Not much was happening this week. However, I decided to create a model of my future model railway. I was using a 10:1 scale, and cut up a number of 3mm styrene sheets to represent the top of a number of modules for my future layout. The sheets of styrene were 6cm wide and 24cm long. This will represent the 2.4m x 600mm modules. I also propose to cut up some 2.5mm x 2.5mm styrene strip to simulate the 25.4mm aluminium square tube that the modules will be made out of. A check of my styrene supply reveals that there is only one strip left in a packet that I have. I was thinking that I needed to buy at least 3 packets, maybe 4 packets to provide enough styrene. I then may have to get some more in the future if I model the legs and other components on the modules, like back boards etc.
The other activity was rounding up all my dual gauge pieces of track and connection flex track to each end and then connecting them to a DC power supply. I then ran narrow gauge and standard gauge locos through the various routes. Some of the points had a short. But a quick look at the sleepers, or using an Ohmmeter on the sleepers I quickly found all the issues and remedied them. So the locos went all the pieces of track quite well, except for one. On that piece of track the diverging route kept derailing the narrow gauge locos. So I thought I would have to build a replacement piece of track. That would entail a trip to PK’s and borrowing his dual gauge jig again.
I made a trip to the Club on Saturday for the early morning meeting about the Clubroom HO layout. Who books meetings at 9:00am on a Saturday? I took my two DH’s to the Club. I ran one back and forth on the 12mm upper deck while the layout meeting was on for a bit of a laugh. It ran reasonably well. The second DH was waiting for a chip. PK provided that to me on Saturday morning. I quickly removed the two wires from the motor to the bogie pickups, and wired in the decoder. I placed it on the DC test track and it ran back and forth. I switched the track to DCC and fired up the programming track. I set its address to long address 40. I then fired up the loco and after a few second, a few puffs of smoke came out of the decoder. I ran it again on DC and it worked. A couple more times it ran on DCC and then large puffs of smoke and sparks came from the decoder. The motor still turns on DC. It has got me stumped.
I know that the mech in the DH loco is a K&M and will draw quite some amps. That is why we got a 1 Amp continuous and 2 Amp peak N scale decoder. So I think this week I will pull the loco apart again and rewire it for DC and install an ammeter between the DC controller and the motor to determine how much amperage the loco is pulling. Then I will try and work out if anything on the loco frame is live, and if so I will have to insulate it and give the DCC conversion a second go.
While I was working on my loco in the Club workshop area, Warren was showing off a 3D printed Corrugated iron roller. He demonstrated it and the output was pretty damn good. I put an order in for one. Hopefully I will see him either next Saturday or Sunday at the Club Buy and Sell and procure one. I can keep one very well employed creating corrugated iron sheets for my scratch build buildings.
On the way home on Saturday I diverted to PK’s place and he gave me a beer. I borrowed the required jig and acquire a couple of lengths of code 83 rail. This arvo I got out the soldering iron out and started to adjust the rail gauge on the diverging route. So I have re-tested hand pushing bogies and various wagons through the point and it is a lot better then before I started. Later this week I will get the DC power supply back out and test it with a loco. Hopefully I do not have to rebuild a new point, but I might just do it for practice.
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