Grrr sleepers....

[cabbage]

The title should now read Grr Paint!!! I have been forced to import from Holland a litre tin of Matte White exterior to paint the poles and bases. This has cost me a tenner. To put it into perspective a 150ml pot of Humbrol Matte White is around £8.50...

The remains will get used up on another project which will involve quite a bit of recycling and making storm proof.

Regards

Ralph

[cabbage]

Ok... I have started final assembly of the signal posts. Despite planning everthing went wrong!!! The simple task of joining the four wires plus grounding sheath should have presented no problems. Rather than use standard four core signal cable I used "proper" heavy duty four core control cable.

The melting point of PLA is 200°C. The melting point of 60/40 Savbit is about 210°C... The amount of heat conducted by 5A rated Silver jacketed Copper is enough to "cause problems"... I have begun printing its replacement. The solution was to hang everything in a continuous breeze. The potting compound was as vile as I remember.

The front plate was held in place with rubber bands and the compound set entombing the wiring.





The Red is about right.
The Green looks too blue(?) eventjough the wave number is correct. It could just be me - but my eyesight is getting worse.
The single Yellow is slightly dimmer when compared to the double Yellow.

But they are visible at over 10m(!)

Regards

Ralph

[John Branch]

I have noticed that some green aspects sometimes look blueish-it happens with road traffic lights as well.  Maybe something to do with the lens layout and  the way the light is refracted, depending on the viewer's relationship with the beam? Or atmospherics?

John

[cabbage]

Or in my case, a combination of Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration?!?!??! It could also be a voltage contaminant of the led -poor quality leds can produce other frequency multiples and I admit these were cheap even for eBay!!!

regards

ralph

[cabbage]

Red light Green light flashing through the dark night pounding through the pouring rain, I gotta see trains!!!





Regards

Ralph

[John Branch]

Could you post a diagram of your tracks sometime-I see photos of parts of it, a   station here, a junction there, but cannot put it all together. 

Thanks
John

[cabbage]

As Requested.





regards

ralph

[cabbage]

Ok, first signal module has been screwed to the underside of the trackbed. It is based on IBM "Token Ring" technique.
Eack module has a ring in and ring out connection. Each box listens to the preceding one and passes its status onto the next box.







Regards

Ralph

[cabbage]

The boxes of Cobolt points motors have arrived and I have to make the last section of base board to connect  the third line to the "drag strip". I "think" I have enough spare timbers to do this, but it will be out with the tape measure tomorrow... The reprap is nearly dying of exhaustion but it is going to have to print covers for the Cobolt motors. But first I have to design them!!!

Regards

Ralph

[cabbage]

The last parts have some off the reprap. These are the feathers that indicate route changes. The five white LEDs for each feather are on order -as are the PURPLE LEDs... Only in two places in the entire expanse of the internet did I get confirmation of a boyhood memory! Purple lights were used to indicate "Limit of Shunt" zones. The only problem I have now is the VERY high (relatively) voltage needed to strike a purple LED. Normally off a 12V line I would string the LEDS is series and the voltage drop between the total number of LEDs would light them all. Here however I am going to have to put a blocking resistor after each LED from the 12 V line to Earth. And there isn't that much room in the feather!!!

regards

ralph

[cabbage]

After "words" due to my new reel of solder... The white and flashing purple LEDs have been sunk into the holders and then wired in series.  They have been stuck to the tops of the 4aspect hoods with some very amusing results!!!

This is the main signal to the Brassica station. I personally think it looks like a Dalek celebrating having made the winning goal(!)



 

The SCAD files will be uploaded to the Wiki.

Regards

Ralph

[cabbage]

The last prder for baseboard decking has been placed and the last lengths of Aluminium angle will arrive next week. I then have six weeks to peoduce something with...

Regards

Ralph

[cabbage]

Hurray!!!! Ok I have been busy constructing track bed, track and signal installing.





It is going to be lifted and laid again once I have some more hot melt felt and probably more LPG... This at real world size is a flange screamingly tight curve but the Gauge Widened track should make it workable(!)

This is the main gantry in front of Brassica. It jas tje three outbound lines and one inbound. The main Dalek has indicator feathers and the rear Dalek has a flashing purple feather to show when shunting is allowed





I have one more gantry to make from angle then playing with the logic diodes and relays to produce the required

AND, OR, XOR and NOT gates.

I hope I can aquire an assistant for testing.

Regards

Ralph

[cabbage]

The last of the Ikea Glys boxes have screwed to the trackbed. These contain four DPDT relays and three din 7-270 sockets.

The horrible job of checking the "ring tags" are correct -now has to be done. As a reminder the system is based on "Token Ring". Thus each box has a ring in and ring out din socket, what would be the computer is replaced by the four aspect signal.







Time for tea and gingernuts!

Regards

Ralph

[Peaky 556]

TV

I have one more gantry to make from angle then playing with the logic diodes and relays to produce the required

AND, OR, XOR and NOT gates.

I hope I can aquire an assistant for testing.

Regards

Ralph

Ralph, I wonder if you can post on here an overview of what your signalling system is intended to do, eg whether it will sound an alarm if SPAD, the era and region it models, if linked to points control etc?   This will be particularly helpful if I am that assistant!