On Friday I came home from work slightly early so I could cut up a piece of
board for the control panel I was going to use for South Brisbane Interstate Panel. I
then transcribed the track layout for the South Brisbane Interstate Platform,
Sidings and Yard and identified the location of the various route selecting push
buttons. I drilled the button locations out fitted the push buttons and on Friday night I soldered up the common
power for each of the push buttons.
On Saturday I fixed the panel to the layout and installed the first of 4
Peco point motors to the mainline tracks on the main points that fan out
into the platform and loop line at South Brisbane Interstate. I then wired
these point motors back to the first DS64 point controller. After given it an
address and each point motor an address, I coded them up and test fired the
points from my Procab issuing ‘Accessory’ commands. They all worked. I then drilled a number of holes through the various frame members so I could run wires from the control panel to the Mini Panel. I then
the fed wires from the control panel back to my NCE Mini Panel for the first 6 track
routes.
Today I installed the next 4 Peco point motors in South Brisbane and wired
them back to the second DS64 point controller for this location. These were
again given addresses and test fired from my Procab. All worked as you would
expect. I then installed two more Peco point motors to the points in the yard at South
Brisbane Interstate but I don’t have a DS64 for these as yet. I also need to
install one more Peco point motor on the point for the loco run around at the
end of the main platform at South Brisbane. This will also be connected back to
the DS64 when I get one.
I then connected the remaining route selecting buttons from the South Brisbane
Interstate control panel back to the Mini Panel. I then proceeded to plug my
Procab into the Mini Panel and code up the accessory commands for the 14 input buttons
and the two extra inputs as two of the routes need to throw five points, so I
needed to link to another location in the Min Panel so I can put in five
accessory commands.
Yesterday I also picked up an NCE Snap-it for the control of the solitary
point at Dutton Park. I am in the process of installing this along with a two
separate local panel, one on either side of the location on the layout
facia. When I eventually install the track into Fisherman Islands, I might need
a third version of this panel at that location as well. As the location is a
glorified ‘Y’, I really think I will need a panel on each of the three tracks
that lead into the ‘Y’.
Also yesterday morning I visited Austral Modelcraft and Ray had resupplied
his shop with N14SR and D14SR decoders from the inporter. Well he did until I bought 5 of each of
them for the Club Shop. I needed one N14SR decoder myself to complete my second
73 Class. I will get around to installing this decoder once my running session is complete in two
weeks.
So I have one weekend left to ready everything for the next Running
Session. All the trains are sitting where they were left off when we ran the
last Running Session. I will clean the track, clean the desk for North Coast
Control, and test the point work at Clapham Yard and Loco Pilly as this needs the
installation of check rails on the kit bashed dual gauge points to ensure
smoother running when taking various routes through the points. At this stage I have failed by plan to have
the control panels ready for Clapham Yard at either end and I will not have the
points operating electrically at these locations. They will be manual thrown points. I also
will not have completed my Pratt Truss bridge over the Richmond River at Cassino, as well as the lead up spans. The plan
now is to have this available for the next running session if that is in December. I’m
not sure about an August Running Day. It will depend upon how well the next one goes. I just remembered one more thing to do before the next running day - restock the fridge with beer and soft drink.
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