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Craigs Garden Railway


doublecee
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Great video. I remember running with 40+ wagons on my old layout and they never seemed to pose a problem. The modern diesels certainly have few problems with such a load. A mix of goods wagons always looks nice with the high side vans and then the low sided minerals. It makes for an attractive and interesting formation.

Some of the modern day rolling stock models are absolutely stunning in their detail but in block train formation they're all much the same whereas you can have a mixed collection of vans, tanks and minerals intermixed with loaded bogie wagons that looks so much more interesting.

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Some of the modern day rolling stock models are absolutely stunning in their detail but in block train formation they're all much the same whereas you can have a mixed collection of vans, tanks and minerals intermixed with loaded bogie wagons that looks so much more interesting.

Yes... I would have to have 40 of the same tank wagons, just because its the "right thing to do". I like to add a little contrast... 3 -4 of the same thing is ok, but Mrs Doublecee would kill me if I spent the sort of money that 40 decent Tank wagons can command...

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YOU can always tell when the weather is great because everyone is posting!

So, updates...

Due to the live steam highlighting a weakness in the current at the far end, I decided to forego boding, and BUSS the entire lot.

Im dividing the track into 5 sections, with a seperate BUSS for the up and down, but with the option to bridge it if and when I go DC.

Today I started on the UP, at the end of the garden.

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It was a bit windy today, so soldering was tricky at best. But i guess best to have too much than not enough, eh?

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And then it was time to have a play, and take some snaps

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Pullman_side_03_sm.jpgPullm ... _03_sm.jpghttp://project-palitoy.com/garden/Pullman_side_03_sm.jpg' alt='URL>'>

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...Due to the live steam highlighting a weakness in the current at the far end...

You experienced the problems too then?

You should see the cable thickness that I had recommend to me for the live steamers - I'm not sure I could have soldered it to the rails! Hope you have better luck now that you've separated the track into sections.

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Well, slight problem with the loco (currently steaming its way back to Margate).

Ebay seller said 99% sure its working, so I took a punt.

It worked great on the rolling road, so I decided to move to the garden. Thats when it all started to go a bit pear shaped..., but Im glad it did as it highlighted issues not only with the track, but also the loco itself.

Its water Tank screw had no rubber seal!, and after a near successful completion of the circuit (I lie, it only managed a 30% trip before stalling and the freaking out before hitting hyperdive), a loud snap was heard from inside and it just decided to stay on the red light and whistle continuously. So, I opened it up and the regulator arm had broken and the final gear (the one that controls the regulator) was unseated.

So, this morning it got posted back to Hornby, with a letter explaining the fault.

Still.... that sound... that smell. Im hoping the BUSS (when complete) will give me what I want... Im using 24 core speaker cable throughout the Buss... should be ok, shouldn't it? Ill do a voltage drop off test tomorrow to see if I read 17 all over the buused section.

If I don't, looks like some lucky e bayer gets a recently serviced live Steamer.... but thats worst case scenario really.

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Beautiful shots of the layout. Love the night scenes. What are you using to illuminate the coaches? Maybe it's somewhere else in your discussion, but I am too lazy to look for it right now. ;)

The bamboo skirting and background is a really nice touch as well. It's almost an asian garden theme. i suppose an obligatory Koi pond is due at some point. :)

I'm jealous of your steamer. I've been eyeing those hornby live steamers for some time now.

Your solder joints look like cold solder joints. If you tap them with a screw driver I bet they'll fall right off. It's probably a combination of the wind you mentioned and the large gauge wire sucking the heat away too fast before the solder can properly bond to the rails. Or... your iron may not be hot enough. Or... you may need a solder that has a lower melting point. Or... you may need to use some flux to help things flow properly. Or... all of the above.

I'm sure the joints work for now, but with time they'll start to act up.

Question about your real life work, you didn't happen by chance to do a piece on Senna did you? Was in a restaurant with my buddies and there was this piece on the life of senna and I thought, Gee this is exactly the kind of thing Craig would get himself involved with.

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Fraid not.... But the documentary Senna is awesome and worth a watch.

The carriages illuminate off the shelf (if you by the hornby super detail coaches). The railroad versions don't.

Thrived flux but it just sizzles away. The solder is a 100watt iron. I think it's just lots of solder where only a bit will suffice.

I had to remove all the grime on the sides that had accumulated since the start, before I could solder... I think the rotary tool

I used to remove the grime then went on to polish the side. I need to find some way of having a rougher surface for the solder to adhere to

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i saw a good part of that senna show. What a driver. Sad he died like that.

I guess i should make a soldering demo for the articles section. I'll see if I can take some pics or better yet, I'll make sara solder while I shoot and lecture. She's always up for helping me do things and i bet she'd have fun soldering.

One fix is to try holding the iron on the rail as the rail will suck a lot of heat and that may be your problem. The thing with solder is that it melts fairly easily, but if the thing you are trying to stick it to isn't as hot it will ball up against it but not really bond to, it creating a cold solder joint.

Also, dip your solder in the flux so it's ready to go when you hit it with heat.... and or brush some flux on the side of the rail once it's hot. I used to use paste flux and it was much better than the blue liquid i've been using.

And also, the soldering iron tip can get very dirty and oxidized. You might try heating it up, putting some flux on it, then wiping it on a wet piece of kitchen sponge. After this melt some solder onto the tip and it should be nice and shiny. Tinning the iron like this will make the tip hotter. if cleaning it before tinning doesn't work, you can also use sand paper to clean the tip and then tin it. I always keep a wet sponge handy so i can wipe my tip constantly.

Dang, come to think of it, I need to do this again. :lol:

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Bird Poo!! Same place, every time. I guess they offload before they fly off...

Its getting to be a real pain in the ass. Do I shoot them, only to have more take their place? Do I invest in a hi tech deterrant? Do I just cover that section with a tunnel and let the birds weather the external parts as much as they like?

I decided to push the new mini HD 808 camera around the track today.... and only got as far as... well.... you cant miss it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxNzR8ZeqjQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I just worry that one day, they may decide to fly off and offload at the exact same time that a nice new shiny loco is passing below.

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Ha ha ha! :lol: I've watched it 3 times already. What blooming birds do you get in your garden? If the size of the droppings are anything to go by and you do decide to shoot them (I wouldn't suggest you do that by the way), then you could always eat them! Do they perch on the fence?

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I wish it was the fence, its an easy fix in that case.

Its from the tree at the rear of the garden.... They are nesting there, and with young ones too.

As they take flight from the tree, I guess they take a big crap to lighten their load... Same spot, every day.

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I had to remove all the grime on the sides that had accumulated since the start, before I could solder... I think the rotary tool

I used to remove the grime then went on to polish the side. I need to find some way of having a rougher surface for the solder to adhere to

I'm not sure its a rough surface that you are after. I think solder creates an atomical bond between the two surfaces so it's cleanliness you are after.

have you practiced on a fresh bit of rail. If nothing else it will build your confidence that you can actually solder things, that's a confidence I often loose when working outdoors.

and remember always:

  • Tin Rail

    Tin Wire

    Solder Joint

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Soldering doesn't come easy to some, me included, but I second Chris' points above:

Everything needs to be shiny clean. Tin the side of the rail first so that you have some solder on there and then tin the wire. Then bring the two together with sufficient heat to melt the solder quickly. It's comical me even thinking of offering advice on soldering but the above has helped me and now occasionally I can create a soldered joint without any cussing and swearing whatsoever.

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