Saturday this week was the latest NMRA Div 1 get together. Darren, Geoff and I car pooled and went to visit John Kennedy’s place on the other side of town. I had heard about John's layout, I had even been invited to some running days, but I never got there. Well today I finally did. The layout is in a 6m x 6m shed. It has some very nice scenes scattered around inside the shed. There was a pair of legs sticking out from underneath a car. There is a huge brown bear trying to claw its way up a tree. There is a mother bear and cub also walking around in the trees. There are also some deers in the forest. There was a very dodgy business that I saw. It was PK’s Custom Computers. I’d bet that shop owner was very dodgy.
The Business in Question
John’s method of point control on the bottom level of the layout incorporates a Shelton protector. We all had a laugh about this device. When we operate at Anthony’s place, we need to set the various points by pushing or pulling a knob on a rod attached to the point, protruding from the layout fascia, exactly as John does. On a couple of times on Anthony's layout, after a train has left a crossing Loop in particular Nankiva and the points reset, Shelton would bump the point control mechanism while taking photos and then blame the driver of a previous train because his train never took the correct track into the crossing loop. I always thought it was the drivers job to verify his route before he entered a crossing loop. Well John has solved this problem with some old cupboard handles. Very ingenious.
A view of the Anti-Shelton Device
A second version of the Anti-Shelton device.
On the home front, I painted up about 25 pallets on Friday afternoon and also painted about a dozen tea bags in various colours. I cut them up on Saturday night and rolled up the tarps and tied them all up. I have another about a dozen tea bags still to cut up and make tarps out of. While at the NMRA meeting, I spoke to George and he convinced me that I needed to do a few tarps in various shades of grey. So that process is now underway.
On Sunday morning I continued on the task of making some 3 cubic metre industrial bins, I spray painted two bins black and two bins blue. I let them dry and eventually glued the lid onto the base. I still have about 10 more to put together and paint, but that will be a job for the future.
The next job I undertook in the shed, was to build a new left hand dual gauge point from a fast tracks jig. This point had the dual gauge continuing through on the straight and the diverging track is standard gauge. The third rail of the point, is on the right hand side. Well after about an hour it was complete and it seemed to work on the workbench. This point would not have been possible if not for Geoff dropping off three lengths of PC board sleeper on the previous Monday evening. Thanks mate. I had run out of the stuff. I now know where he gets it from, so I will be getting a packet of the stuff sometime in the future.
Once the point was built and I had completed lunch, I went back to the shed and started to investigate where the point was to go in Acacia Ridge Narrow Gauge Yard. You guessed it, the track was lifted, the point installed, the point actuation mechanism built and the scratch built point was usable. The head shunt for that point was then relayed and extended by about 30 cm. I then looked at the Tillig point I had previously removed and then started to install it where it was to go. I then joined the diverging track of the Tillig point up with the diverging track of the scratchbuilt point and it was tested. So pushing a train through the point does seem to work. The dual gauge headshunt from the Tillig point still needs to be relayed and the wiring reattached. This Tillig point had been removed from Rocklea Siding some months back and replaced by another fast Tracks scratch built one. The reason why, was that it was causing issues when taking the curved route. Watching trains go through while testing today, gave me the answer why it was causing problems. I think the check rail needs to be shimmed, like you need to do with some older Peco medium and large radius points. That will be another future job, but at least I know it needs to be done. As I write this post, I have just worked out that I think I may have forgotten to install an insulated joiner of two or three in the new points I just installed. Oh well, I can fix that next week. That might cause an issue when I turn on track power next and work out that I have a short. At least I will know where to look! I might have to revisit the wiring for Fisherman Islands after the narrow gauge points I put in some weeks ago now. I’m not sure that I installed all the jumpers. That is another task to catch up on. Oh by the way, the Mastercard statement came in recently, and the boss asked why the large charge was on it. I had been sprung. A 1720 narrow gauge loco and decoder, three WHO wagons, and stacks of 12mm points and track purchased at our Club’s exhibition in August. It is only right that we support the exhibiting shops at our show - right? I actually survived that confrontation, so I might be able to buy some more next year, once I clear the debt off.
Today I also completed wiring up four new incinerators. These were also tested and looked good.
One of the tasks that I had planned to do during the week was to try and get some Export brand yellow oxide primer. Well it seems to be discontinued. PK tried his local SuperCheap Auto shop which was advertising online that it had stock. When he went there on Tuesday there was none. On Wednesday my wife went to another shop that was advertising stock. Yes you guessed it – there was none. Damn! I might have to find another source for similar paint. I’d bet nothing will be that cheap.
Tuesday Nighters this week is at my place. Hopefully we will get a good number turn up.
I should take a patent out!
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