Post Operating Session Fixes

So before the Monday Operating Session I discovered that one of my headset plug in points had a broken plug in connector.  Given that we had no North Coast Control (NCC) in operation, then we were not using any headsets so the broken plug in point did not cause any issues.  So on Tuesday morning I started doing some fixes.  The control panel at Murwillumbah was fixed.  The screw was adjusted and the wires re-soldered on.  

I found out that 8019, which wouldn't run, had its long address set to 0.  Whoops.  I was working on that loco prior to the Ops Session.  Maybe after a reset it I forgot to set is address again.  So that was my fault.  I then re-consisted 8019 back into its Brisbane Limited consist.  I inspected every ballast wagon on the ballast train and tested the wheels and they all ran well.  I gave it a run back and forth between The Risk Loop and Glenapp Loop and everything seemed fine now.  The next day I ran the troublesome ballast train from The Risk crossing loop to Nammoona Ballast Siding, and then ran it back again.  Guess what?  No issues.  So the work I did on every wagon the day after the Ops Session must have fixed what was wrong.  It must have been no use for 12 months that caused its issues.

As I was working the ballast train back to the The Risk, I noticed that some rails had not been painted.  So I then decided to paint some rails brown along the route.  Some points in Border Loop were also done.  I then started to look at a couple of narrow gauge wagons (12mm) whose bogies are slightly stiff.  I then turned my attention to two wagons that were bad ordered from the Oil train during the Ops Session.  One open wagon, was slightly high one end, but also very light.  So I removed one KD washer from one end and found some lead to put inside the wagon.  The second wagons was an oil tanker.  It has low couplers.  So I can add a washer above the bogies, but that makes the bogies unable to swivel.  The bogies are of the clip on variety.  So I am looking at maybe changing them to a screw in type.  We will see.  While fixing up these wagons from the Oil train, I got thinking.  The open wagon, which delivers full drums to the Oil Depot at Old Cassino, also takes full drums away.  The difference between full and empty drums is how they are packed into the train.  Full Drums stand upright.  Empty drums are laid down.  I have decided to add some more operations to the up and down Oil trains.  So after the open wagon is placed into the Oil Siding at Old Cassino from number 49 down oil train, its removable load of full drums will be replaced with a removable load of empty drums.  When train No. 50 gets back to Grafton Yard, the Empty drums will also be replaced with the full drums again. 

The loaded drums.

The empty drums

The wagon where the loads are placed

As a follow up to the previous week’s post about a loco (4836) not working this was the result.  I found that I had a spare NCE D13SRJ decoder laying around.  So I thought I would swap the decoder out of 4836.  I had an idea that it had a D13SRJ in it as well.  However, when I opened it up, it had an older hard wired D13SR.  So I had to unsolder and resolder all the wires to replace it with the newer D13SRJ.  It did not run.  So I took the motor out and eventually I got it running.  I have no idea why it would not run.  But it would tick away doing CV writes, but not move when full motor current was applied.  Anyway, I removed and reattached the motor wires, and used a 9V battery applied direct to the motor to test it and it ran.  I then tested the wires I applied to the motor and they then worked.  I then fully installed the decoder, and tested it and it was off and running again.  So maybe it was some sort of motor connection problem all along.  But that loco is now back in the roster.  I added this loco back into its 3 loco consist that I swapped it out from, and returned the loco that I swapped it with, back to being a spare loco.

I investigated three issues that Darren reported during the Operations session.  I adjusted three sets of point throws in the southern end of Cassino Yard and they now do a full throw in both directions.  The chance of derailments due to the blades not laying up against the stock rails here is now gone.  I also adjusted the fence line at the Rocla Sleeper siding and ran the car carrier through that location a dozen times and it now appears incident free.  I also fixed the power feed on the main at Rocla Sleeper Siding.  There is no more stopping when the point is set for the siding.

I also fixed a manual point throw at Kyogle that came out from underneath the Peco point.  I also found quite a few notes made to some of my Shunt lists from the operations session.  As trains have evolved over time, I may not have been too diligent in adjusting the current shunt lists.  I also realised that I could simplify a few timetable cards where the returning trains need to travel around the return loops at Grafton Yard before backing into one of the dead end sidings.  But to do so I will have to re-locate a train that sits on track 8A to somewhere else on the layout.  I will get around to that later on.  Today I updated the timetable cards and various shunt lists.  I found out that some of the changes I was to make to the shunt lists, were already made.  I just did not print new shunt list cards since the last session.  Again my mistake!  However, there were plenty of slight changes made to various instructions on the timetable cards and on some shunt lists.  I added the extra 2 cement wagons to the shunt lists for train numbers 3 and 4 the cement train.  I added the new wagons to the shunt lists for train numbers 49 and 50 the Oil train.  I also added the instructions to the timetable cards for the replacing the drum loads on those two trains as well.

Happy New Year everyone.

Running Session Wrap

Monday this week started with the phone starting to ring off the hook as the time for the December Operations Session approached.  Crew were dropping like flies.  Marty’s Dad had a fall and had a fractured wing.  He’d been up at the hospital from 4:00am and was in no state to drive up to my place and participate.  Glen had a sore throat and was going to get a covid test.  Jeff whom was waiting for his wife’s covid test for quite a few days finally got a Positive result at 12:30am – not something he was looking forward to.  Darryl, forgot the house number, given that new car port out the front probably confused him.

But at 11:30am the BBQ was fired up, and from midday the crew started to trickle in.  We had Darryl and his son Chris, followed by Darren, Arthur and Greg all rock up.  We had a few snags and a cold drink and a bit of a natter before heading down to the shed and kicking off Operations just before 1:00pm.  Given the small numbers, we decided to do away with North Coast Control and everyone was running trains, working themselves between crossing loops.  So if the next section was free, they could take the staff for that section and progress their train in accordance with their timetable card.

Everyone read their notices, the aircon was turned on, their throttles given cab addresses on my layout, the fastclock started and away we went.  So over the next 3 hours we had 28 trains operate.  A few trains that have sat idle in sidings for over 12 months without turning a wheel ran rather poorly.  My ballast train which is normally a great train to operate ran abysmally.  It was uncoupling, derailed at a few locations and on a couple of points.  It might need a service.  Loco 8019 which was in a consist with 8040 and was to drive the Brisbane Limited south from South Brisbane would not move.  Whoops.  So a jumbo 442 was substituted for the stalled 8019 and normal services resumed.

I had added a couple of wagons to the oil train since last running, and they had not been tested.  Guess what?  They were bad ordered.  So that is a job for me to fix up – post session.  Coupler issues and lack of weight in one maybe two wagons.

A gate on the Rocla Sleeper siding was causing some minor issues.  However, the fence along the outer edge of Rocla Siding had recently been sheeted in wire mesh.  It seemed that a few wagons going past were rubbing on the wire and gradually peeling the wire back along the fence.  I will have to look at that.  At that same location, the points at the northern end of this loop, were set for the Siding, but as the loco approached on the main, it stopped.  It appears that there is bad power feed in one rail at this location.

My CPH railmotor must have some dirty wheels, as it continually stops and restarts.  So that will get a service.  The 620/720 will also get the same service, as it was derailing more than usual.  Maybe it has a build up of gunk on the wheels.  I realised after the CPH left Kyogle that my track cleaning train was occupying the Loop at that location.  So I moved it from there to the Kyogle Butter Siding.

I just recently did some work with soldering wires onto the control panel at Murwillumbah.  But I need to do some work on the screws holding it in place.  It was wobbling all over the place.  That cause two wires to come adrift again.  So that stopped the points being able to be thrown for the Loop.  So that will also be addressed permanently post session.

A few trains went via some unusual routes.  The Gold Coast Motorail went via the sidings at Murwillumbah to gain access to the platform.  The ARHS CPH railmotor tour went via the wrong way around the return loops at Acacia Ridge and got stalled under Rocklea Sidings.  So it had to be rescued, and put on the right track.  A 44 class whose wheels were continually going out of gauge, was derailing.  So it was swapped over for a 442 Class and that caused the train to run a lot better.  That 44 class with have its wheels gears changed before the next session.

Darren was running one train with two locos and a coupling pulled out on the lead loco.  So I grabbed that loco and fixed the coupling and then after the glue dried, it magically was transported back onto the front of the train.  Darren also reported that some manual points in Cassino were not throwing fully.  They left the slightest of gaps between the point rail and the stock rail.  It might have caused a problem or two.  A few points were not throwing properly at Rocklea Sidings.  But pushing the button twice seemed to throw the point over properly.  I will check that out and also give that track a bit of a clean.  The pre-session track cleaning train does not operate through the various sidings at this location, so it is a manual job.  It wasn’t done before the session.

Given that the number of operators were down on normal, the number of trains running concurrently was down, so some trains were not in their required location before another was due to run through a location.  That then causes issues with the timetable.  A case in point, the Railbus which had just run from South Brisbane Interstate Station to Cassino, terminates in the back platform road.  About 20 minutes later it is taken on another run to the branch terminus of Murwillumbah.  However, before the Railbus could leave, a goods train from the branch was due to travel via the Back Platform Road and do some shunts across to the Cassino Yard.  It could not use the Back Platform Road.

A few points will be added to the Notices for the next operations session.  I few words will be changed on some of the timetable cards to be even more specific to the Operator to ensure they place the wagon sin the correct location, or go via the correct route.  I had the motor rail wagon stored at the wrong end of South Brisbane Interstate platform.  I will look at the timetable card to see if I can be more clearer.  I also heard some comments via some ex-railway staff, that these instructions were not written by someone who has done the job of shunting previously.  These are all backwards.  So I will revisit those instructions as well.  All in good fun, but I do enjoy being the brunt of all these comments throughout the session.

Soon after 4:00pm we had a cessation of activities due to excess hours and we adjourned to the pergola for a final drink of the crew’s favourite poison:- beer, soft drink, coffee, and a snack of some sweet biscuits and cakes etc.

Thanks for persevering guys.  We will be back again but it will be much sooner than 12 months this time.  Thanks for attending.

The 620/720 set is running from Cassino to Border Loop on the Goat.  It is just crossing Fairy Lane

The 620/720 set is about to take the Main in Fairy Hill Loop.

In the crossing Loop, the 620/720 meets the Railbus which is in the Loop waiting for the cross.

Arthur is shunting the wagons for the return Brisbane Limited at South Brisbane Interstate.

Chris and Darryl watching a train depart Park Road Siding.

Darryl is next to the Good Shed at Park Road Siding looking across to South Brisbane Interstate.

Arthur is doing another shunt, this time the Branch pickup goods from Murwillumbah to Grafton Yard.  It is here picking up 5 wagons that have returned from the Cassino Meatworks and were placed in the yard for this train to take them back south.

The meeting of the minds.  Darren, Arthur and Darryl.  They surround South Brisbane Interstate.  I think they are hatching something.  Maybe a cunning plan.

Bring It On!

So a Christmas update.  I hope everyone had a fabulously merry Christmas with their families.  Let’s hope that the big fella in red has dropped some model train related items under your Christmas trees.  I received my usual items:- Dilbert Calendar, Sudoku book, chocolate coated almonds and a few other items. 

On Friday afternoon, I tested another 5 locos.  I also electronically submitted my two NMRA APs for CIVIL and Electrical.  I have two hard copy bundles of paper to give to the local guru to check them out when he comes round some time next year.  I have also started reading through the paperwork for NMRA AP for Dispatcher.  I hope to have all of that complete by the end of the holiday period.  I realised that I need two NMRA mates to sign off the hours undertaken operating on their layouts.  So I just need to arrange a meet to get that elusive signature. 

On Friday evening I went to the shed and sceniced a small area about 2’ x 1’.  On Christmas Morning I went back down to the shed, after the normal family activities and did another small area of scenicing around the same size.  However, the main task for that day was to check out my headphone system.  I know that I have an issue with one set of headset plug in point.  So that was quite easily remedied, by soldering the wires back on.  However, upon testing the system, with no DCC power applied to the track, it appears that there is a rather large squeal through the headsets.  I always thought that it was related to the DCC signal in the track running parallel to the headset system, causing some inductance.  However, it appears not related to this.  So my next task was to unscrew all 24 headset plug in points and inspect everyone separately to see if I can see any issues before Monday’s Operations Session.  I could not find any incidents of wires touching, or wires off any of the pushbuttons, or plug in points.  Oh well, we will have to live with it until I can come up with a better solution.

The last task yesterday was to stock the fridge, and then clear the dispatcher’s desk at North Coast Control.  The table and chairs in the pergola were washed down.  The Boss got some snags today and a carton of milk for the shed, but who bothers to check the gas level in the BBQ.  I like to live on the edge!  Tomorrow morning the tea and coffee, sugar and coffee cups come out in the shed.   Marty is bringing his camera along tomorrow and will be following some drivers along with their trains.  So if it is to go wrong, it will tomorrow as Marty will capture it and the whole world will see it.

A late update from two attendees, is that they are late withdrawals.  Someone is awaiting a covid test result and the other has had a change of plans thrust upon them.

Bring it on!

Loco Testing Can Be Very Testing

Last Sunday night I ballasted the track for my last piece of trackwork for my AP- CIVIL.  On Monday evening, I cleaned the track and then ran a standard gauge and a narrow gauge train through the 3rd rail diverter track.  All ran well.  I then decided to also run through the first piece of track my dual gauge point.  The standard  gauge loco ran well in both direction through both routes.  The narrow gauge loco and its train ran well for about 8 trips and then it derailed in one direction twice.  So I swapped locos and it was OK again.  I think there might be something hanging down from the loco, like sanding pipes, that are catching somewhere.  I will look at it later on.

On Friday during the day I spent that time in front of the TV watching the cricket and redoing some diagrams for my Ap – Electrical.  On Friday evening after the cricket, I continued going through my blog looking for details of Operating Sessions I either gave or attended to justify my various hours of work for the various activities for AP – Dispatcher, which I am now working on.  I feel that my AP – CIVIL and AP – Electrical are both now complete.  They just need to be submitted and evaluated by the local boss before being sent to the national guy.

On Friday I also started to prepare for the upcoming Operating Session next week.  I identified the time to set the fast clock to at the start of the session, and I have been writing up a notice for the crew to set the scene of the day.  A mate who used to be very regular with his own operating sessions, used to be the absolute best with his paperwork to set the scene of the session.  But we have not had a session at his place for a couple of years now.  Hint, Hint Anthony!

On Saturday morning I went to the shed to do some loco testing.  It has been 12 months since some locos had turned a wheel.  So I tested the first four of them and then I got distracted.  I realised that Old Cassino did not have any fascias installed.  So guess what?  I cut up some white board and some strips of MDF and installed them.  Almost three metres of fascia.  I then painted the fascia black and now they fit in just nice, and it lifted the area slightly.  I also realised that there could be two holiday projects around Old Cassino.  One will be to do the pipe work around the old Oil Siding and paint the various tanks, and the other is to complete the last of the scenery around Old Cassino yard.  There are plenty of other projects on the list as well.

While testing some locos on Saturday morning I did find out that I had one wire come off a control panel in Murwillumbah, as one point would not throw.  So that was Sunday afternoon’s job, along with another two dozen locos getting tested.  A few locos were DOA.  I had to give them a decoder reset.  I got most of them back to life.  One loco in a three loco consist would not talk at all, even after about 6 resets.  I could control headlights, other lights, it would acknowledge every time I read or wrote a CV via the motor pulse.  But it would not move at all.  Any one got any ideas?  It has an NCE D13SRJ decoder in it.  But two other locos that were giving me some issues, did come back to life after a decoder reset.  I cannot for the life of me find the two boxes that two locos came in.  I must have put them away for safe keeping.  I think their manuals might be in that their boxes.  I will keep looking.

I also moved a few narrow gauge trains around to make some room in Acacia Ridge Yard.  Still some more work to do here as well.

On Saturday night I joined an online meeting with a few Aussies, a couple of yanks and about two dozen Poms for their fortnightly meeting.  This morning I watched most of the last NMRA-X for the year.  

There are just a few more locos (maybe 5) that really need to be tested before next Monday week.  Maybe a job for this Friday.  I am on holidays again from that day.

Let's hope that the big fellow in red delivers a very nice model railway gift to end the year on a high note.

The Countdown Begins

Earlier in the week I sent out an email to my operations crew about an upcoming Operating Session after Christmas.  Little by little the replies are dribbling in.  So far I have 6 YES's and a couple of NO's.  We have not operated on the layout since last Christmas.  But I have done quite a bit of scenery work, including ballasting, backdrops and building additions.  So it will hopefully be an eye opener for the crew.

After dinner on Friday night with nothing on the idiot box, I went to the shed and laid ballast on a gauge splitter piece of track, that I need for by AP - CIVIL.  That didn’t take long.  Next task was to come up stairs and pack my models and the items I was taking to the Club on Saturday into the car.  That allowed me an early get away on Saturday morning.  However, before I put the models into the car, I did a last minute adjustment on my two Grain wagons – Pain and Rain, I got my Panel Line Accent Colors out and did some more weathering work on them.  They had some rust added to the bogies and a few nooks and crannies got some black, and brown colours.  The walkways were weathered as well.  I also added some light greys.  I think the two grain wagons came up better looking than a wagon straight from the paint shop.

So I hit the road early on Saturday.  When I got there I saw that a tree had come down in the Club car park.  The result of a storm through the area on Wednesday afternoon.  

The tree in the carpark down after the storm

The BBQ was fired up after 11:00am and a very nice Christmas feast was cooked by the crew, with a few salads and bread rolls also available.  After that we had the various Christmas Hampers raffled off.  Unfortunately I did not win any of the 7 hampers available.  We had about 50 people turn up and there were a few presentations may as well.  Congratulations to those winners.  A very good day.  The main reason for attending was to enter my models into the modelling competition.  To put it bluntly, member participation was crap.  There was only 9 entries in the 3 categories.  I had 6 in one category alone.  So it was quite obvious that I won that category.  But it was tight between Me, myself, I, the winner, the runner up and the guy that came last.

I mentioned last week that ‘This sometimes works out to be a popularity contest and voters don’t take into account the work and modelling skills and effort that has gone into making any of the models.’ and my comment came true.  In one of the categories, there was a G Scale 3D printed train and an N scale scene on the Clubroom layout.  It was obvious what the N scale people voted for, when it was obvious to me where the modelling skills and effort were displayed.  I can say ripped off.

The beginner's category.  One entry and unanimous winner.

Fantastic Modelling here

The Border Loop signalman's house.  The winning entry.  Out the back are two water tanks.  on the verandah are some lounge chairs and a couple of side tables to but their cold drinks on.

The Kyogle Butter Factory.  this has graffiti on the back wall.

The QGA bulk grain wagon.  This one is called Pain.

The QGA bulk grain wagon.  This one is called Rain.

The QR WHOS wagon, made from a WHO wagon, with the blue ends painted on making it a WHOS wagon and a steel load added in a heavily weathered wagon.

A standard QR WHO wagon with a weathered inside.  A few pieces of dunnage and a few tarps are inside the wagon.

Anyway, I spent most of the time at the Club drinking a few tubes, talking to my mates and eating a packet of Cheezels that I bought along to share for the day.  PK dropped off my can of Yellow Oxide that he picked up a couple of weeks back.  Not bad for $4.00.  So the guys dispersed after 3:00pm and when I got home, I had time to mowed the grass.

So today I cut up some pieces of ply and made a deck for the access bridge over the Grafton Loops area, to allow quick access to the inside of the loops.  I also added some sleepers under my last piece of track required for my AP – CIVIL and then applied ballast.  So I will test the track maybe later tonight or perhaps on Tuesday before I head off to Tuesday Nighters.  Today I decided to build a portable NCE Powercab test track until I found out my existing 12V power supplies did not fit the PCP plug.  That was indeed a bummer.  The portable Powercab setup was to be used to provide power to clean the wheels of various locos in the leadup to the next operations session after Christmas, when I am in the house or even if I am online during one of the various online events that I attend during the week.  So I made a trip to Jaycar and found some plugs that allowed me to make a physical connection from the power supply to the PCP.  I manually wired the two intermediate plugs together.  I gave the test track a quick test and all is OK.  My test track is dual gauge so I can use it to test and clean HO or HOn 3 1/2 gauge locos.

Not many opportunities left to get things ready for my operations session.  So I must create a list, check it twice and actually do all the tasks on the list.  I calculate that there are about 5 ¼ work days available to do my stuff in the shed in perataion.

A Week Away

I spent most of week just gone down the Gold Coast.  It was quite wet on Tuesday and early Wednesday.  But I did get to the beach and the pool on every other day.  So I did some styrene building on Tuesday.  I made two strings of pallets.  However, that was my extent of my motivation to build anything.  I had plans to do lots of work, but never got around to it.  I did check out the local $2 shop at Coolangatta and found some LED flickering candles that were controlled by an infra-red remote on-off switch.  How good is that?  So I just had to buy a packet of 12 of these.  I experimented with two and by just directing the infra-red remote directly at the candle you can get one to turn on/off independently to the others.  I will remove the IR circuit from the candles and add it my various LED power circuits on my layout – car headlights, street lights, incinerators, and other items, so that I can now independently control them now without having a switch positioned on the fascia.

The only other activity I did during the week was draw up some track plans for my NMRA AP paperwork for Model Railroad Engineer – CIVIL.  That was completed and now I just need to tweak these diagrams and I am almost ready to submit that paperwork for assessment.  I also did some drawings for a stub ended set of dual gauge points for Acacia Ridge Yard.  That is on my future building list.  I also did some detailed planning for my walk over bridge above Grafton Yard Loops to gain entry to the access point inside the return loops so I can work on Acacia Ridge Yard and Rocklea Sidings.

When we came home on Friday night, I was able to spend some time modelling on Saturday and Sunday.  I started off doing some decaling.  I had two PGC Scale Models QGA grain wagons, that needed decals to be applied.  That was easily done and I might have tweaked the decals slightly.  I remember standing on the platform at Corinda station on my way to school in the late 70’s and seeing a grain wagon going around the angle from Sherwood towards Tennyson.  That wagon had ‘Bulk Rain’ on the side.  I assumed that some smart aleck had removed the G from the work Grain.  I always remember this sighting, so now I have one of those wagons on my layout as well.  Arthur advised that another wagon had its signage tweaked, was another  Bulk Grain wagon that was enhanced to become a ‘Bulk Pain’ wagon.  So I now have one of those wagons as well.  Settle down PK, there is no mistress here to inflict the type of pain you might be interested in.  I took the completed wagons down to the shed and gave them a run.  They look very nice.  I now have 16 narrow gauge grain wagons, in service, split into two rakes of 8 wagons.  While shunting those grain wagons in Acacia Ridge Yard, I had two other grain wagons lose their bogie screw sand the bogie fell off.  I almost had grain spilt everywhere but we were only travelling at low speed.  I had only just recently added these new 12mm bogies and screws and maybe I used a too thick drill to tap the screw holes.  So these two grains wagons were fixed last night.

I also spent some time yesterday applying Panel Line Accent Colors on a CGL models HWO and a HWOS wagon.  These came out just brilliantly.  The next task today was installing some styrene sleepers under a gauge splitter turnout in Clapham Yard.  This was completed and the turnout is now ready for ballasting - maybe a task I will complete one night this week.  I also painted the PC board sleepers in this turnout and in another piece of track that I must ballast before submitting my AP paperwork for Model Railroad Engineer – CIVIL. 

Next task today was to pull out some timber and start cutting it up to make the walk over bridge for above Grafton Yard.  A quick check on my screw supplies, revealed that I had enough to allow me to join some 90mm x 35mm pine together to make the bridge.  So the bridge was also completed.  I will add some ply to the walkway next weekend, and then think about the ladder to be positioned in the layout room aisle to gain access to the walk over bridge.

Next weekend is the Club Christmas Party and our modelling competition.  It is also the NMRA Divisional Christmas Party.  I can only be at one place at a time, so this time the Club event won out.  I plan on entering my two QGA grain wagons, and the HWO and HWOS wagons and a building or two that I kitbashed or scratchbuilt during the year, into the yearly modelling competition.  This only works out to be a popularity contest and voters don’t take into account the work that has gone into making any of the models.