Great Chesterford Junction Part Two

Discussion in 'Members Personal Layouts' started by gormo, Dec 5, 2015.

  1. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Richard,
    Yes off to the shed......unfortunately I think there will be plenty of time for that.
    Norman Swan was saying today that he would not be surprised if we went through most of August in lock down.?
    Anyway ......I had better make railways whilst the virus shines.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  2. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Yes it`s nice to work with good timber.........I have a small piece of rough cut Huon Pine that I am reluctant to take to the saw table........it will have to become a special project when I have the guts to cut it.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  3. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    :scratchchin: you done a terrific job on that restoration Gormo. .... just wondering ..... if you could do a bit of a job on my missus. :avatar: ... :scratchchin: maybe not .... everyone has their limitations. .... she does have a bit of a historical grain emerging though.... worth a thought.

    A nice distraction project Gormo. Nice to see a joint project too. I hope all is well.

    Toto
     
  4. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    :facepalm:........Oh my goodness.
    We`re getting there Toto......little steps and ups and downs but gradually still moving forward.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  5. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Good to hear Gormo.

    A delicate situation but hopefully heading in the right direction.

    Hang on in there.

    Toto
     
  6. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Will do Toto........:thumbs:
     
  7. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Folks,
    Well I`m all done with coupling projects,
    https://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/gormo-s-3-link-coupling-project.5610/
    https://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/close-coupling-coaches-project.5620/
    So time to move back to the railway build, although I`m still considering concertina corridor connections for my coaches.
    I tried a quick method this afternoon which seemed to be a possible way forward, however on a tight radius curve I was getting a persistent derailment on one coach, caused by the corridor connection being compressed and therefore derailing the front bogie...????
    Nobody ever said it was going to be easy.......:scratchchin: So more thought required on that subject..????
    Anyway, I`ve been giving my close coupled coaches a good run.......basically testing them over all the railway. The most critical area is the hidden sliding fiddle yard, so I`ve been running them in and out of there this afternoon. There seems to be no problems so onwards and upwards....:thumbs:
    I have a short video showing a couple of my locos negotiating the sliding yard with the said close coupled coaches in tow.



    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  8. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Well folks......:scratchchin:
    I could not help myself and pursued the corridor connections ( concertinas ) project for my close coupled rake of coaches.
    There is plenty of information on line on how to make them from card or paper and you can also buy them ready cut from manufacturers in the UK.
    So I have not invented anything new, just followed the information already available.
    I have made the concertinas from A4 Paper, they have a plate at either end made from glossy card like cereal box card, and an insert to neatly fit the corridor ends of the coaches, and this is made from 2mm card.
    I had taken a good amount of time to measure each of my different brands of coaches corridor ends and came up with some average measurements, which in turn were transferred to my drawing program to make a universal size concertina. The same logic was applied to drawing the plate ends, however the 2mm card inserts were each designed to suit their respective makers......Lima, Bachmann, Hornby and Mainline.
    There are two methods that people use. One is to create concertinas by simply folding paper backwards and forwards to achieve the desired fit between coaches.
    The fit will depend on how your coaches are spaced.
    The second method is to create two identical concertinas with a split in each in the middle and half way up the height. The split allows them to be slid together to form one concertina resembling a bellows.....doubled sided in other words.
    The second is the option I pursued as I felt it looked better.
    Below you can see the parts cut out and ready for assembly. The paper and card is coloured Black with a Texta.


    DSC01411.JPG


    The concertina halves are slid together and folded correctly awaiting fitting of the end plates.


    DSC01414.JPG


    End plate fitted......this is the end that pushes up against the concertina from the opposite coach. The plates are a pressure fit against each other and will slide across each others respective face to negotiate really tight curves and or " S " formations.


    DSC01416.JPG


    The 2mm card insert is glued to another plate


    DSC01415.JPG


    And then that plate is glued to the concertina. I have marked the inserts so I know which coach they suit.....in this pic " L " stands for Lima.


    DSC01417.JPG


    You can see here we have Two Mainlines and a Lima


    DSC01418.JPG


    Prior to fitting a concertina, I peel off a suitable blob of BluTac and place it in the corridor end on the coach. I then take the concertina and press the insert into the coach end. The BluTac acts as a temporary way of fixing the concertinas to the coaches. If they need to come off, it`s relatively easy and leaves the coach unscathed.


    DSC01405.JPG


    And this is what they look like when fitted together


    DSC01423cropped.JPG


    That daylight between the coaches that everybody resents has gone


    DSC01424.JPG

    Now the ideal set up is to have no sliding plates going in between the coaches. If you have very generous radii on your layout and no killer "S" formations between points as well, you`ll get away with it.
    I don`t have that luxury.....I have a killer " S " formation just East of the end of GCJ main platforms. I have one created just with flex track in a hidden area and I have some tight radius curves in hidden areas........So if I wish to run my close coupled coaches across my whole railway, I have to compromise.
    Most of the time, the trains are not negotiating the dreaded " S " so the appearance of the concertinas is quite good going around the scenic areas.
    This exercise will be different for each person that tries it, because of varying radii and coach spacing. So if you give it a go, you need to work out the tolerances to suit your railway.

    DSC01425.JPG

    Below is a short, shaky video showing how the coaches negotiate the "S"



    :tophat:Gormo
     
  9. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Very neat solution Gormo, and a well deserved Pic of the Week.

    Paul
     
  10. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Congratulations Gormo on making POTW... sorry I've completely missed the corridor connection thread... watching the vid now.:tophat::tophat:
     
  11. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Thanks to both Pauls for your comments and thanks for pic of the week.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  12. Graham K

    Graham K Full Member

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    Yet more clever work from you Gormo, and a great visual improvement. I've been watching quite a few layouts on Youtube recently, and the daylight between coaches has started to really bug me! Congrats on PotW.
     
  13. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Thanks Graham,
    Well maybe not so clever just copying what others have done.
    The day light between coaches I guess never really bugged me, however when it`s gone, I think it just looks a lot better.
    It`s a fairly easy exercise to undertake and has been made even easier now with some suppliers providing ready made concertinas.
    In the end it`s just a matter of choice.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  14. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Folks,
    Our Sydney lock down persists and consequently, I have a lot of time to spend in the shed.
    I have jumped straight into a project that had been put on the back burner for a few years now.
    I need to have a train detection system in place to track the journey of trains in my back shed and my workshop. Both of these are technically hidden areas although the progress of a train can be seen in the workshop through the train room door.
    As far as the back shed goes, I rely on being able to hear the trains moving at the moment, so it will be good to be able to watch the progress of a train on a panel.
    I want to have two train tracking indicator panels in the train room. One on the Western wall to track progress in the back shed, and one on the Eastern wall to track progress through the workshop.
    The panels only need to be small and will each fit on an A4 page. The track plan for each room is physically a " U " shape, however each one is represented on the panels as a timeline.
    You can see below in the panels, that we will have six indicators (5mm LED) per panel placed where the small circles are shown. The track plan is divided into three blocks (walls), so I can determine which block the train is in and also if it is moving, which is determined by each LED lighting in turn as the train passes over a sensor.

    Workshop Panel
    Loco Detection.jpg

    Back Shed Panel
    Loco Detection2.jpg Back Shed Panel

    I came up with a simple sensor in 2018 and did a video at the time, to show how it works.



    At the time comments and suggestions came to me in the form of why don`t you just use Reed switches.?...Infra Red Detectors, Hall Effect Sensors, Photo Optical sensors.etc...etc. ..etc.
    Basically detecting a whole block does not really show me the progress of a train as I would like it to be shown. Reed switches give a fleeting flash on an LED, however one could put a capacitor across the terminals to allow it to glow for a longer period.
    All the other items yes will be fine......but I have elected to go my own way.
    I have thoroughly tested my simple sensor and have come up with a formula that suits my set up.
    Each sensor is 300mm long and consists of a piece of galvanized wire.....it has to be dead straight.....and three staples.
    A fine electrical wire is connected to the gal wire and each staple is wired as well. The staples have become the common wire feed and the gal wire connection will feed the LED.


    DSC01426.JPG


    For the system to work we need a magnet fitted under each loco


    DSC01430.JPG


    I have fitted and tested four sensors today. Below you can see my simple test LED set up
    The loco is run back and forth several times to confirm all is working as it should.
    Even with a loco running at a good speed, the indicator will light for a good period of time. As mentioned above the indication time could be extended with capacitors.


    DSC01427.JPG

    The thing is with this system, that it is totally independent. It has it`s own power supply and does not rely on any power from the trains.
    The wiring runs would have to be done with any of the other systems, so the only thing that requires a little work are the sensors, and they are very easy to build.
    So the KISS principle is in play here folks and it is very cost effective.
    I hope to finish the work shop sensors and wiring by tomorrow and then will move onto the back shed.
    All good fun and it pushes Covid away from my mind for a few hours.

    :tophat:Gormo
     
  15. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Folks,
    Well I`m getting there........11 sensors now complete, 6 fully wired awaiting display panel and 5 needing final wiring and 1 yet to be made.
    A total of 12 sensors in all and 2 display panels.
    I have been working on the back shed for the last couple of days. This area is the most important area as it has no visual contact with the main train room at all.
    It will be good to see the progress of trains in this area depicted on one of my panels.
    There will be two sensors on Thaxted Viaduct ( fictional ) which is the folding bridge below, that crosses the back shed.


    DSC01431.JPG

    The sensors now have insulating pieces fitted in order to avoid any accidental current flowing through the system and activating a sensor when not required.
    The insulators are made from cut down tile spacers and are perfect for the job.


    DSC01434.JPG


    Two sensors on the Western wall which will indicate that a train is passing through Widdington on the panel.


    DSC01432.JPG


    Sensor testing on the Eastern wall which will show as Little Shelford on the panel. One more sensor required after this one.


    DSC01433.JPG


    This is what final wiring looks like in the workshop area, however insulators still need to be fitted. The Brown and Grey wires deal with the Block instrument system, Green, Blue, Yellow deals with sensors.
    You can see I use up old electrical cable or whatever I can salvage. No sense throwing the stuff away when it can be used to good effect on the railway


    DSC01435.JPG

    More to follow.

    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  16. Sol

    Sol Full Member

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    Ingenious ....
     
  17. Echidna

    Echidna Full Member

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    Dear Gormo,

    1 / I like the restoration of the 1920s era telephone table, and I think the design of your one is actually better than the more common 1950s and 1960s designs, which always struck me as being too tight to be really practical.

    I also like the lovely pattern that Australian silky oak gives when properly restored, well done, and a good demonstration for other forum members to copy.

    2 / like you I think that the interleaved paper to form bellows looks good, and is relatively simple to assemble. I have used artist's thick black paper / thin card that you get from the newsagents, and the use of a shiny end piece to reduce friction is, as you demonstrated , quite important.

    3 / I really like your hidden track detection system, well engineered, hardy, and does not normally require the use of capacitors, so really simple and effective.

    4 / all together a brilliant collection of simple but good ideas,

    Best wishes and regards, Echidna.
     
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  18. jakesdad13

    jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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    A man after my own heart mate! My missus says I'm just a hoarder :avatar:

    Pete.
     
  19. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Thanks Sol,
    Well mate.......all it is really, is an open, elongated reed switch..........a bit basic but it works.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  20. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Thanks Echidna for all your comments and observations and I hope all is well at your end
    Stay safe
    :tophat:Gormo
     

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