The Heybridge Railway, 1889 to 1913

[simond]

While tearing down my work room for a house move recently I’ve had to dismantle the power supply strip that I’ve used for about 20 years (see photo). It’s a system which was sold by Wickes in the early 2000s and consists of interconnecting trunking which all ran off a common 13A plug using sections with 4 x 13A sockets each plus various length connectors. It all clipped into a moulded wall trough making a very neat design for a workbench where there were a lot of devices with a small load, with usually only one being used at any one time. Sadly they withdrew it from sale shortly after I bought mine and I’ve never seen anything else like it for the home consumer (I’m aware there are desk-mounted systems for IT equipment but they are very expensive, probably over-engineered for what we need and don’t have the wall mount).

I'm sure someone will tell me why it's a really bad idea, but it's served me well for many years.




View attachment 268660

possibly too easy to overload?

Though you would hope the 13A fused supply was sufficient to protect it.

 

[Chris Veitch]

possibly too easy to overload?

Though you would hope the 13A fused supply was sufficient to protect it.

I guess that's the obvious issue but I've never had any problems with it - the heaviest load is takes is a Cowells 90ME and I can't actually think of a time when I've had more than one appliance running off it simultaneously. That's not including lighting but since that's about 15w of LEDs I doubt that's a factor either. The plug (it comes with a terminator section with its own plug) isn't an ordinary 13A and contains some sort of electronics which I presume is surge protection - I'm pretty ignorant of such things so not sure what difference this would make.

 

[RichardG]

possibly too easy to overload?

I can see shrouded pins, but if the built-in sockets at the ends are not shuttered then perhaps the unit failed to meet a revision of the wiring regulations.

 

[Chris Veitch]

I can see shrouded pins, but if the built-in sockets at the ends are not shuttered then perhaps the unit failed to meet a revision of the wiring regulations.

I did wonder if their withdrawal was something to do with regulation. I suspect the Part P regs came in around then (yes, I know they relate to fixed domestic wiring which this isn't) so possibly something similar affected "appliances" like this.

 

[Osgood]

Only reason I can think of is use of multiple 3-pin connections for every section.
Dirt build-up (e.g. oxidation) creates overheating risk - a bit like stacking 3-way adapters into sockets which is frowned upon but I'm not sure how dealt with in the Regs.
But it looks a neat system.

 

[RichardG]

One good thing to come out of this discussion is, I have reduced the number of 13A plugs on the bench from ten to six.

There are long, decent quality socket strips out there to buy (8-way example) but they invariably have only one switch. If loads are to remain on 24/7, like radio-controlled lighting and the base for the DECT phone, such strips don't really work. And the cables for eight 13A plugs so close together create a mess.

So if I can get by with six sockets on the bench, things look less cluttered and I will be happy.

 

[RichardG]

You can only use so many appliances that do not need to be permanently connected at any given time - hence the benefit of plugs and flexi cable.

A few things do need to be connected all of the time: the bench lamp, the iron, the landline phone. Life would be misery if I had to unplug the iron to plug in the RSU, so the RSU goes on the list too. The r/c lighting for a H0 diorama provides mood lighting for the room, so for the bench I end up with five sockets always needed and one spare for the task in hand, be it the hot glue gun, hot air gun or even an analogue controller.


I try to not succumb to marketing but the new bench light is branded 'The Grinning Gargoyle'. Which sounds as though there was some British input somewhere along the line, although the product is made in China.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125988762906

The lamp is a bit industrial by hobby standards, but it is the best bench light I have ever had and as my eyesight drains away with age it should be helpful.

 

[spikey faz]

Richard, the specifications rate the lamp at 30watts. How bright do you find this in reality?

Thanks
Mike

 

[RichardG]

Richard, the specifications rate the lamp at 30watts. How bright do you find this in reality?

I have found my light meter so I can be moderately scientific:

• Level of ambient light of bench = 28 lux so small enough to neglect
• Levels of light on bench provided by the lamp set 0.5 metres above are 2,800, 2,100, 1,600 and 1,200 lux (four settings).

The lamp seems to remember its last power setting when I switch it on, which is an improvement over the lamp it has replaced.

I only set up the lamp today, but subjectively this is a very good light for making things. I am not sure about the colour rendering yet. The printing on the box claims 5,600 to 6,000 Kelvin which is a bit fluffy.

 

[simond]

A few things do need to be connected all of the time: the bench lamp, the iron, the landline phone. Life would be misery if I had to unplug the iron to plug in the RSU, so the RSU goes on the list too. The r/c lighting for a H0 diorama provides mood lighting for the room, so for the bench I end up with five sockets always needed and one spare for the task in hand, be it the hot glue gun, hot air gun or even an analogue controller.

View attachment 268961
I try to not succumb to marketing but the new bench light is branded 'The Grinning Gargoyle'. Which sounds as though there was some British input somewhere along the line, although the product is made in China.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125988762906

The lamp is a bit industrial by hobby standards, but it is the best bench light I have ever had and as my eyesight drains away with age it should be helpful.

I’m only mildly concerned that in the advert, not one of the images shows the lamp illuminated…

 

[RichardG]

I for one have grappled with DCC motor tuning, seems to be the devil's own business, so if you have any tips please do enlighten us.
Thanks
Tony

I don’t really know very much about motor tuning in DCC so much of this may be stating the obvious to many people . . .

My gut feeling is you need a roundy-roundy to set up any kind of acceleration and deceleration, otherwise the task is just frustrating. Somewhere the loco can reach its maximum speed and sustain it for a while. This is something I can try one day for my H0 and 00 models, I have an oval of Unitrack.

I spent some time with British H0, and I decided early on that I wanted to try out DCC because this would make controlling the trains so much easier. I settled on the Lenz Standard+ V2 as my decoder of choice because this provides six motor control characteristics (CV50), and one of these seemed to work with ever motor I could throw at it e.g. from Fleischmann Warship to Roco EE shunter.

I also bought decoders from ESU and Zimo. These seem to drive motors very well without much fiddling, but at the time I chose them more by luck than judgement.

Since then I have discovered the motor auto-tune feature (CV54=0, F1) in the ESU LokPilot v4 and v5. This is a bit hit and miss, and @Yorkshire Dave has pointed out that you can get a different set of values on each successive run. Still, I am very happy with the results I have obtained so far with my H0 and 0 gauge models. This also needs a fair amount of track, ideally 4 metres in 0 gauge with the loco starting in the middle. I have run the sequence a few times for most models, and I like the way they now respond to the throttle.


Now I have DecoderPro and a Sprog I have had a go with complex speed curves. I like the idea of a slow start to use on my small shunting layouts along with the full maximum speed to use on the track at NEEGOG. What I really need to do is revert to to the simple speed setting and make sure the locos do start at a power level of ‘1’, and if not then adjust CV 67 and the ones nearby upwards to suit.

All but one of my 7mm locos run really well on DCC. I put this down to them already running well on an analogue controller. The exception is ever so slightly lumpy on analogue, and DCC seems to make this worse. I arranged the decoder into a socket so I can put in a blanking plug instead and then refine things using the analogue controller. I expect one of the side rods is binding ever so slightly.

I am sure, the important thing is to get models running really well on analogue before adding DCC. I find this easier in 7mm than in the smaller scales – I suppose this is because everything is that much bigger and more robust.

With a bit of luck some other people will add to this . . .

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

All but one of my 7mm locos run really well on DCC. I put this down to them already running well on an analogue controller. The exception is ever so slightly lumpy on analogue, and DCC seems to make this worse. I arranged the decoder into a socket so I can put in a blanking plug instead and then refine things using the analogue controller. I expect one of the side rods is binding ever so slightly.

I am sure, the important thing is to get models running really well on analogue before adding DCC. I find this easier in 7mm than in the smaller scales – I suppose this is because everything is that much bigger and more robust.

Yes, locomotives have to run sweetly in analogue mode before installing a decoder. It's a popular misconception that DCC is a cure-all for poor running and many are disappointed when they install a decoder into a poorly running locomotive and there is no improvement.

Since then I have discovered the motor auto-tune feature (CV54=0, F1) in the ESU LokPilot v4 and v5. This is a bit hit and miss, and @Yorkshire Dave has pointed out that you can get a different set of values on each successive run. Still, I am very happy with the results I have obtained so far with my H0 and 0 gauge models. This also needs a fair amount of track, ideally 4 metres in 0 gauge with the loco starting in the middle. I have run the sequence a few times for most models, and I like the way they now respond to the throttle.

(@76043 - this may be helpful) For manual fine tuning of the motor control CVs 54 and 55 I use this guide - Option 2 (although it applies to ESU LokSound and LokPilot v4 and v5 the method can be used for other decoders). https://www.bjork.dk/modelbane/images/Manualer/SWD_LSV4_Motor_back_EMF_Setup.pdf

For ESU LokSound and LokPilot v4 and V5 I start with the results from CV54=0, F1 then fine tune from there. With certain motor/gearbox combinations I've just used Option 2 i.e. CV54=10 and CV55=10 without using CV54=0,F1 as starting point - the only downside is it can be long-winded.

 

[RichardG]

The subject of frog juicers came up at NEEGOG earlier this month. I have never had one and never want to have one, because they rely on a fault condition to make them work. And I don't have any double slips or diamond crossings. Conversely, a modeller without a background in engineering simply buys them and uses them, and never worries about microswitches going out of alignment or relays operating at the wrong time.

Well, I have finally come to a conclusion for myself. I need Heybridge Basin to remain available as my test track, and to do this it needs to be able to support analogue operation. The layout can do this by me engaging the Program mode of the z21 (thus isolating most of the layout from the DCC controller) and then connecting an analogue controller at the fiddle yard. This rules out having frog juicers.


I was thinking about this when I added a third rail to one of the cassettes. This gives me a programming track for 00 and H0 models, and a new test track for my o14 loco. This cassette thus replaces my first length of o14 track, the one made out of two steel rules on edge in my last photo. I thought about a microswitch to detect the centre rail, and settled on a manual switch.


The switch is going to sit in its 16.5 position almost all of the time.

I am working my way towards a universal fiddle yard. It is not only reversible front to back for use with Heybridge Basin, but it could take new stub tracks and new cassettes for 14 and 16.5 mm gauges; and it contains some hardware for decoder programming. If it is the last fiddle yard I ever build, this would be wonderful.