This week I was determined to run some trains and go through the various comments made to timetable cards from the last Operations Session. I fixed a power issue in Rocklea Sidings by re soldering a wire. I added an uncoupling magnet to the rear dock siding at Murwillumbah used to load the car carriers so an engine can leave the motorail wagon there and do other tasks. I realised that the wagons in Lismore Yard were actually in the correct tracks. I thought three open wagons were located where four louvre vans should have been and vice versa. Well I was wrong! I relocated a loco South Brisbane Interstate Yard from the loco siding to track 4. The timetable card said to leave the loco attached to the wagons. I was checking out a couple of powerline 48 class locos that I was using to move some wagons to the Cassino Meatworks. The locos was slipping on the slight incline. So I tried two 48’s after I changed the Powerline traction tyres. They still could not move the 5 wagons. I replaced the 48’s with a 44 class loco with sound. I did look at trying to add some weight to one or both of the 48’s with some lead I have sitting around, to see if this will allow these locos to return to service. But they are not running well enough by this small include with 5 wagons. I replaced some wheels on one wagon as it was creating a great deal of drag. It now has less drag. I also swapped out some couplers on a wagon that was reported to be uncoupling in a location in the last Ops Session. It had a scale coupler, and I changed it to a KD#5.
I also re-discovered the Activation and Cancelation button on the fascia under the Hotham Street level crossing to allow the automated level crossing lights to work like the button says. When a train needs to leave the Up Yard at Cassino, the driver can push the activation button and the level crossing lights work as normal. When a train from the Meatworks needs to go to the Up Yard, the level crossing cancelation button needs to be pressed, after the trains crosses the level crossing and the lights stop flashing. I have now labelled the button on the fascia and I updated the Operations Manual. I also labelled the Level Crossing cutout switch near the Cassino Meatworks. This button allows for the outer sensor that usually activates the Hothan Road Level crossing for trains travelling south, to be cut out, so a shunting movement in the Meatworks Siding does not activate the level crossing. When the shunting movement is completed, the switch can be returned to the normal position. The switch and button waere also documented in a revision of the layout Operations Manual.
I added a Table of Contents to the Operations Manual and the document is now 23 pages long. This gets emailed to potential new crew before an Operations Session, as it gives them a good overview of the history of the layout and how it operates. I also updated a couple of timetable cards for typos and re-printed them, and put them back into the mix.
The next Operations Session will occur on the 4th October and the aim is to allow Geoff to close out his time requirements for the Dispatcher AP. He will then have to do all the paperwork before submitting this as part of his SOQ (Statement of Qualifications). Then we will work to get a few other guys to complete their hours for their remaining tasks for the Dispatcher AP.
On Tuesday night I was perusing power supplies online, and I got my son to use his Amazon links to purchase a 18V DC 3 AMP power supply (with free delivery) for use as the power supply for my ESU Switch Pilot. It turned up on Wednesday afternoon. I took it down to the shed and wired it in to the Switch Pilot. I fired it up and gave it a test for the point motors in Park Road Station and the two point motors on the Park Road to Fisherman Islands angle. Wouldn’t you know that the points both sides of Park Road station/crossing loop were wired in the wrong order. I swapped the connections over, so teh panel sort of worked. I then used the control panel and I noticed that the straight and curve outputs were reversed. So the wires on each of the first two point outputs were wired back to front. So I swapped the wires over, tested them again and within a minute after adjusting some screws on the point motors, the points were working perfectly. Next was the point at the Park Road end of the narrow gauge angle. I could not get it to fire in one direction. After adjusting the point motor, eventually it was working. However, when I used the control panel, I could not get it to work. So I lifted up the control panel and one wire had come off the pushbutton. So that was soldered back on and that was the third point now working. The fourth point was on the Fisherman Islands branch and allowed access to the angle towards Park Road. It took a while of adjusting the point motor screws. But it was finally working. So I am sort of happy with the result.
Focus now turns towards working on the narrow gauge timetable and working out what wagons will start where on the layout for the various trains to deliver. I had a bit of a cleanup around the place on Friday and found some photos, articles and all my planning material for the narrow gauge. However, I got distracted. I started looking at the Sunnybank extension. I cut up some baseboards and now have to work out how to support the baseboards above Acacia Ridge Yard.
Saturday was NMRA meeting day. I went to PK’s place and he drove to Ross’s place for the meeting. We were lucky to have a look at Ross’s Sydney Central Layout in N scale. This is just magic. I remember looking at this layout when it appeared at a Modelling the Railways of NSW Convention some years ago in Sydney. This may have been at Loftus TAFE. After this meeting PK and I got an invite to visit Laurie's layout just a few kilometers away from Ross's. Again, another very nice layout.
I thought that I needed some lengths of threaded rod to assist with supporting the light pelmet above The Risk, Loco Pilly and Clapham Yard. It had started to sag a little. On Sunday I went to Bunnings to get some threaded rod and ended up just getting some lengths if 6mm steel rod (no thread) but cheaper. I have added three braces to the lighting pelmet at The Risk, Loco Pilly and the southern end of Clapham Yard. It seems to have been a good decision. While at Bunnings I picked up a length of 5.4m, 42 x 18mm finger jointed white primed pine. I cut it up in the Bunnings carpark to fit into my car. The pine was cut to fit the station platforms at Sunnybank. I have been roughing laying out the track and the platforms on the baseboard (which is sitting on the floor of the shed). This allows me to test a few ideas. I will have to purchase some more 12mm points next weekend at the AMRA Exhibition. I have packed the items that I am taking to the AMRA Model Train Exhibition next weekend. I am on a stand with Darren.
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