Progress fitting uncoupling magnets and loom wiring integration on boards.
A full house this week, although Laurence had brought along a Nigel Lawton Simplex kit he'd purchased a few years ago. He managed to spend the whole day reading the instructions and identifying the copious components in preparation for starting its assembly.
Stephen and Geoff coupled the Masons board to the Engine shed board which was already on trestles. The position of the magnets had been marked, but how to form the recesses in the plywood was the issue. Finally, 6mm holes were drilled across the recess area and then a burr fitted in a Dremel was used to cut away the remainder. Not the neatest job, but it worked without damaging the surface.
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| Wagons being hand-shunted to test magnets are positioned correctly. |
However, while fitting the second unit, a high pitch whine came from the first servo. Geoff knew immediately what it was. The test controller was still connected and, unlike the permanent controller, supplies power continuously to the stationary motor even when stationary. This causes the motor to overheat and the motor shaft melts the tiny gear freeing the motor run flat-out resulting in a burnt-out servo. Stephen replaced the servo with a spare and the unit was successfully fitted and tested.
The servos has certainly complicated the overall wiring and some time was spent rechecking that we had all of the required wires going to all of the boards/servos. The first check of the pin schedules indicated that 5v+- for the servos hadn't been included to the Masons board, but after physically testing connections, we eventually decided that everything was ok. Geoff is currently working on a comprehensive wiring diagram to make life easier - not before time!
Stephen's order of miniature toggle switches hadn't arrived in time, but fitting these into the control panel will be carried out in due course.
