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Grrr sleepers....

Started by cabbage, Apr 22 2020 18:58

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cabbage

Having survived the week long hangover that is "changing the clocks" I think my system is back in tune with itself. Trying to solder when all you want to do is fall asleep is slight dangerous(!) I have got some of thw route lights connected but the problem is now down to the seven Vregs that produce the 3Volt lines to each battery of LEDs  on the mimic board.

The blue LEDs light at 2.6V the white ones at 2.8V. because the number of blue and white LEDS is different for each route the draw on each Vreg the brightness varies(!) This means twiddle and tweak on the multiple turn pots on each Vreg. (ugh!)

Still there is nothing else to do but watch the rain...

Regards

Ralph

John Branch

Ralph,
I have been following the CPR track relaying and signalling saga with some interest and a lot of admiration for fortitude in the face of  adverse metrological and other conditions. It was like one of those TV programmes where the narrator says "but will the signals light on the get together day?".  OK, the gtg has come and gone-any pics?
Best,
John

cabbage

Well after a massive cascade Vreg failure which removed all the working LEDs from the mimic board. I am pleased to announce that next week should see the completion of the board and I can concentrate on the external connectors -all ninety six of them....

regards

ralph

cabbage

After having to take a few days off the building of the mimic board because it fealt like my eyes were bleeding from the effort of trying to read 1/4w resistors...

I have been programming some new parts for the railway. I am going to construct a false OHL system based on British and Swiss methods. The straights are British and the curves are Swiss.

This is because the UK method of turning a corner would not survive even a moderate breeze here. The "visual aspect" is of a 1922 Pierson Report 1500V and 660V DC traction however none of it will work!!!

There will be a "Rotator house" to convert the AC to DC and supply it to the OHL and 3rd rail. I have been given a xerox of a genuine rotator and switch garden from Blackburn Starling - which I will attempt to use(!) The electrics as such will be from blue LEDs, which will flicker and flash.

And yes... The Rotator will have the makers plate:

ANGUS YOUNG &CO.

Regards

Ralph

cabbage

Ok before the eyes go again... Here is the mimic board showing route one. White LEDs are outward and Blue LEDs are return.





I now await the next delivery of LED holders...

Regards

Ralph

cabbage

Yesterday "The Apprentice and I" completed the first stage of power switching. The routes 1-7 now self isolate and power the points to be open or closed. We didn't have that much time for testing having to make and disconnect 48 screw barriers takes time(!)

The next stage will be to wire in the quick connect Molex unions. These Molex are 12 way ex IBM from the 1990's. These come from the time when "Molex connectors were real Molex connectors!"

As in all things you have to design for expansion, so there is room for route 8 thereafter I can do nothing....

Some people have noted the seemingly strange array that are the route setting switches. Think of it like this:

1-1-1-1-1
1-0-0-0-0
1-8-8-8-8

Only the last four digits are changable. If you select route 1  the number generated is 10001 route 2 generates 11001 but route three generates18000. The 8 in the number tells the system that it is a return route so it lights the blue leds.

This is about all I can do until after the storms... Then it will floundering in the mud connecting up the "local" signalling system.

Regards

Ralph

AshleyW

had you also modified the point rodding from the motors ? i recall that was on the to do list ?

cabbage

We have done six of the eleven link rods. At the moment the house is shaking under the gale blasts and the rain is moving sideways across the windowpanes.

I have to go out and get my Covid #2 vaccination...

Regards

Ralph

cabbage

The system is now at the point(!) where the sign Danger Engineers Testing is raised... The test cables have been removed and the permanent cables, made of "trailer cable" have been spliced in and the 24way ex IBM Molex connectors fitted.

Now we are ready to run a test loco over the trackwork sometime next week. This will probably be "No.5" as she is my most docile of locos and then with "Maude" who most definitely isn't.

Regards

Ralph

cabbage

This is a "totem pole" for the signalling system. It has four layers, green, red, yellow, and double yellow. As the system climbs the totem pole each layer below it is shut off. The pole then sends its status to the preceding pole which either elevates or lowers the status of its totem.





Yes it looks a mess. But cable colours are standard pairs. Red & Black, Blue & Yellow, Purple & Green. Thwre are sixteen "totem poles"  required and I have built three of tjem so far! I am averaging about one per day, but they eat through my stock of supplies.

Regards

Ralph


cabbage

There is now only one to build... I have a huge mental problem with the fact that I like to do things ONCE... Doing the same thing sixteen times has been  "dangerous" to anybody locally!!!

But Monday should see me venture out with my stapler and cable reel to begin the interlink between the totems. Diode logic will allow me to send four "states" through two wires, hence the blue and yellow tag leads from the totem boxes.

Time for lunch and the last totem pole!

Regards

Ralph

cabbage

All totem poles are now complete. The massive change in the weather means that they are still in the kitchen... This means I am going blind soldering up the thirty two DIN7-270 plugs to their distribution points. People have asked

"Why DIN plugs?"

They were originally designed for control wiring and still serve this purpose well. The main problem I have at the moment are the cables. I have used standard EU colour coding but does this really matter?

Red is positve DC
Black is negative DC
Yellow is EITHER positive or negative DC
Blue is EITHER positive or negative DC but the opposite polarity to Yellow.
Violet carries "trigger pulses" of some form.
PURE GREEN is the Zero Volt Line (zvl) and is NOT EARTH.
Green Yellow is EARTH.

The "train detection" system uses the fact that the axles short out the capacitor formed by two insulated lengths of rail the voltage (+/- 10mV) measured by the zvl alters. This triggers a transistor switch.

More fun with veroboard....

Regards

Ralph

cabbage

With luck ( he says !) "Local Intelligence" will be working for the GTG on Saturday. The boxes have a diode network that corrolates to the local set of points, thus Green and Red. "Remote Intelligence" is provided by the two cables that link the boxes. Given the number of din7-270 plugs that have to wired this is likely to be operating on August. The madness of wiring that is the decision matrix for the approach to Brassica is comming along well. Ok it doesn't know what lights it should display but it does know which lights it SHOULDN'T display -which is half the battle.

Today the last part of the "ring main" will be installed and we will have power to all the boxes.

Regards

Ralph

cabbage

After several hours of severe "creeping damp" from sitting on the wet lawn we announce that only "the wind tunnel" is without some form of signalling. Some of the large LEDs have failed and will require replacing. Surprisingly the white  "super bright" LEDs are very hard to see as their beam is very directional. Opinion is that we crack the cans and replace them with diffuse lenses. Although personally I think that replacing one of the white LEDs with a flashing yellow would render it more noticable!

Sunday will probably see me making blue and yellow cabled DIN7s... On reflection -would I have done it differently? The answer to that is yes. I should have gone with my initial thoughts and used XLR rather than DIN.

Regards

Ralph

Doddy

My first batch of cheap imported signal heads are on their way . . .

The lens positions will need to be moved around from road to railway order, though.


"You don't know what you don't know"