Friday started with another day off work. I was able to visit Captain Barnacle and upload a new version of the single track level crossing code to the Arduino and it seemed to fix the problem. I did some tweaking in the delay between reads of the outer IR detectors on approach to the level crossing and if I then wound up the intensity of the outer detectors a bit, it seemed to work very well. Barnacle could throw his points all over the layout and it no longer caused his level crossing to activate. I'm pretty sure he is as happy as a pig in mud. This comment in no way refers to Barnacle's previous employment! I do think it was something in his power circuit in the shed, or even the power supply supplying some of his point motors. But that is not yet proved beyond reasonable doubt, and probably never will be as everything seems to be running well now.
So on the way home from Barnacle's, I popped into to visit Lefty & Son. I tried to set them a task and hopefully they have accepted the challenge and have started cleaning the rollingstock and track off a section of their baseboard that they want to make modifications to. They also wanted to change the second deck, so this needs to be cleaned up as well. They just need to advise when the working bee is and I’m sure a few of the Tuesday Nighter’s will be over to give them a hand. I have not yet replaced Raymond’s borrowed styrene as yet, that will be this weekend.
My modelling activities this weekend covered a whole range of things. I painted up 50 pallets on Friday and sold them off. I will complete another 50 this week and paint them next Saturday. I installed a small section of chain wire fence that I painted on Friday. It was only 48mm long, and filled the gap at the end of lane way. I also installed two small safety barriers that sit above the North Street pedestrian underpass walkway just north of the Cassino station. This will stop distracted shunters or other crew members from falling onto the walkway below.
I cut up and installed 36 lids for 54 - 44 gallon drums (yes some will not have lids) which I painted in various colours today. I stained about 50 balsa sleepers to make a walkway that will run beside the track in Lismore Yard. This will enable the crew to walk beside the wagons and not fall over on the ballast, so they can connect up the pipes for the cement wagons that are unloaded here. Just more detail around the siding.
I added the name boards to the Cassino platform signs on the weekend as well. They look quite good. I also added a number of perway crew to various fetler camps around the layout. These also add to the realism of the various scenes. I have also started to add some corrugated iron to a few more sheds that have been sitting around for years. I found some old corrugated card that I had left over, so now that has been used up. I must buy a few more packets for the 10 or more shed that I need to complete. Maybe a bulk order with the Tuesday Nighter’s this week?
My main activity for the weekend was planning for a magnetic uncoupler that will slide beneath the track on both the mainline and the Norco siding at Murwillumbah. A hole was cut in the baseboard and the magnet was attached to a piece of dowel and it slides between the two tracks and out of the way. This will be covered by a piece of thin balsa sheet just under the track. It sort of works. More testing and some more fine tuning will occur next weekend. While working in this area, an opportunity was taken to add the bitumen road to the Murwillumbah Cement Silo. A turning circle was added to the far end of the facility. I also added a bitumen road and standing pad to the goods facility at Old Cassino.
The future plan is still to give a number of locos a bit of a test run next weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment