Not The Hill in Wales

[SimonT]

Jon,
this is very interesting. I have concluded that SG90s are the way to go and again, I am moving towards the MERG solution. A couple of questions:
1. What form of control are you using? I use DCC (Lenz and SWD/ESU chips) and as yet I haven't seen anything to indicate any from of interference between the systems.
2. Do the MERG boys know about the problem?
Can we mitigate the interference?
3. How close are the power supply buses, including rails, to the servo control wiring?
4. Have you tried placing a capacitor across the pick up wiring to suppress the effects of the arcing/interference?

As a large number of the signals are now permanently mounted to the baseboard, I am going to have to come up with a method mounting the servos on the baseboard. This will be complicated on the triple doll. All the signals are operated by .7mm wire droppers that push the signal off. The yard starter and the gantrys will need to be removable from the layout to protect them in transit; this will need some very careful mechanical design, not to say building.

Simon

 

[Dikitriki]

Simon,

If I can come in here.....

I use servos and Merg control boards for the signals, and have had no interference whatsoever. To answer the questions you raised as applied to Heyside.

1) NCE Power Pro plus 10 amp system.
2) No idea.
3) We paid no attention to how close or not they are to the 4 district Bus circuits.
4) Yes, we had to put snubbers across all end of circuit tracks - but that was as a belt and braces approach to deal with some track control problems and run away locos rather than signal/servo issues.

Richard

 

[Dikitriki]

Forgot to say, Simon

We have the signals permanently fixed and had some laser cut servo mountings made for us, each one holds 3 servos. we have 9 servos under one leg of the gantry.

Tony Geary (Dibateg) had a number of spares produced and is selling them at £3 apiece last I heard.

Richard

 

[PMP]

Just a thought the Retford guys are using an etched mount for servo's, I'll be in touch.

 

[Jon Fitness]

I'm all DC on our layout and the signals are just operated from simple on/off switches. The wiring for the signals is kept as far as is practial from track feeds but some clashes were unavoidable. There's only 2 remaining out of about 30 locos that seem to be a problem but we'll sort them eventually!
JF

 

[SimonT]

Richard,
if it works for Heyside, it will work for me! Thank you for the lead to Tony, I'll follow it up and look at what Paul comes up with. I'll remember your 9 servo gantry as I am doing my 6 servo gantry and modify my language appropriately.

Paul,
Cheers! Sorry that you didn't make it, you missed A Level Titting About with a triple headed coal train.

Jon,
thank you. As I am already using DCC I may well get away with the interference problem. I'll report back when it's all working.

All the wotsit
Simon

 

[SimonT]

It is about time that I brought things up to date on Aberbeeg. The project to back date the layout is making progress. PMP has already posted a photo of the 56XX getting a run at Nottingham last month. Here are some shots of the latest arrivals.


4294 running through Aber on the way to Ebbw. It is weathered to catch the neglect in the last days of steam in South Wales. Built from a David Andrews kit.




4294 still needs plates adding and then a bit more weathering. Should the bonnet be brass or black?



Sat at the down branch platform is the up local for Ebbw headed by 6415. It really did depart wrong line to the up crossover. Built from a MOK kit, like the 42XX it still needs plates and at the moment it too is missing a backhead, but keep quiet about that, ok? The kit is a pleasure to build.

There is another 52XX under way and I am about to start on the underframe for which a parcel of shineness arrived from PPD the other day - a set of etched frame spacers for S7. This 52XX will have the correct frame joggle to provide side play on the rear drivers. At the moment the kit is on the shelf as a rebuild of the Peak bogie has taken priority. I need to start on the water tank and water column which are the only alterations to the layout.

The layout is next out at Wigan and I might bring these along for the final hour, or we might run double/triple headers of all the mineral stock up and down the hill.

All the wotsit

 

[Compton castle]

That's looking really good, will you be going for a pair of MOK 9Fs for the docks to Ebbw vale iron ore train???

 

[richard carr]

Looks great Simon, can't wait to see the 9fs.

Richard

 

[SimonT]

a pair of MOK 9Fs

Sshhh! I am trying to fight off that particular temptation. There is the small matter of all the iron ore wagons needed for the train, a matter that I am looking at. If anyone knows the whereabouts of any proper drawings, they would be very useful. I've got the diagram sketches but I have got nowhere with York.

Simon

 

[Compton castle]

Paul bartlets site any good,
Richard Thomas & baldwins first brought them in. Bachmann did them
In 4mm.
MOK are only doing 75 9Fs so you best decide soon.

 

[Compton castle]

I sent a deposit a few weeks ago at least that will lesson the blow.

 

[SimonT]

MOK are only doing 75 9Fs

I know and there are some left,

Paul bartlets site any good

good for photos, no use for dimensioned drawings to produce wagon kits.

"If one needs to ask a rough price then one cannot obviously afford one "

Made I laugh, you did. It's more the scale that is starting to hit, the blue diesel 70s are more economical to model. For steam I need the 9Fs, the iron ore train, the oil tanker train (green 37), 3 x 45/52XX on the minerals, a 72XX, a 56XX, a 45XX and then small flotilla of panniers (mostly 94X by '63). It is a matter of thinning out what I can, to allow time and money to still provide a convincing view of operation up the hill. Imagine three pannier bankers coming down the hill under permissive block in convoy while yet another long mineral goes up.

Got to do it properly.

Simon

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Made I laugh, you did. It's more the scale that is starting to hit, the blue diesel 70s are more economical to model. For steam I need the 9Fs, the iron ore train, the oil tanker train (green 37), 3 x 45/52XX on the minerals, a 72XX, a 56XX, a 45XX and then small flotilla of panniers (mostly 94X by '63). It is a matter of thinning out what I can, to allow time and money to still provide a convincing view of operation up the hill. Imagine three pannier bankers coming down the hill under permissive block in convoy while yet another long mineral goes up.

Got to do it properly.

Simon

"Yep"....

Col

 

[Compton castle]

An old picture I had from the museum

On the western valleys line. Talking of 94 panniers I'm trying to get JLTRT to do one in there range, so that might just make it a bit easier for you

https://www.facebook.com/pages/GWR-Hawksworth-94xx-Pannier-tank-from-JLTRT/289237791237113?ref=hl

If your on facebook

 

[Scale7JB]

I fired 9466 up on the Mid-Norfolk last year, and so I could quote fancy a 94xx at some point...!!

JB.

 

[Compton castle]

The seven model would make in too a nice kit, I want one of there duke of Gloucester kits, although I will substitute a lot of the cast white metal parts for new ones from laurie griffin and ragstone.

 

[Phill Dyson]

Simon,

Could I ask how you made the tree above the loco in photo 2 post #28 ?

Phill

 

[SimonT]

Phil,
I need to take a look to remind my self! I will report back later.
Simon

 

[SimonT]

Phil,
it is built on a flourist wire armature which was twisted and soldered together. The wire is a plated wire that was about .5mm diameter. The bark is Artex. The foliage is pastiche and the leaves are from Treemendous. All fairily standard technique as described by Gorgon Gravett in his books.

Hope this helps.

Simon