Toto's Traversers

Cheers Chris, hence the hunt for the fish plates and use of peco flex to allow some room for expansion. But I think I will open the gap a little at the traverser ends.

Paul

 

ianvolvo46 wrote:

Well hopefully not - but Toto is involved so the design can vary phone call to phone call. The design spec was very very detailed to avoid project creep - 4.5 ft x 21 inches, and contain anything he can think of, you'd have thought a QS would be more specific.

We are thinking of having a manual panel on each traverser to avoid having to have a PC or DCC handset available to operate it. As all tracks are permanently live (DCC ) it makes the wiring on the traverser table very easy, although when I get time I may have a play to see it I can provide some automation for DC track power switching ........ you never know Ian now you plunged into the Darkside membership you could be working on the solution yourself ........

SWMBO is waiting for the grass to be cut - machete at the ready

Paul

 

SWMBO is in total agreement - seemingly I'm the old goat

Paul

 

A little more progress today .....

Time to drill the bolt holes and fit the pattern makers dowels



The flange thickness is 3mm

I clamped the jig in place, and used the router with the 30mm profile collar attached.

First up I mounted the 8mm dia straight cutter and plunged a hole in each location.

Then swapped the 8mm bit for a 25mm bit, and rebated a 3mm deep hole.



Between the 18mm thick MDF of the jig and double thickness of ply of the end panel the 8mm bit couldn't get all the way through, so an 8mm drill finished the job off.

Time to fit the dowels



Ready for a trip to Toto's

Paul

 

OK here's a few more

I've used some green foam underlay as a background otherwise its hard to make out the frame from the background.








Paul

 

Hi Gary

While inside I've just used simple fold out trestles.

Tom spotted on Amazon a pair of telescopic trestles for £26, which are the same as the single trestles he had bought from B&Q for £24 each.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01MDLU2NG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We've both ordered up a set - they have arrived but not opened yet, I'll pack them in the car for the trip in the morning.

Paul

 

Well if he's intent on running loco's, I thought I'd better wire some thing up

I'm trying these Wago connectors 3 (pt No. 222-413) & 5 (pt No. 222-415) way versions



Why the loop in the red cables - well his Maj wants to have BD20 block detectors installed, so the loop will have enough spare cable to allow this to happen.

Any devices will have to be installed between the pencil lines, as anything above or below the lines will foul the frames.

I've used 2.5sq mm speaker cable (the white & black and white cable) which is very flexible and will hopefully cope with the movement

Paul

 

The traverser survived the trip, although I did have to stop to put packing around it to stop the traverser from moving at every corner - it is very free moving - Toto can testify to that as it bit his fingers a few times.

Well the jig worked, and the two board lined up with the paternmakers dowels.

Only issues were the track centering - Board dimentions supplied by his holiness 21" wide, and the track on the center line.

Only issue is his holyness can't measure board 4 is 21 3/4" wide, and board 1 center line is 10" from the rear edge

So a wee bit of re-alignment was undertaken (don't tell Tom but that was always going to happen).

Board 1 - with the man himself


Connected and tracks aligned, with a chuffed Dad



The bolt holes were cut with a 10mm dia cutter to allow an 8mm T nut to be fitted.



Then onto board 4 (the other end)

Same procedure (his maj was impressed the jig worked at both ends and the dowels just went straight in - he of little faith

And the brief I had was 1 track at each end, and then an extra track for the wagon works - boy did we get mission creep



Now three out of four tracks line up with the traverser, boy is this going to be fun to program.



Back home now ready for an early night

Paul