Thursday 22nd September

Worklist:
Progress new power supply box.
Review trial pivot/post.
Review track indicator unit.
Play trains.
Review the dust sheet.

Full house this week and all three were engaged in completing the power supply box.

Geoff had purchased a XLR plug and socket and Stephen had acquired a length of 5-core flex from his friendly electrician (only 4-core required). Geoff concentrated on the supply box, fitting the laptop power supply neatly next to the transformer, using a bracket fabricated by Laurence and then wired-in the connecting cable. After discussion, it was decided to have this hard-wired and to make a box handle that could act as a cable-tidy when not in use. Although not as neat as a separate cable, you can't leave a hard-wired cable at home!

Stephen worked on the control panel, removing the two cable connectors and preparing new connectors and tails for the XLR socket. The XLR plug is quite big, so the socket was fitted in the bottom of the panel, so that the cable could hang vertically. When all was completed, multi-meter and visual checks were carried out and the new supply satisfactorily tested. Out came some stock as a final test.

Stephen had made a test post for turning the cassettes in the fiddle yard, as discussed the previous week. It comprised a small ball-race plate and a timber post. It worked well in the limited test although it seemed that the turntable element was rarely in action, and a fixed post would probably work just as well. At least we have something to use.

Stephen had also made up a battery powered switch and LED unit for the fiddleyard isolating switches, also discussed the previous week. The fiddle doesn't currently have a constant DC supply, so the batteries power the LED's. If there are spare wireways in the board plug, the batteries could be omitted.

Existing power supplies being adapted for the new XLR single-socket (centre)

The trial cassette rotator post. The pivoting action proved to be unnecessary, but might as well be retained.

Geoff produced this partially finished Sangamo Orenstein & Koppel 0-6-0 well tank loco. It had been purchased as 'incomplete' and has required quite a bit of scratch detailing. After a short run, the unlubricated chassis ran beautifully.

Due to the short running session, Stephen only managed to get out two items - this mobile crane unit, comprising two Peco whitemetal flat wagons and a Mikes 4mm crane kit. The other was a scratchbuilt brake van based on the Peco coaches.

After we had packed the layout away, Stephen and Geoff tried the sheet Stephen had purchased to create a dust sheet over the layout storage rack. The white Ripstop material will be secured at one end and then held in place by sections of Velcro, along the top edge. Key points were marked to allow Stephen's wife to hem the edges and stitch the Velcro pads in place.

Wednesday 14th September

Worklist:
Setup layout and play trains
Discuss, design and make a new power supply box

Full house this week by moving to Wednesday.

As we started to assemble the layout, Stephen produced a bag of AC power supplies. A discussion at the end of the previous session had included the possibility of creating a dedicated AC power supply rather than rely on one of Geoff's old controllers. Although none of the transformers were suitable, Geoff produced a suitable transformer. The unit was uncased, which required a case/box to house it. Geoff produced a small solid wood drawer, which was perfect. In fact there was room to fit the DC power supply as well. Brains racing, we realised that the two units could be fed from a single plug, and then a single 4-core flex to the control panel would remove another cable. For the final connection, Geoff produced a XLR plug & socket, like that he was using for roaming controllers, on another layout - perfect.

The draw had ventilation holes drilled.

AC transformer located on one side.

Geoff pondering the safest way to wire the new box.

A PC power cable and socket provide the initial mains feed. Connector block to be fitted for connecting to the future panel feed. Earth pin bolt fitted to transformer frame. A solid wooden lid will be screwed to the top of the box.

Meanwhile, Laurence and Stephen completed the layout setup and played trains.

Stephen had brought his latest Gn15 battery loco and a prototype wagon. The wagon uses 3D-printed axleboxes, and Kadee On3 couplings. Laurence's heavily-weathered diesel uses a Bachmann switcher chassis.

A small Roy Link diesel and a whitemetal workmans coach.

Operating the fiddle yard has prompted the addition of isolation switches for the two tracks, duplicating those on the control panel. This would allow the yard controller to prevent trains from moving until everything was ready to do so. This, probably very obvious feature, has only become apparent since running the layout and fiddle yard in earnest. Some thought is required to locate the switches for easy use, but also because the feed wires have been glued in place and wholesale changes might be awkward. Another issue with the fiddleyard is the best way to rotate the cassettes. As there are two tracks into the storage area, the cassettes cannot be rotated on the board, as they clash, and so have to be lifted up first. L & S both remember seeing a layout at the Epsom & Ewell show, where a post (possibly with a rotating head) was located on the storage board, which allowed one end of a cassette to be placed whilst hands were swapped over. A suitable design, possibly using a 'lazy Susan', will be developed.

The considerations given to the fiddleyard prompted Stephen to investigate back-scenes. Boards were placed into likely positions, to see if any switch or turn-post positions looked obvious. However, the other two questioned the need for back-scenes at all, and a new subject for discussion was opened ...




Nevertheless, we had an enjoyable and productive day.

Wednesday 7th September

Worklist:
Test setting-up the layout
Fit locating blocks on trestle 4
Discuss control panel section switches
Play trains (test layout for problems and anomalies)
Fix joint on quarry fiddleyard/cassette

A mixed-up week with Thursday unavailable and no common alternative, so just Geoff and Stephen.

Stephen got to test the new trestles, which were laid out as G&L had done the previous week. The position of number four was adjusted so that the legs didn't stick-out beyond the fiddleyard board and the floor position re-marked. Locating blocks were glued on the bearer top, to secure the board. Although the locating pins in the board faces allowed the boards to be positioned whilst fitting the main bolts, it was agreed that additional lips/plates to further support the unbolted board would be an improvement.

The joint between the tunnel track and the fiddleyard cassette had never been properly installed. The cassettes were tight in the fixed pieces, which needed to be lifted, but the fixed pieces were already slightly higher than the tunnel rails. The fixed pieces were dismantled and trial packers inserted, which worked perfectly. Rectifying the tunnel rail height was discussed at length. Finally, the rails were un-soldered from four sleepers and re-soldered using solder as a filler/packer. It worked perfectly.

Stock was then run all over the layout and issues recorded/rectified. Platform crossing timbers fouled the Hunslet - timbers removed, ballast lowered and timbers reinstated. Several Kadees were found to be faulty, in the usual ways - droppers too high/low, centring springs failed etc. Wheels from several Peco wagons had come loose. A collection of wagons grew on Geoff's 'new' workbench.

The location of most magnets was 'obvious', but one or two were less so. Along the roadways, small 'rocks' were glued by the less obvious magnets.

The layout was finally dismantled and the storage rack came into its own, as the boards, being stored flat, could be put away with items still gluing in place.

Stephen had sourced some push-button, SPST, latching switches, with lights, being sold in three batches. However, the descriptions were not very clear/consistent. Did the light only come on when the switch was depressed? They were labelled as 'neon', but were probably led's, but the lamp voltages varied between 1.8, 3 and 5v. Questions to the seller elicited no response, but nevertheless, the switches were ordered.

Setting up

Tunnel cassette joint

The 'wonderful' storage unit.

As we finished putting the layout away, Geoff remarked that some form of dust-cover would be required once he started some of his other woodworking projects. Stephen suggested using ripstop material - strong, thin and not too expensive. Investigation required.

Thursday 1st September

Worklist:
Finish new layout supports and test them out.

Just Geoff and Laurence this week as Stephen was required on quilt-show set-up duties.

Firstly, the supports were finished by bolting the extension frames to the trestles. The layout was then set up perfectly level on the bumpy floor.  And yes, we did mark the floor, so we know where they will go next time! The whole assembly is really rigid, which means we shouldn't have any problems at exhibitions.

Then we had a running session. Other than that we just had a nice relaxing day.

The new supports stacked beside the layout storage unit.

The layout reversed from the first running session, with the fiddleyard on the storage frame. 

More storage units.

Note the embryonic work-bench under the window and the new blind. It's getting quite cosy!