Been a bit of a long day in the den, fellow Westerners, and whilst for the most part I cherish what little modelling time I have, today proved a bit of a chore.
After a light lunch, I returned to the layout looking - I shaln’t say eager - to put my plan (well a mixture of two plans actually) into action as described in my previous post. My apprehension proved unwarranted I’m pleased to report, as believe it or not, my amalgam of plans really did work.
Working away from the first point - as a train would enter the layout (the fixed one, still fixed down at this point) - along the lower of the two tracks, I lifted the points just enough to slip fish plate on to rail, and with the benefit of the odd one or two ‘extended, extended holes’ as mentioned earlier, I found that I had just enough wiggle room to join them without placing unnecessary strain on wires or track. Having reached the end of the lower track, I worked steadily back towards the first point along the upper track. Having successfully joined the ‘curved’ section (now not-so curved) to the final point in the line, I lifted the first (fixed) point as I’d hinted at earlier, which allowed me to create two joined up sections of track. Success! Even the curve returned to the curved section, probably due to the tight fit of the metal rail joiners keeping everything tight, I guess.
Looks like I do get the occasional brain wave after all, Westerners. It won’t last.
The photo(s) show the track just resting on the cork, totally unfixed:
The straight sections are just there to facilitate testing. It will remain in its unfitted state until (successful) testing has been achieved with both DC and DCC.
Actually, I was surprised that the ‘joining-up’ didn’t take as long as I thought, nor was it half the chore I expected, to be honest; it probably took longer to write it up!
But there was further angst to come, Westerners, isn’t there always? You see, the thought of going DCC filled me with dread, but up to now, it had been so far into the ‘distant’ distance, that - apart from buying a controller, the box of which I hadn’t even opened to examine the contents - I just chose to give it passing attention. Up to now! But now that I’d actually reached the point of layout control, I thought it was time to bite the bullet. But first I needed to know how to fit the darned thing to my nascent offering. Easier said than done for this Luddite. Remembering - just about - where I’d left it since it’s day of purchase, I was horrified to discover that this wasn’t the basic Bachmann EZ offering as I’d thought, and the subject of the Tony Wright DVD which had lain unwatched in a drawer since it arrived by post eons ago now, just in case .....well, you know how these things go.... and which I’d recently plucked up the courage to watch in its entirety for this very purpose. Btw, the matchsticks to keep eyes open as I’d anticipated, weren’t required, as to be fair, I rather enjoy Tony’s presentation style, and surprisingly, the notion wasn’t as difficult as I’d thought. However, I repeat: this was for the basic controller with traditional knob; what I’d bought was the all singing, all dancing Dynamis version, with its ‘wireless’ what-not, replete with neck hung harness. Sugar!
Following a quick change of underwear, I sat in the sun and emptied out the contents (of the box
). I had absolutely no idea what did what. But worst of all, I couldn’t even figure out the basic question: ‘how do I wire it my humble layout?’ Apart from a red wire with a jack plug on one end and a plastic ‘box’ with three rectangular holes in on t’other, there was nothing obvious as to how it might transfer power from hi-tech boxes to rail. B*ll*x!!
The accompanying instructions were less than useless in this regard, and the only hint at what might be required, were a couple of arrows marked ‘output connectors’ on a simple diagram pointing to the back of the ‘command centre’, bearing the legend: ‘3.5mm jack plug..’
A quick search threw up trillions of the darned things from myriad suppliers, but which? I went back to basics and did a search on Bachmann to determine whether the manufacturer provided the relevant parts. They didn’t. But what also came up were threads from a variety of fora that left me apoplectic. Apparently, said pins ain’t 3.5mm after all, but some in between size that the market doesn’t cater for! You can try the standard three point fives, but apparently service in the form of power is intermittent as they’re a loose fit. Some poor modellers have had to resort to holding them in place whilst playing trains...............
With the voice in my head screaming even louder derogatory terms about the hobby, and just before taking Dynamis to its final resting place in the form of the local authority nominated grey bin for non-recyclable rubbish, I decided to take a deep breath and stuck the kettle on.
Coffee in hand and settled into my garden chair, I dug out the iPad, and watched one, then two, then three YouTube videos about Dynamis , none of which could enlighten me as to how to connect it up to a layout that didn’t use their own brand of EZ Peasy track - apparently, that’s what the red wire replete with jack plug and box connector is for - so none the wiser, I continued my fruitless search. Imagine therefore my delight when there was none other than my old friend Tony Wright presenting a series of EZ Command vids: but this time, in relation to the Dynamis version. Back of the net! Three - or was it four - videos later I was still none the wiser, until mention was made of wiring it straight into his existing train set. ‘Now we’re onto something’. Or so I thought. Whilst treated to a flick of a fond steed traversing his pride and joy, punctuated with shots of he looking suitably impressed, all the while extolling the virtues of the system to his new best mate, Malcolm of Bachmann, not the slightest mention of how it was actually wired into his existing system was made. In desperation, I shouted desperate pleas at the screen, but sadly, Tony wasn’t listening.
I picked up the red wire - actually two wires as I discovered- and re-examined it. ‘What if I could remove the box connector from the end and wire that somehow to my ‘bus’ thingies?’ Now that might just work. Easier said the done, but with careful use of Stanley knife and small screwdriver - which slid off at one point and went straight under my finger nail causing me to breach the Queen’s Peace - I eventually succeeded, and was pleased to discover a sleeve connector on the end of each wire, which should making wiring in relatively straight forward:
That said, I don’t even know if that’s what they’re for and it might even short out the whole system. But you know what, fellow Westerners, I’m past caring. If it does, ces’t la vie! Be sure that I’ll let you know.
‘Nite.
Jonte
