gantry.

    These warts and all camera shots highlight any rough bits of track, but I'm pleased to say there don't seem to be any really sudden lurches or changes of direction, so my tracklaying seems to have held up well.
     
  4. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Hi Jeff

    Like the video's

    Do you operate your points via DCC or non-DCC methods ?

    May be worth a look at the MERG CanBus system, and the Mimic Panel LED interface (CANLED) - controls upto 64 leds, and can be programmed to respond to events on other CanBus devices - for example if a point changes position, the CANLED reacts to the change changes the LED out put to suit. Or in your case a sensor feeding an input on a input device could trigger the signal

    Alternatively an Arduino could be programmed to produce what you want very cheaply.

    Paul
     
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  5. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Hi Jeff, ........ see what you've started. :avatar: Your trackwork looks fine to me. Some nice drivers eye views of it.
    toto
     
  6. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    Thanks for the kind comments and suggestions, Paul and Tom.

    I have some circuits already in stock for controlling and mimicking the signals but am not inclined to install them until I actually have more than the present five working. Signals at the 'eastern' end of the platform will be on a gantry (again, I have all the parts I need already) but that has to wait until the bridges are finished so I can mount the end of the gantry.

    Points are presently worked in non-DCC fashion using a probe and stud contacts on the track diagram - simple and easy to follow. There is an option to use dual methods for DCC and the probe/stud installation, which my friend Doug N. has already worked out for his own layout.
     
  7. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Hi Jeff,

    Good stuff. The running sessions were very good. Was that ground signals I spied as well.

    I've bought a couple of these for Highbridge just to have some sort of signalling but there are probably not prototypical for what Highbridge actually is. Never mind ...... They will look the part. :avatar:

    Feel free to entertain us with another video when you get the chance. Always good to watch.

    Cheers
    Toto
     
  8. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    I realised after looking at the video that I had accidentally knocked the ground signal over at some point. That one is a Southern type, I believe, but I do have some BR style ones to put in later, destined for the high level.

    I also have some disc type ground signals to make up for the LT (lower level) lines. Those will most likely be non-operational, but you never know, I might get adventurous!

    I do intend doing one more video, in the same direction as the Western one, but at a much slower speed. I'm sorting out suitable locos and stock to run, with a view to repeating the sequence of the last vid. I think it worked reasonably well but I need to tighten up the timings a little, as well as the judicious editing I did last time, to reduce the times where nothing seems to be happening.
     
  9. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    I'll look forward to it
     
  10. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    One more video, this time with a Heljan class 47 driven at a more realistic speed.

     
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  11. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    Thank for posting great to see trains running by as well as the cab ride.http://www.click the third rail looks great :thumbs:
     
  12. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    I'll watch this at lunch time today. It's taking a wee while for the video to come through.

    Thanks for posting up.

    Cheers

    Toto
     
  13. ianvolvo46

    ianvolvo46 Staff Member Moderator

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    Impressive Jeff thanks

    Ian
     
  14. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    Latest arrivals at Newton Broadway (curse those bargain sales!):

    A Motor Luggage Van (MLV) of class 419 in plain BR blue with full yellow ends (fye) from Invicta Models (by Bachmann). 68004 is seen here leading 68006 in green, with green 4 CEP (class 411) unit 7126 just off-stage. This has been fitted with a Lenz decoder to match all my other 4 CEP, 2 EPB and MLV units. Standardising on these makes for easier matching up of settings for multiple operation (consists in DCC parlance). Kadee #19 couplings were fitted to each end.

    [​IMG]

    Not a good photo, but this is a three car BR Mark 1 "suburban" non-gangwayed set from Replica Railways parts. The body shells come pre-painted but without numbering. This set is still awaiting numbering, window 'stickers', set numbers and underframe detail components to be fitted. I ordered one more complete kit so I could adapt the body to fit a spare Bachmann 4 CEP TS underframe to convert a Kernow green 2H DEMU to a 3H unit. This conversion is still in progress and also requires the green to be darkened a little and the roof ridges to be removed. The 4 CEP chassis allows for the interior lighting and head and tail light connections to be continued through the unit. In the meantime, I have other plans for the remainder of the 4 CEP (3 CEP now!) and the remaining Replica chassis. I'll try to post some detail shots of these in my workbench thread later.

    [​IMG]

    I have ordered two of the bargain Hornby 2 HAL (class 402) units from Hattons. One, 2603 in green with fye has already arrived and been fitted with a Lenz decoder and Kadee #19 end couplings to match with all my other 2 HAL and 2 BIL units. A blue unit also with fye is still to arrive.

    [​IMG]

    I also succumbed to temptation and bought a Network South East 2H (class 205) unit from Rails of Sheffield. These were commissioned from Bachmann by Kernow Model Rail Centre. Unit 205 001 is seen on its own and running in multiple (consist) with a previous purchase from Kernow, unit 205 012 in Connex livery. Again, Lenz decoders and Kadee #19 couplings are fitted, although I may have to go to the longer #20 couplings for tighter curves (only tested on the outer run for now).

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    And when can we expect a running session ? :avatar:

    Nice looking units and good choice of decoder. I have Lenz silvers fitted in a few of my loco's. Mainly my class 37's.

    Cheers

    Toto
     
  16. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    I have been contemplating fitting lights into my London Underground S Stock train, and possible some of the BIL and HAL units as well, later. I've just fitted lights into the first two of the S Stock cars.

    I'm using the strips of surface-mount LEDs that can be purchased quite cheaply from eBay sellers, which are arranged in sets of three LEDs with a resistor included in each set to allow for direct wiring up to 12 Volts DC. I tested one group of three sets of three on DCC wired straight to the track and that worked fine, so proceeded to wire up the first two cars of my six-car S Stock. The Driving Motor cars are easier as they already have a PCB feeding from the bogie pickups, but Bachmann have been very kind to us in fitting pickups to all of the trailer coach bogies as well - wiring the lights involves more wire and soldering than the DM but is still relatively easy.

    The lights are very bright, so I may look at ways to dim them a little (especially if I want to light the BILs and HALs!), but I'd say the experiment has been a success, so I have four more cars to wire up in the near future. I have posed an unlit car beside the two with lights for comparison.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  17. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    They do look good if a little too bright. I guess that another on-board resistor will do the job to drop the brightness of the current lights.

    Cheers, Gary.
     
  18. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    Blue Hornby 2 HAL unit 2677 arrived on Tuesday and has been run-in, fitted with a Lenz decoder and Kadee #19 couplings fitted at each end. Because Hornby made a mistake with the length of the coupling pocket mounting at the driving trailer cab end, these units really need Kadee #20 couplings, but I don't have any of those left so the #19s will have to do until I can order some. The unit is seen here running in multiple (DCC consist) with the green HAL 2603.

    [​IMG]
     
  19. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    Hi Jeff.
    Your London Underground set lighting looks as if the lighting strips may be white rather than warm white. I find that the white almost invariably looks slightly blue in comparison to the warm white's slightly more yellow,- on occasion, I've tried applying yellow PVC tape over white LED's, or yellow paint in an attempt to tone the white down. For the London stock, I'd imagine the white colour would be more correct, replicating fluorescent lighting, if a little on the bright side, but although I have no knowledge of the lighting fitted in 2Hal units, I'd guess it would likely have been tungsten lamps as opposed to fluorescent in later units, so more on the yellow side rather than white. Rather than fitting a resistor, could you not reduce the voltage to the lighting by adjusting the function CV, which would also reduce the brightness? (Although I've not tried this). I also find that painting the carriage interiors and adding a few passengers also seems to have the effect of making the lighting less bright, but maybe that's just me!
    Keith.
     
  20. SRman

    SRman Full Member

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    Yes, Keith. I deliberately chose the cool white for the Underground set as it suits more modern applications with a slight bluish tinge. I can't do as you suggested with CV settings (sensibe as the suggestion is) because I wired the lights directly to the track pickups. There are no electrical connections between the cars.

    I will be experimenting later on a 2 BIL or HAL (like you did before) using warm white or even yellow to give the warmer and dimmer glow for the older units. They did, indeed, use tungsten bulbs, wired in series in two halves, so if one bulb blew (or was vandalised or stolen), half the carriage was in darkness. Rather like Christmas tree lights, actually! :lol:
     

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