Signalling Branch Gets a Call Up

Tuesday this week, was our fortnightly Tuesday Nighters' Meeting.  It was also at my place.  We had 11 modellers attend and a couple of apologies.  I showed off my Park Road Goods Shed and everyone had a wander around the shed.  Two weeks before the Shed was just a single truss.  Now it is a complete frame.  I was proposing that somehow I would make the corrugated iron removable.  I thought I could sort of clip it onto the various frames.  Bob suggested that the corrugated iron just slip over the top.  Hmmmm!  Now that was a good idea.  My issue is that it would be a pity to spend all the time and effort building the structure as per the plans and then cover it all up.  So I have been thinking about how I could make the shell removable, incorporating Bob’s suggestion.  Anyway, I was advised that those that attended on Tuesday had a good time. As there was plenty of good conversation to be had. 

Friday this week we visited Geoff’s for a BBQ (snag on bread) followed by a modelling night.  There was lots of talking and lots of checking out what others are doing.  I took along my Park Road Goods Shed and was looking at fitting the corrugated iron frame so it would just slip over the sides.  So far I have the four sides assembled into a square and it is a reasonably tight fit around the structure.  I will work on the two roof sections next opportunity I get.

Today I went to the shed after lunch and decided to call up the expertise of the Signalling Branch get stuck into the re-signalling of the Clapham Yard to South Brisbane Interstate Staff section.  I have now decided to divide this section into two discrete staff sections.  The first is Clapham Yard to Dutton Park, and then Dutton Park to South Brisbane Interstate.  The reason is two fold.  The section is too long and I know it is going to cause issues with traffic in the future as more shunts occur and various light engine movements go from Loco Pilly to any number of locations.  Also it allows me to introduce another staff section from Dutton Park to Fisherman Islands. 

So today I built the second staff panel for the Dutton Park to Fisherman Islands section and laid the 4 core wire between them.  The panel at Dutton Park is wired up and I just need to build a power supply for the Fisherman Islands staff machines.

I then cut into the staff instrument wires at Dutton Park and built the panel for Dutton Park for the now divided section from Clapham Junction and South Brisbane Interstate.  I have spliced the staff machine for Dutton Park to South Brisbane Interstate in, and it is operational.  I now need to build another power supply for the Clapham Yard to Dutton Park section.

I had a search through my electronics parts and found enough slide switches and enough bi-colour LEDs also for the staff machines.  I also found 4 spare capacitors that are used within my power supplies - which run the staff instruments - one per section.  I had one spare already made up, but I will buy 4 more bridge rectifiers from Jaycar this week and make up four more power supplies.  Two are to be used for the two new staff sections, and a third is getting used for another project.  I will then have 2 spares of these little beauties.

While working at Dutton Park, I started planning another project.  At the last Operating Session, it became very obvious that I needed a method of displaying the direction of the point at Dutton Park that directs trains either to the Port or to South Brisbane.  So this display will include a power supply, a Peco switch attached to the point at Dutton Park and two LEDs that will display green on a panel high above the point that will be visible from around most of the shed.  Whatever path the point is set for will display the green LED - the other will not be lit.  This should be simple for all the drivers to use.  So if they want to travel through the point and their route is not lit with a green LED, then they just throw the point at one of the three control panels around the layout for the Dutton Park point.

So hopefully next Sunday I will have all these electronics projects completed, and the layout will be ready for another Operating Session when that gets scheduled.  Next Saturday is a right off as Kyle has cricket and I’ve got a party to attend without the kids.  The kids successfully survived their first full week back of school.  Kyle lost his cricket trial last weekend in the second last over but won on the last ball by one run yesterday.  I’m not particularly happy with what team he was selected in, but that might change for next week.  He has been a star performer last Saturday and again yesterday.  The other two stars from last Saturday moved up a team.  The school has 6 teams in Kyle’s year level and 38 cricket teams overall.  Last year they only had 33 teams and that was a record number.  The school sports administrators do an absolutely fantastic job scheduling games on fields for all the teams (all over Brisbane) and all the teams have kit bags and helpful coaches.  However, some of the poor kids are just cronic, but at least they are out exercising, and hopefully they will get better as the short season progresses.