Ticking Off All the Short Tasks That Need to be Done

On Monday I decided to cover the area around Rocla Sleeper Siding (right next to Grafton Loco) with various dirts and sands.  One thing that I discovered is that my supply of red earth is very, very low.  On Tuesday morning, I got the various scatters out and ground covers out, and spread them over the dirts that had dried from the previous day. 

The area below the railway line is newly sceniced.

On Tuesday evening this week I had the guys come over to my place for Tuesday Nighters.  11 people turned up.  We went to the shed and I showed off a couple of recent updates.  While doing things I noticed that a couple of items were not working.  One of my NCE QSnaps was not powering.  A point throw via wire-in-tube had slipped out of the Peco point.  One of my scenic items had collapsed.  So on Wednesday morning I fixed the collapsed bench near Lismore Yard.  I fixed the wire-in-tube point throw in Border Loop.  I added a bit of super glue to prevent the wire from slipping out of the Peco point hole.  I had a quick look at the NCE QSnap, but it appeared that there is now a loose connection in its power input.  More work was planned to occur on Saturday.

I then added bogies to a QR OLO oil tanker.  I also added KD couplers.  I will give it a test run on Saturday.  I should get around to adding bogies to the other 4 or 5 wagons sitting in rotten row at Acacia Ridge narrow gauge Yard on my layout. 

This is Acacia Ridge Yard.  The petrol tanker is middle left, and the other narrow gauge wagons to add bogies to are along the bottom of the photo.

I also cut up a sheet of 2mm Styrene and made the platform for Kyogle between the station building and the signal box.  I then turned that upside down and made the underneath frame out of two sizes of I beam.  I placed it on the layout and the height was perfect.  You can be lucky.

I had a short day at work on Thursday.  I left after 7 and half hours and when I got home, I went to the shed and brought forward my planned weekend work.  I started to build my hand basin for the signalbox.  So it was soon shaped with a drill and a Dremel with a sanding disk.  Then I went back to the NCE QSnap.  I removed the power wires, and then re-installed them.  Although I did that earlier in the week, this time, it seemed to resolve the problem with the QSnap.  I also was having issues with my traffic control signal.  It was not always firing up.  So again I removed the power circuit to the Arduino and re-seated all the connections.  It now comes back on every time I power it.

The NCE QSnap on the right was the dodgy one.  All good now.

On Saturday, 1 June 2024 I went down to the shed in the afternoon.  I had the house to myself as everyone went out.  I realised that I had a broken wire in my telephone circuit from North Coast Control to Acacia Ridge/Grafton Yards.  So that was connected and I tested it out and it was all good.  I then decided to work on the power circuit for my headset circuit.  I powered it all up, connected up two headsets and started plugging them in all around North Coast Control.  That was where most of my issues were.  I tested a few headset connections.  They all worked with hearing, but some did not have their push to talk working.  I found two wires off in a major junction next to the headset brains.  I fixed them and one run of headsets run was then completely working.  But there was a another run with three headsets that still could not get their push to talk buttons working.  I pulled all the panels off and found another wire missing.  I fixed that and the headsets still did not work.  I traced the wires back for that headset run and found a junction box just behind the new fascia I installed last year.  I decided to cut some fascia off and check the junction box.  You guessed it.  A wire was off.  I fixed that and it now appears that everything is working again.  However, that will be only until I have a few guys over and they start using the headsets.  They are sure to break then.  It always does. 

The headset controller.  The power supply is just hanging down to the left.  It will take either a 9V battery or my 12V plug in.  The power supply will by put into a jiffy box on Thursday this week.

The other thing I did on Saturday was paint my hand basin for the Kyogle Signal Box, ready for install.  I will add a tap to the basin tonight.  Today’s main task was to try and fix some lights at the Glenapp Signal Box.  The staff exchange platform light was out.  So I fixed that.  I also looked at replacing some old lights with some LED’s for street lights at Cassino and also for some other locations around the layout.  I tested threading an LED through the street light post and that is all OK.  I also spray painted my signal lever frame.  But first I need to remove it from its delivery packaging.  It seems securely glued in.

The light over the staff exchange platform is now working.

While pottering around in the shed, I thought about if I needed to install another set of cross overs in Fisherman Islands Narrow gauge yard.  I just placed them where they would be spliced in.  I also moved the 5 spare coal wagons into a run around track in the yard.  I need to complete the removeable loads for these wagons.

An overview of Fisherman Islands Yard.  The future narrow gauge cross over points have just been laid between the dual gauge track and first narrow gauge loop.

Another think I fixed today was my Fairy Hill Hall with the disco.  My Arduino was not powering up and running the disco.  So I unplugged and replugged the USB cable a few times and all is now good.  Other things that I need to do is build some staff hoops, a wall Clock, for inside my Kyogle Signal Box.  I then need to make some items for the tables inside.  Like a jug and coffee cups, a jacket to put over the chair and some register books.