Ein weiterer Stein in der Mauer

Originally posted 22/7/2010


Yes, a pop culture title so obvious I had to translate it to reduce the cringe induction. Sorry.

Just a small bit of work on a part of Bad Horn which had been bothering me. Along most of the length trees are my method of choice to blend backscene and model. However, the bay platform track is right up against the backscene so there simply wasn't room. I bought some Auhagen low relief card buildings to try and nail it, but when I came to putting them in place, they just looked wrong. So I hummed and hawed for a couple of months and got nowhere fast. I don't know why it took me so long to just try a wall in place, but this week I finally did- and I like it. I think I just tried to make matters too complicated when something simple is more effective.

I also made a static grass applicator today (tea strainer and flyswat variety), so its time to crack on with scenics. Having made a few using Hornby materials, I also caved in to impatience and ordered a bunch of ready made trees. The stretch without trees behind the bay served to separate my efforts from the bought ones, so I can clump all mine on the bank by the bridge and scenic break. This area will be the main grass patch.

I also made a couple of decisions (and corresponding orders) today, that I will use Hp light signals (on economy grounds, and with my original signalling plan, allowing passenger use of the bay), and Piko Silberlinge. I specifically want a Karlsruhe cabbed driving trailer, and I can't find any 1:87 Roco ones for sale. Plus Piko is half the price! All signals and the Steuerwagen were ordered today from Lokshop, I'll order a couple of trailers at a later date if I'm happy with it. I still haven't decided upon a control method for the signalling yet, but I'm tempted to go with DCC accessory decoders so that I can operate everything from a handset. The nice thing with a small layout is that I can experiment without massive cost.

Logic madness

Originally posted 21/7/2010


Two nights ago, I was sat scribbling in my notebook when my wife came to see what I was doing. She took one look at the product of my pencil, gave a disappointed sigh and declared "I don't want to know. I'm going to bed." and left me to my muttering accompanied sketches...

I mentioned back when I was trying out a Viessmann signal that I was considering designing a solid state interlocking panel for point/signal control. The idea just won't go away. I can't quite settle for individually controlled points and signals, I just wouldn't feel I'd done a good job unless they corresponded to one another. PC control is a possibility, but it doesn't seem right to control semaphores with the click of a mouse. I also had a go with Modratec's SigScribe, but had difficulties when it came to the group exit signal. A great shame, as I would love a physical interlocking frame. Doubtless a bit of trickery could fool SigsScribe into fitting my requirements, but solid state components are a lot cheaper. Don't be mistaken, I don't think Modratec frames expensive, it's just that I'd rather spend such money on a longer term layout.

So back to the muttering and scribbling. I won't pretend that I honestly know what I'm doing. My limited electronics tuition from my schooldays seems a long time ago, so I'm working from first principles. This may sound funny, but at this point I'm not after help with it- I'm going to try it in Crocodile Clips before actually building anything. I've also only drawn one side of the circuit, and only the control parts, not the actual power to the points and signals (which will be with relays or transistors). Ignore all the numbers scrawled on, they're just the results of me thinking with graphite.

As I look at the diagram again, I find myself questioning aspects, and wondering how far the interlocking should go. For instance, is it enough to have in one instance a conflicting route simply setting anything crossing its path to stop aspects, or should I make it that the route cannot be set other set routes conflict? The prototypical answer is the latter, but is that just making extra work for myself? I also look at the digram and wonder why I have done certain things. I think that a whole fresh draft now I've got the general ideas in my head may be worthwhile.

Testing times

Originally posted 16/7/2010


With Steinruecken disassembled from the move, I took the opportunity to tidy up the wiring and add plugs between the boards. My first step was to set up two buses the length of the layout on the low level boards, being DCC power and 16V AC. I used 15A wire for this task, as there's nothing like overkill where power buses are concerned! Theses run from four pads of verroboard at the board ends (attached with epoxy- I tried hot melt glue at first, but guess what that does when you put a hot soldering iron to it...). From these pads go the cross-board jumpers, which for use a four pin PC style power plug (the style go to disc drives), and the feeds to individual tracks. There's rather more of these feeds than are actually normally necessary, as I intend to add in full track circuiting for use with MERG RPC. From the low level to top level there are at present 15 pin sub-mini D connectors, although I fear this may not be enough on all boards once I get into the signalling. For now though, it means I can easily remove the upper level for continued work.

This all done, I reassembled the layout, and caused the first damage of the house move- I dropped a corner board, and knocked off the copperclad sleepers at one end of the main lines on the upper level. However, even with this happening, the copperclad proved its worth, and after resecuring it I was able to run trains. Ordinary track would surely have needed replacing.

Then came the serious business of 
playing trains
 testing. First off, just confirming that the wiring was all correct. Initial signs were promising, no instant shorts on start up. Then, I simply ran a loco round each track in turn, quickly finding that I'd missed a couple of feeds. Not a big drama. The next fault found was that as a train entered one board of the low level on one track, it shorted. The problem was as easy to find as it was to fix, I'd simply got the droppers the wrong way round. These few faults located and addressed, I am now looking at the actual running characteristics of the layout. Being on a new floor has resulted in some boards not being quite level, for now addressed with slipping plywood pieces under the legs, but utimately I will try to find some screw adjusters. There's still a sag in one track needing addressing though.







One one of the helices I had been having trouble with trains of longer than six coaches. The sheer weight of train pushing against itself seemed to be causing derailments. However, this had been with Sachsenmodelle coaches, and now I'm running full rakes of Roco I actually put the issue down to SaMo's poor assembly and light wieght. I'm still suffering rogue uncoupling with Roco close couplings though, as these have no vertical lock. I could change to Roco universals (which have a very positive lock in all directions), but I have traced the problem to the change from Atlas to Piko track on one helix- the change point has a slight change in radius, and this seems to be the source of the issue. I'm tempted to build a whole new helix, as I have a mass of Piko A track of 422mm radius, and the timber required costs less than new track- the present helices use Atlas 15" radius.

So that's about where I'm up to now. I've still got one road to lay, and a whole lot of things I could do with buying- I'm out of point motors for a start. But I think my next bit of shopping will be a quantity of timber.

Sending the right signals

Originally posted 14/7/2010


We finally have a new home (well, have done for a month now!), and after erecting Steinruecken my thoughts returned to Bad Horn, and how it should be current priority with an exhibition booking in November.

In lieu of any procrastination, I finally feel I have nailed the signalling. Wolfgang Meyenberg's website is essential reading for anyone trying to get to grips with German signalling, and along with a couple of cribs in the form of prototype plans today something just clicked in my mind, and it all made sense. Well, mostly. In Herr Meyenberg's own words,

Quote

"Only true experts (which certainly I am not) may dare to take a look at German Rail's rulebook which I think were made by The Conspiracy to drive brave people insane"

Perhaps I just lost my marbles, and it only seems to make sense! In any case, the biggest mental obstacle to overcome was my understanding of British railway signalling. Although superficially similar, there are sufficient differences that mentally referring to British practise caused me more problems than it solved. I was actually quite comfortable with the meanings of the various signals, it is the practises which differ- and in trying to realistically portray German railways, that is what counts. And so, with good old fashioned pencil and paper, I have attempted to translate my apparant lucidity into something concrete.

And not quite so old fashioned and considerably sillier, I used the GIMP to mock up signal placement. Ignore the displayed aspects, they don't relate at all to one another!

A slight hinderance to the right feel is the heashunt. It's a most un-Germanic thing to have at a branch terminus. I suppose it adds flexibility though, and enables two trains to be moving at once. Shame I only have one brain which isn't too hot at such multi-tasking.

Finally, I got round to pricing up the appropriate Viessmann signals. Ouch. I could buy a loco for each road signalled using their semaphores. But I can't bring myself to have an unsignalled layout, and luckily, it is possible to directly substitute the Hp semaphores with Hp light signals, which reduces the cost by a huge amount. A departure signal with shunting signal costs less than just the semaphore shunt signal, let alonge the Hp0/2 signals... they're not as pretty though. But I'd rather have dull signals than no signals.

Taking Stock

Originally posted 4/6/2010


With Bad Horn currently ensconsed in the Marklin Model Railway Club's clubrooms, and me still living in temporary accomodation, work is slow. Plus, what little work I have done I can't show as I keep forgetting to take my camera. Still, one thing I can do is a little stock work. Even that is a little limited though, as I have nowhere for spraying or getting really messy. However, in the interests of my sanity I had to do something, and so using Tamiya Weathering Masters I started work on Bad Horn's signature loco, an ocean blue 212. Rather than the applicator supplied with the Tamiya "compacts" I used a smaller paint brush, and tried to follow some of the patterns evident in pictures on Bahnbilder.

I'd actually been whinging a bit to my friends about not being able to use my airbrush at present, but on reflection, this is good. I would not have good such results with one. For all airbrush weathering can look good and replicate similar patterns, it always looks, well, airbrushed...

Anyway, the loco is far from finished, I've only done one side of the bonnets and underframe and not even touched the cab or tops. But still, I feel I'm on the right track.

Agent of chaos

Originally posted 26/2/2010


Thanks to a spiteful letting agent and practises which would probably be illegal in Britain (and if I'd not been in a fixed term contract, would be illegal here), I will become temporarily homeless this weekend. For how long I don't know, I'm determined to find a better quality house this time (which actually has insulation and draught proofing) and I'm comitted to a month in a temporary solution, a serviced apartment. That may sound a bit dramatic, but it's legally true. As such, I've had to dismantle Steinruecken and it goes into store this weekend. At least I'd got to running some trains before taking it down.

Bad Horn is now up at the Marklin Model Railway Club rooms, which will enable me to carry on working on it. I've been invited to exhibit it at RailEx (Wellington, not Aylesbury!), so I've got to get it really presentable. It's not bad at this point compared to other layouts on the local scene, but I want to make an impression. At this point I'm making lots of trees, and I need to make some ultra low relief buildings too. At least this is work which can be done at a dining table.

Packing away all my stuff reminded me how unfocussed I can be. Aside from a concise set of 70s/80s DB branch line stock, there aren't any sets that allow complete operation of a layout. The trouble is, everything has an ultimate goal and/or reason for its initial purpose, so getting motivated to rationalise is very hard. At this point, I have...

• 00 1960s BR(M) stock - a legacy of being a member of the Mid Cheshire MRS who had an excellent ex L&Y/Cheshire Lines layout.
• H0 DBAG 2001 fleet - ever growing, for Steinruecken
• H0 DB 1970s/80s. Essentially a complete set, some wagons overlap with the 2001 fleet. Only planned addition will be some scale length Silberlinge, and I haven't decided which brand (Piko, Roco or Lima/Rivarossi) to buy yet.
• Circa 1990 BR stock for a Weymouth scenario. Slowly progressing EMUs, a few locos, coaches and civils wagons.
• A small amount of German N, generally aiming towards contemporary scene. I wish I could bring myself to flog it, but the urge to do some scenic modelling somehow persuades me to hang onto it.
• Scattergun H0e with an unintentional Austrian bias. Half the locos don't work, and the coaches catch the point motors on the layout. Disheartening, and low resale value owing to mods and condition. Originally Steinruecken was intended to have some Ruegensche Kleinbahn tracks on it, but then I saw the price of the appropriate Bemo locomotives!
• Shrinking TT collection, mostly Berliner. I've sold a lot of it, but I'm keeping others for a "one day" Furth im Wald layout, and indeed recently obtained a Piko Alex ER20- soon to be historical with the DB buyout of Arriva?
• A few bits of 0 gauge, with a Forest of Dean diesels focus. In store in England.
• A G scale GP7 with value decreased by a repaint. In store in England.

So yeah. I'm hopeless. I have grand ideas of "five year plans" with continual small layout projects alongside a longer term larger project. Trouble is, I have two small layouts at this point as well as Steinruecken (well, three if you include one on long term loan to a friend in England) rather than doing just one at a time. And at this moment, I've got to really keep focussed and not get distracted by side projects, taking only "essential" modelling with me while the rest gets stored, hopefully only for a month or so.

Seeing the light

Originally posted 10/4/2010


Now that Steinrücken is a running layout, the opportunity to play trains is not to be missed. Pending a circuit diagram for an occupancy detector I've been promised, proper wiring is slighly held up, but then it'll be easier to wire when the layout is dismantled. As I'm moving house later this month that would be the sensible time to seperate all the boards and wire in the comfort of a chair with the baseboards on end.

Having some inexplicable urge to do things with a soldering iron, I decided to DCC fit some older models which were not DCC ready- two Bimdzf²⁶⁹s and a 628/928 DMU. At this point I've retained the factory lighting, but light bleed is such that I'm going to have to do a better job with some home made LED boards eventually.

The upper headlight of the triangle should not have light showing at the same time as tail lights! Not that the DCC ready models are any better...

This loco caused me some consternation with another problem...

I had run the loco round light before putting a train on the layout to ensure everything was working and that there were no obstructions. All was fine. Adding a short (five coach) push-pull InterRegio rake, as it entered one helix there was a short and the DCC system stopped everything. I spent ages looking at the track on the helice, trying to work out what the problem was, and indeed went to bed without having solved it. However, this morning, a bit fresher, the somewhat obvious thought of checking the train occurred to me. The Roco 112s/143s have pickups bearing onto the tops of the wheel flanges, rather than the back of the wheels...

On one bogie they were bent upwards, so as the loco negotiated the particularly rough joint between the final baseboard and the "Binz" helix (the only joint without alignment dowels), the pickups contacted the cast metal chassis. I hadn't had this when testing light engine simply as I had the loco facing the other direction.

As far as push pull rakes go, because my intention is to run fixed formation, the driving trailer shares the address with the locomotive rather than needing to be set up as a consist. I'm not even sure if the cheap Hornby decoders I use as function only decoders support consisting.