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Leasingham Poacher


shaung75
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Hi Shaun, your railway is coming along nicely with stage one and seeing the first train run even though it is a clock Thomas with I didn't know Hornby did, had a look I=on eBay  still quite a few set to be grab at a good price, I still got my very first  train set only the loc o and track left but the loco still runs well for her age, Hornby as well but 0 scale 58 years old now, clock work as well, I plan to do something with the steam tank loco later.

Thanks my son came home from hospital today, have to do a bit more work on him had to bring home on loan a cough assist machine as well, tomorrow I have to catch up with mowing the yard and fit in some wiring on the second station module, after seeing your video I will have to put some power in the three station modules and approach module and test run a loco, wow.

I looked back on your link and  going by your track plans there be two wyes, be careful there may need isolators on the points and cross overs, are you sticking to DC for a while same with me, I will have one reverse loop, normally you need two DPDT switches, my reverse loop will be at least be 30feet in length  only needing a rotary switch to switch throttles, three of them and leaving one position for DCC.

How big is your layout good size flat yard., mine isn't slops upwards to the back fence.

Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Glad to hear your son managed to get home Tony.

I'll be honest and say I wasn't aware that Hornby did clockwork trains either until I saw it on ebay, and as it was a Thomas Clockwork Train it was one of those "shut up and take my money" moments! Now he can play out on the tracks without me having to get all the electrics out and dealing with him short circuiting the layout every 30 seconds.

Once the layout reaches the back of the shed it'll be approx 10.5m to the tip of the loop - I haven't done any exact measurements but I suspect it'll equate to about 20-23m total running length.

I'm sticking with DC for now and will be looking to move onto DCC once the shed section is complete - have a look in the DCC Control section of the forum as I'm looking at using a DIY controller called DCC++. The way the layout is configured at the moment doesn't require any reversing loop modules or DPDT switches at the minute - if you follow the tracks round on the diagram you'll see that it doesn't actually create a reversing loop even though at first glance it appears to.

I now have a back to back gauge which appears to sort out the issue of derailment over the points (thanks guys, I wasn't aware of these), now I just have to find a solution to the problem of short-circuiting as some locos go over the points when the whole layout is live. I can live with it at the moment as I'm only running on the outer loop with the inner isolated, but this will be a problem when going to DCC.

I have 9 weeks off coming up over August and September and my plan is to get the track finished to a complete loop within the shed so that I can start to landscape the areas around the track as the whole garden is starting to look a bit of a state now and I just want it sorting!

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Hi Shaun, yeah  taking pics with a digital cameras can throw you out , I wont need any extra switches as well, my reverse  loop is quite long, thanks, it was a drag going up to the hospital every day, we are a least a hour away.

Will have to look into DIY DCC, not sure which DCC system to go, would like NCE but they are quite dear, might lean over to Digtrax, be a while yet, want to set up Wi-Fi so my son can join in the fun..

Your layout is a good size, I still work with feet and inches for my layout, and work in metric on trains and building, my layout is stage one 54feet in length and about 20 feet wide, stage two be 56feet in length 40+ feet wide, not sure in the width as I be modelling a RORO on my, earlier post pics of the RORO ship I be modelling, they are huge. in HO scale 300beam height about the same and length 1.2metres building a water line model,(Finn breeze) is the name of the ship.

One of the scenes I be modelling is the Oresund bridge between Denmark and Sweden, the bridge is a double decker and  be a main feature to the layout main span 12feet , 18inch underneath water clearance..7feet in length

keep the good work up, like lots of pics to see.

 

Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead.

 

 

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Shaun, 

can you do a diagram of your layout, as it currently stands? It would be good to show where you are feeding the power.

permanent shorts on DC tend to be due to pointwork not being isolated correctly. DCC, it's more often that wheels are touching between v rails and frogs where they shouldn't. 

This page has loads of information on model railway electricals :- http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/Electrical.html

Regards, 

 

 

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Hi Stese

In my best 2 minute photoshop talents I've put a simple version of the layout below. It's wired for DCC so that all of the layout is live at any moment, but powered by DC for now. The short happens the moment the loco hits the frog on the points - without fail for the wider wheel older stock, intermittent for newer. Applying a bit of clear laquer on the frog sorts it out for the running session, but the moment the track rubber comes out it happens again.

layout.thumb.png.ce2788f643277f0122e1c4824f237db5.png

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Hi Shaun, 

You'll want to do this then :-

<I removed the image, as the copyright prevents reuse>

Have a look at the link i sent previously, there is an image described as "The Problem".

It basically says to put an plastic fishplate on the 'V' rails of the point, and then make a new connection to your DCC (atm DC) bus.

Edited by Stese
removed direct link to image.
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Thanks Stese

I saw a video on Youtube of somebody else fixing the issue by doing the same thing. I did think about trying this but the problem I have with that is you're relying on the switch rail to carry the power over to the frog, and even though they've only been outside for a year, one of the springs on my points has gone "soft" and isn't pushing the switch rails firmly enough against the stock rail to make a reliable electrical contact. One possible solution that I have found is here which suggests filing down the rails slightly where they converge at the frog and then filling in with resin.

All fun and games this hobby!

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Are you planning on putting point motors on? if so, using a switch, you can liven the point blade by soldering a wire to the outside of the blade (rather than in the flangeway). This wire will connect to the centre pole of the point motor switch. the two 'feed' poles on the switch would then be fed by the appropriate polarity feed, depending on the point. 

This will stop you relying on the springs for power feed, and also prevent the shorting, with the insulating fish plates.

 

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Hi Shaun and Stese, you can't delete a pic off your post, I have tried it , it will have to be up to Mick to do that , that is awesome Stese what you have said any chance of drawing a wiring diagram, what I was thinking was Shaun's problem was , that will fi it  I am looking into using hose car locking door motors to use as point motors they are waterproof, IanR had a thread on the topic and same with Mick, cheaper than a good point motor.

Tony from cold down under.

 

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I'm using Servos on the points indoors they cost about £1 each, waterproof servos appear to be about £6 for outdoors. With servos you don't need the spring, not that that affects me as all the points will be handmade Copperclad with power switching done by a switch attached to the servo.

That DCC++ site is interesting, my previous plan had been to use a pc as the signal generator, with a current source fed from it. That circuit using an Arduino would be much more compact .

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Once the DCC++ is set up I'll be using servos too for the points. Was thinking about putting them inside sealed Scaledale buildings with a load of that desiccated silicone stuff in as well - until I get my hands on a model though I'm not sure how feasible that'll be.

On a side note, I now have a genuine reason for running steam engines on the layout - the Flying Scotsman decided to pay Leasingham Moor a visit today! Granted, this isn't actually the Poacher line, but it's the closest railway to us so I'll take it as a win anyway :D

 

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Hi Shaun, nice video, is that the stemie that was bought back from Australia from after the Flying Scot's tour 1988, running number rings a  bell, what has happened to 4472 does she still run or sadly off the rails in a museum, I have a version  of her with the dual tenders and both are powered, took a lot of work and help to get running, she sure can pull now 11 plus coaches, with ease tackling my train clubs spiral, if you go back a few pages in my post I did a video..

Do you look through other video clips that are listed from yours, there is a bloke that built a motorised fiddle yard pure awesome, no money spared there, I an looking into a vertical staging yard what we call them, saves money on points.

Have you  sorted  out your shorting on the cross over, I am talking to a friend today will ask him, I will take Stese's idea as well, the servo's what voltage are you going to go for, If I go that way will have to be 12 volt, they are a bit dearer that a pound., going to a hobby shop today will check the prices.

Wet week this week slow me down for working outside on the layout, will have to work on the approach modules car port end three there, the only problem with outdoor layouts.

Tony from down under , keeping on moving ahead.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

It is indeed the same loco - 4472 and 60103 are both the same engines, but 60103 was the running number after upgrade/rail nationalistion.

I haven't yet sorted out the issue with the crossover short circuit which is really baffling me as I isolated the line it was crossing so no power was going to those rails. If you could ask your friend I'd appreciate it.

I have however sorted out the issue of the points - it would appear my older locos have wheels that are too wide and too flat for the frog so were touching both rails. I followed the advice on my previous link (http://railwaybobsmodulebuildingtips.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/fixing-short-in-peco-insulfrog.html) and demeled out some of the rail and job done! I can't tell you how close I was to ripping the whole project up because of that.

Here is the result...

20170702_210417.thumb.jpg.532cb4b72b74554d798fbd7c8b4df338.jpg

And just because I thought it looked nice...

20170702_220219.thumb.jpg.a7df18b290d16aeb3df0da6516ae3cce.jpg

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Going by what you have said, no more 4472, very sad .

Well done will see lots more pics now and like your HST  our XPT is modelled on the HST the locos are shorter and the same with the coaches,, if I was to buy the XPT in 87 scale be up for $1300.00 plus, the Lima version of the Aussie XPT is the same as your train I will have to stick with it, both locos at powered she is years old and still runs well at speed., can't beat HO scale garden railway again awesome pic.

Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead.

 

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4472/ 60103  was bought  by the National railway museum in 2003 having had several private owners which she did / nearly did  bankrupt in succession  in the past. She was rebuilt totally between 2005 and 2016 and is now out regularly on the rails.

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  • 9 months later...

Hello all, I'm back :D

I'll keep this update short and sweet, but basically in a nutshell child #2 arriving last year was a lot more demanding than child #1 so construction was pretty much non-existent last year. The real shame of it was I took 9 weeks off over July and August and nothing happened.

Ah well.

The weather this weekend though meant the boy wanted to play with trains for the first time this year, so I reluctantly dug out the track rubber and fired it up and really wasn't expecting anything good to happen. To my complete amazement it worked!! So we've had a bit of a regatta out there today running Thomas, Percy, Toby, Flying Scotsman, Class 47 and Eurostart.

This has well and truly rekindled my love for the hobby so will be cracking on again this year now child #2 is easier to deal with...

 

euro.jpg

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Hi Shaun, good to see you back, Euro Star, nice how many cars, I  have  Thaly's  13 car set and looking forward in late June to run her on my layout,  would like the latest Eurostar train, will have to will the lotto to have the full 18 car set.

Have you completed your layout, like to know the measurements and more pics and most important a video.

Weather is cooling down in OZ over the weekend 5 degrees over night to  about 20 during the day .

Keep the pics flowing 

 

Tony from down under

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Thanks guys.

Sadly Tony no further construction has yet taken place on the layout since my update on the 16th June last year. I have slowly been clearing out space in the shed though so it'll be my mission to get the track into there by summer for a dogbone style layout. Unfortunately after having a think about the situation I'm not going to be able to get the track going all around the garden like I had originally planned - I've now plonked a greenhouse down the left side of the garden, and along with the chickens it's going to be a PITA. The bottom of the garden is going to be a play area for the kids too, so really that only leaves the right hand side for the railway. On a positive note, a smaller railway is less effort to get looking good, right?

I only have two cars for the Eurostar and technically it's not mine - I nabbed it from my father-in-laws place when I helped clear out the loft as his son had left it there when he moved out. Still might try and get some coaches off ebay though.

I've never measured it, but as a best guess measuring using Google maps I'm looking at around 13m from top to bottom when it's in the shed.

I took a few videos over the weekend so I'll get a couple added to Youtube when I can. I'll also take a picture of the current straight run with a train on it to give an idea of size

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