The Sheep Chronicles. A Sheep dips his hooves in various bucolic backwaters.

[ovener]

Hi Rob,
Below is my "wiring diagram" for Dublingham. My DC busbar (same principle as a DCC busbar) was green/red with black power feeds to all the rail sections. Point motor wiring was the other colours.

But to answer the question, my Gaugemaster transformer has two outputs, one for track power (16v AC for DC feedback) and one for point operation (12v DC). I've since fitted a CDU, not shown.

Cheers
Tony

View attachment 228616

Strangely enough, this puts me in mind of a railway map showing large numbers of branch lines. As an ex-electronics tech, I do enjoy seeing the endless possibilities and ingenuity that we all use to get the juice into the loco.

 

[NHY 581]

Hi Rob,
What size is the Blackwater Pier baseboard? Apologies if I have missed it.
Thank you Mark

Hi Mark,

No drama.

Blackwater is 120 x 30 cm or 4ft x 1ft in old money. Fiddle yard is 60 x 30cm.......2ft x 1ft and will use cassettes.

Rob

 

[MarkR]

Hi Rob,
Wow! To me it looks a good deal longer!
Food for thought!
Many thanks
Mark

 

[James Spooner]

Morning all,

I've come to the end of what has been a busy period in the shop so I hope to have a bit more free time now.
Mindful that I only do two days a week, I've come pretty close to full time working over the last few weeks, which is not where I thought I would be.

However, that seems to have subsided now, so in between family stuff and finishing off the Crimbo present thing, I can hopefully make a start on Blackwater.

Now, a question if I may.

I intend to use DCC control for the locos. Points will be analogue. So bus bar for the DCC track feeds. No problem with that..
I am thinking of having a second bus for the point motors.
How best to do this ? A separate 16v transformer seems appropriate but I'd welcome a bit of discussion on this.

Remember, Blackwater only has three points so no need for a NASA standard installation !

A reminder of Blackwater Pier.

View attachment 228606



Thanks in advance,

Rob

Hi Rob,

I guess, to an extent, it depends on the type of point motor you propose using. If it is Peco, then a simple 16v AC output will be fine and you can use the probe to change the points. If you are planning on using something like a Tortoise or DCC Concepts motor, then you either need a 12v DC supply or bring it into the DCC realm with each motor being another chipped accessory, like each loco. On Project Advent I had sufficient Peco point motors left over from a previous effort so I decided to go very simple and keep the point switching right outside the DCC domain.

Nigel

 

[jonte]

Morning all,

I've come to the end of what has been a busy period in the shop so I hope to have a bit more free time now.
Mindful that I only do two days a week, I've come pretty close to full time working over the last few weeks, which is not where I thought I would be.

However, that seems to have subsided now, so in between family stuff and finishing off the Crimbo present thing, I can hopefully make a start on Blackwater.

Now, a question if I may.

I intend to use DCC control for the locos. Points will be analogue. So bus bar for the DCC track feeds. No problem with that..
I am thinking of having a second bus for the point motors.
How best to do this ? A separate 16v transformer seems appropriate but I'd welcome a bit of discussion on this.

Remember, Blackwater only has three points so no need for a NASA standard installation !

A reminder of Blackwater Pier.

View attachment 228606



Thanks in advance,

Rob

Rob:

I briefly looked at your post earlier today whilst juggling other tasks in between doing a spot more on my own build, before collecting my granddaughter from nursery. In fact, I only looked at the photo and ignored the text, sorry, and didn’t realise you were also seeking advice re point activation.

If you bear with me, I’ll try and put a suggestion or two together tomorrow for you, and hopefully dig out a couple of piccies which I hope will make it clearer.

Cheers for now.

Jon

 

[NHY 581]

Hi Rob,
What size is the Blackwater Pier baseboard? Apologies if I have missed it.
Thank you Mark

Rob:

I briefly looked at your post earlier today whilst juggling other tasks in between doing a spot more on my own build, before collecting my granddaughter from nursery. In fact, I only looked at the photo and ignored the text, sorry, and didn’t realise you were also seeking advice re point activation.

If you bear with me, I’ll try and put a suggestion or two together tomorrow for you, and hopefully dig out a couple of piccies which I hope will make it clearer.

Cheers for now.

Jon

Hi Jon,

I'd be grateful. Can't have too much info !

Standing by.

Rob

 

[NHY 581]

Hi Rob,

I guess, to an extent, it depends on the type of point motor you propose using. If it is Peco, then a simple 16v AC output will be fine and you can use the probe to change the points. If you are planning on using something like a Tortoise or DCC Concepts motor, then you either need a 12v DC supply or bring it into the DCC realm with each motor being another chipped accessory, like each loco. On Project Advent I had sufficient Peco point motors left over from a previous effort so I decided to go very simple and keep the point switching right outside the DCC domain.

Nigel

Hi Nigel,

Thanks. I'm intent on using the PECO twistlock motors, complete with the associated polarity switches as suggested by Jonte a while back.

I'll probably use simple passing contact toggle switches to activate them, but I'm certainly open to suggestions.

Rob

 

[James Spooner]

Hi Nigel,

Thanks. I'm intent on using the PECO twistlock motors, complete with the associated polarity switches as suggested by Jonte a while back.

I'll probably use simple passing contact toggle switches to activate them, but I'm certainly open to suggestions.

Rob

Hi Rob,

If Twistlock operate in the same way as normal Peco motors then I just use a console approach and a probe to touch one of two brass screws to switch the points. I attach a photo of the fiddle yard console for Epmham Market. You don’t need the LEDs on a layout the size of Blackwater; they are only there because the FY operators were complaining they couldn’t see which road was set twenty feet away (the green lamps) and then they couldn’t see which Stratford St James FY road was occupied (the red lamps). Otherwise it is quite simple to set up and follows the Peco wiring diagram that ones with the motors.

Cheers

Nigel

 

[NHY 581]

Hi Rob,

If Twistlock operate in the same way as normal Peco motors then I just use a console approach and a probe to touch one of two brass screws to switch the points. I attach a photo of the fiddle yard console for Epmham Market. You don’t need the LEDs on a layout the size of Blackwater; they are only there because the FY operators were complaining they couldn’t see which road was set twenty feet away (the green lamps) and then they couldn’t see which Stratford St James FY road was occupied (the red lamps). Otherwise it is quite simple to set up and follows the Peco wiring diagram that ones with the motors.

Cheers

Nigel

View attachment 228644

Fab, thanks Nigel.

Rob