Friday Operations Session Breakdown

I cleaned up around the yard on Monday before heading to the shed in the afternoon.  It was overrun by ants.  I think I then committed ant-genocide with some fly spray.  When I went back down to the shed on Tuesday morning, I saw that I left the layout switched on overnight.  Whoops!  When I got over to Old Cassino, I saw a loco and its carriages on its side.  I have no idea how that occurred.  I tested the phone systems between North Coast Control and Grafton Yard/Acacia Ridge Yard.  They were working.  I must have fixed that loose wire a while back.  I did not remember fixing the wire, but I did remember that there was a loose wire to be fixed. 

Every time I sit down and relax, I think that today is Saturday.  I don’t know how many times I thought that over the last week.  Every day I think.  After lunch on Tuesday I vacuumed up all the dead ants and most of the stuff on the floor.  I continued running my track cleaning train from Hothan Street at Cassino through to Acacia Ridge Yard.  It ran through both tracks - the main and loop in each crossing loop.  I decided to splice in a new siding in Acacia Ridge Yard and that is where the Track Cleaning train can stable at this end of the layout.  The track and the point have been sitting in this location for about 6 weeks.  So it is finally installed.  I wired around the point and gave it a test.  All working.

On Christmas Morning I went to the shed while the cook was busy preparing lunch.  I continued the track cleaning activities.  I continued to run the track cleaning train from Acacia Ridge Yard all the way to South Brisbane Interstate.  I then ran the track cleaning train back to Cassino, where it then went on a trip to Murwillumbah.  It then ran back to Grafton Yard and was stabled.  I need to put new Chux rolls on my knurled steel track cleaners.  These ones are absolutely disintegrated.  I then tested a few locos.  One 44 class loco was replaced as the wheels need regauging.  I went through the timetable cards for the next 40 trains and everything is where it needed to be.  I got a new hot water urn for Christmas.  So that was positioned in the shed and tested.  Late in the arvo, after a great lunch, I started cleaning up the shed a bit.  Now North Coast Control has somewhere to sit.  I found out that the ‘shunt list’ cards were missing.  That sent me in a spin.

Boxing Day was clean the table, chairs and pergola day.  This was because Friday was Operations Session Day.  Well didn’t that start up well?  Not!  The headsets did not work after I previously tested them.  The one headset I picked up to test the system on Friday was not working, that was why I could not get any sound out of it.  I picked up another set and they were working.  Then North Coast Control’s headset was not working.  We just yelled out to NCC.  Marty could not get his ubeaut TCS wifi throttle to work on my wifi.  Operator error I think.  Eventually he got it going.  But it would not work in the back aisle (Cassino) of the shed.  I have since relocated my Wifi-trax WFD30 wifi plug in to above the backdrops so the layout decks do not affect transmission.

In the Ops Session, eventually two manually controlled points broke, when the wire through the central hole, from the actuator came out.  Following the initial layout hiccups, things ran much better.  Not perfectly, but better.  26 trains were run and 24 cans a couple of tea/coffees were drunk.  So today I fixed one of those points.  I identified where I need more lighting over Acacia Ridge Yard and eventually Rocklea Siding I think as well.  I have created an attack plan for all the minor improvements.  I will chip away at these over the next week.  One item that was mentioned a few times at the Ops Session, is that as we all get older, we can no longer read the original timetable cards.  So today I rewrote them to be A5 in size for each train timetable card.  They were previously A6, 4 to an A4 sheet.  Now they are only 2 to a sheet.  I’ve also fixed up some more text on the timetable cards, trying to be more descriptive.  I’m also thinking that I need to make changes to my shunt lists.  Currently I print them one to an A4 page.  I will look into printing them two to a sheet of paper.  During the Ops Session, there were the same questions asked.  That is the address of the 5 digit loco numbers.  The answer is the last 4 digits.  That was why I sent out the Operations manual to everyone one a few days before the session to re-acquaint themselves with the layout and provide a list of changes made since the last Ops Session.  Everyone has been given remedial homework post session.  Marty has responded that he read his homework.

Sprung!  Darren taking a photo of NL3 arriving on the back platform road at cassino heading to Murwillumbah.

Old Cassino was chockers.  Trains everywhere.

At old Cassino, the driver of Number 14 (Darren) waiting the driver of number 11 (Marty - you can tell by the big gut) to clear the main line, so #14 can continue to Cassino and onto Grafton Yard

Border Loop is full of Railmotors.  What is the collective noun for railmotors - a toot?

The driver of the fruit express (Glen) on Cougal Spiral, heading towards Border Loop and then onto South Brisbane Interstate.

Geoff running the ARHS CPH railmotor tour past Rocklea Sidings heading to South Brisbane Interstate.

Geoff caught in the headlights once more continuing through Clapham Yard towards South Brisbane Interstate.

North Coast Control almost asleep at the Controls

Following the session - North Coast Control's desk (my beer though).

Half the Crew

The Other Half

Clapham Yard following the session.  Nothing on the standard gauge tracks.  They were all full before the session.

On Saturday I checked out a Digitrax DS64 that Marty was looking at.  Many years ago I used to buy these to control four point motor outputs.  I have quite a lot of these, maybe 15 (maybe more) on the layout.  A mate also has many more than I do.  A number of years back, we sent two DS64’s back to the US for fixing (one each).  My mate’s DS64 came back and worked, mine was still stuffed when it returned.  At that stage I could have snotted the person that did not fix my DS64, but returned it anyway.  It was not cheap to send these DS64s twice across the Pacific.  Anyway, a couple of years on, I now use NCE QSnaps instead of DS64’s.  Anyway, a couple of weeks back, I gave my DS64 to Marty to have a look at it.  He did and could not fix it.  He returned it on Friday at the Ops Session, but he said if I remove two transistors from the output 1 circuit, the other three outputs should work.  Components were getting very hot in the Output one circuit, so no doubt something was cactus.  Thanks for trying Marty.  So on Saturday I removed the two transistors and then tested the outputs on address 2.  It worked.  Brilliant I had a place for this point controller.

Today I had a list of work tasks to be done that was quite long.  I did none of those tasks, and did a whole different list of items when in the shed.  I have started installing posts on Acacia Ridge Yard to support the future layout lighting structures at this location.  Now sitting back thinking about it, I might actually change were I have installed them and have them come out from the centre of the blobs, and hang over to the front of the layout, instead of being at the front of the layout.  More thought on this topic tomorrow.

I installed the modified DS64 today at Grafton Yard, where the main point that directs traffic around my Reversing Loops to the In or Out direction was automated.  I also motorised the next point on the Out side, that directs traffic from all the dead ended tracks (where trains reverse into here), or from all the return loops Out tracks.  I have about 7 of these single ended (dead end) tracks.  These two points are running on DS64 outputs 3 and 4 and are working well.  So I can automate these in the future when I add my CTC to Grafton Yard to Cassino.  One more point at Cassino will also be motorised, maybe tomorrow.  I have an NCE Snap-it for this task.

Happy New Year everyone.

Operations Session Preparation

The clock is ticking and the upcoming operations sessions are getting closer.  A huge amount of work has been completed and much more still needs to occur.  A control panel for Cassino for the eventual automation of the Main to Back Platform Road point was installed and connected up to Loco Pilly NCE Mini Panel.  That will be coded up tomorrow.  Future plans for 2025 is to install CTC from Grafton Yard to the southern end of Cassino, just like was installed in the real Cassino in 1991.  That will mean that North Coast Control will then have control of all the points in that section and he will also be able to see where the trains are.  The staff machines for these sections will then be withdrawn.

The panel for Yeerongpilly narrow gauge loop was installed, tested and is working.  This included running wires from Yeerongpilly to Dutton Park, and then along the Fisherman Island branch as that was the nearest NCE Mini Panel with spare slots for automation of the panel push buttons.  The Fisherman Islands NCE Mini Panel was coded up with the new commands.  A Panel for Park Road’s narrow gauge loop was also installed, wired run to the South Brisbane Mini Panel and that was coded up.  The various panels for the Dutton Park panels at the three side of the Wye, (angle in QR parlance) still need to be thought through.

The narrow gauge trackwork at South Brisbane was finalised, and nailed down.  Power was also added to the end of the tracks, at the far end after the points and all trackwork is now live and runnable.  This track was all tested.  I also tested the running of trains through the Dutton Park junction, with both narrow gauge and standard gauge all working.  I had a cold solder joint that caused the dual gauge crossing to not work for standard gauge trains.  The power feed to my manual reversing switch was fixed and it all works like a bought one now.  Ideally I will eventually have an auto-reverser for this task. 

I have started track cleaning with the section from Grafton Yard through to Hotham Street level crossing at Cassino completed.  It look me about 5 minutes of searching around the layout to find the track cleaning train.  But it was sitting at Grafton Loco in a track there hidden.

I have written up my Train Notices for the next Ops Session and it also gives some background information as to what has changed since the last Ops Session whenever that was.  Maybe last December.  I sent a new copy of my Operations Manual to a couple of new attendees.  All other attendees will geta copy this week.  I’ll have to issue a test to ensure that they actually read the instructions.

On Saturday the Tuesday Nighters ventured over to the northside of Brisbane and PK’s place to check out his airconditioned shed and drink his coffee and eat his biscuits and chips.  During the week, I also placed an order for some more 12mm bogies, which I am hopeful will be posted from oversea tomorrow.  That means potentially a delivery just before or after New Year’s Day.

I’m also looking at doing a bit more work on my double doors in the Cassino Refreshment Room.  It looks like I have 5 doors which are the exact size of the required doors.  That saves me making them.

More Shed Work and Club Christmas Party and Modelling Comp

The heat was oppressive on Monday.  Infact it was oppressive all week, although I did get around to mowing my lawn.  On Monday I went to the shed and placed my newly purchased points from the previous weekend's model railway show where they were to be installed.  But the heat got to me so did not stay long.  I sent out my email calling for operators for my next Operations Sessions.  I have also started writing up my layout notices for the upcoming Operations Session, so attendees know what has changed, etc.

Tuesday night we went over to Barnacle’s place and there were 15 of us there.  He put on a great Christmas spread.  That is our last get together for the year.

On Thursday I went to the shed for a short time and installed all the trackage for the end of South Brisbane.  I’m thinking that I need to move it north by about 1.5 inches, to provide greater clearance around a post holding up the baseboard lights in that area.  But it reduces the space in the headshunt.  

Saturday was the my train Club's Christmas Party.  Last year the modelling comp was very well represented, this year however, only three entries were submitted.  But they were all very good.  We had a great afternoon with lunch provided and a few raffles drawn.  As usual, I did not win anything.  Now, while I had prepared to put an entry in for the modelling comp, I never completed my entry, so I can't complain about the lack of entries.  But congratulations to those that put their models in.

In the Master's category, this was the winner.

This entry even had a painted out the back of the building painting the walls with a roller.

This entry was the winner in the Apprentices Category.

While at the Club I was taking orders for some more 12mm bogies that I will get from OS.  So far the order is getting quite sizable.  That will be placed early this week, and hopefully shipped from OS before Christmas, and we should get them before New Year.

I have had lots of events to attend to this last week, and some more this next week.  I will need to turn my attention to cleaning the tracks, cleaning loco wheels and ensuring the headsets and phone systems are also working optimally prior to the Ops Sessions.  I still have plenty of modelling activities to dive into, but I might have to put them on hold until after the preparation tasks for the upcoming Operations Sessions have been completed.

12mm Motor Bogie Rocked Up and It Passed Its Test

Monday was the day to fix a few minor items on the layout.  I started by adding extensions to the three wires on my control panel just south of Dutton Park.  This will control the standard gauge point setting it to either to Fisherman Islands or South Brisbane Interstate.   I then attached the panel to the layout fascia.  I tested the panel and it threw the point at Dutton Park.  I then moved the staff machines for the sections Clapham Junction to Dutton Park, Dutton Park to South Brisbane Interstate, and Dutton Park to Fisherman Islands, all were moved out to the front of the fascia.  I had built out the narrow gauge track in front of the old location of the panels.  I left room for the next panel for the Dutton Park narrow gauge section.  When I eventually get some push buttons to arrive, I will build this panel.  However, upon testing the staff machine for the Dutton Park to Fisherman Islands, the indicator light would not light.  I toggled the switch at the Fisherman Islands end and it then lit up.  I then switched the Dutton Park panel and worked out that the problem was going to be a loose wire at the Dutton Park end.  So I pulled it apart and re-soldered that bad wire.  All good now, working like a bought one.  One other thing I noticed was that the Staff sections in Power district 4 all came on this morning.  This stuff just confuses me sometimes!  So my next task was to run a standard gauge train from Dutton Park to Fisherman Islands through the dual standard gauge/narrow gauge crossovers.  I set the switch to standard gauge and the train stalled.  It worked out I had a cold solder joint on the track.  So I re-hit it with teh soldering-iron and all good now. 

I went upstairs and started work on the various changes to the Operations Manual for Cassino.  It has included the various new sections of track, and I have also documented the various new staff sections now, discussed the various auto reversing sections which were not mentioned in the previous version of the document.  I have also added a whole section on procedures for passing through Dutton Park.  I also made a space for the future trackage to Sunnybank.

Following lunch I went back down to the shed and installed various jumpers so I should now be able to run a train all the way into platforms 1 and 2 at South Brisbane Station.  Gee it was so stinking hot in the shed, both in the morning and the afternoon.  The humidity level had to be above 90%.

Tuesday was going to be delivery day.  I had ordered a 12mm power bogie and 12mm dummy bogie from Germany for my QR 2050 class scratch built railmotor model.  The package was dispatched 7 days ago and was due to turn up late Tuesday.  I was following the tracking information and all I knew was that it was in Brisbane.  Out of the blue, it rocked up at lunchtime.  I removed the packaging and applied a 3V power supply to the motor bogie.  It ran.  I then applied an old 9V battery and it still ran.  I took the bogie down to the test track in the shed and gave it the full 12V treatment.  It ran very well.  I was then perplexed as to how I would affix the bogies to my 12mm railmotor model.  I quick google search revealed how.  They also said what types of styrene to use.  I did not have any of those sizes.  Bugger!

So I rigged up a bogie frame for the dummy bogie, and it clipped in and clipped out and I was pleased.  I then thought I would build another bogie frame, this time for the power bogie.  I did that, attached the two bogies together by a stiff 5mm square styrene rod about 8 inches long and then put that on the test track.  It ran!  I then had to wonder how I would then transfer this frame from a prototype into my scratch built railmotor.  Hmmm!  I decided to cut out the current base (floor) of the railmotor and I would slip the frame inside from below.  This was so I could get the model sitting at the correct height above the track according to my QR plan.  I had to add some packing to the inside of the model to lower the model closer to the track.  Two x 1mm strips was enough and I was happy with the heights obtained.  I started with the rear of the model and first to install was the motor bogie.  I then thought I could start working on the front bogie.  But there were difficulties.  Some bright spark decided to add the internal walls of the railmotor model and internal doors.  Guess where the bogie was to go?  You guessed it!  So bit by bit, I removed the floor of the model.  I decided to sleep on it until Wednesday.  I continued work on the floor removal and I then had to remove about 3mm from the bottom of the internal components.  I added two x 1mm spacers were again in order and I could slip the bogie support frame inside.  Just like a bought one.  I gave it a test on the kitchen table, but it was a bit light on its feet.  So I added a strip of lead between the bogies underneath the model between the two bogies.  I then added a small amount of lead to each end of the model and it now runs acceptably.  Just before lunch I added the rear exhaust stack to the model and then added the front cow catcher.  I also drilled a couple of holes for where the headlights and marker lights could go, if I choose to fit them in the future.  I then took the model to the paint shop.  It got a coat of silver. 

The two 12mm bogies as delivered sitting on my Computer.  I cannot believe how small the motor is.

The dummy bogie in its cradle.

The power bogie in its cradle.

The two bogies joined by a styrene bar.

The next step was to attach wires to the bogies and work out how I would get the wires from underneath to the decoder.

The next step was to fit a decoder that I had to remove from a model that someone wanted to buy without DCC installed.  So I got a donation of an old NCE D13SRJ decoder.  Fitting the decoder was very easy.  I’ve been running the railmotor back and forth.  No lights have been fitted as yet.  I have had to do some very light surgery under the loco so the drive shafts do not hit the underside of the railmotor as it goes over various bumps in the track.  I did a bit of a gouge to the floor. 

Saturday and Sunday was when the RMCQ was holding their Model Train Exhibition at a sports complex at Brendale, which was not that far from the clubrooms.  I attended both days and did some modelling on the NMRA stand.  I was accompanied by a few other members.  Was it hot!  That is an understatement.  Quite a few other attendees from some clubs were also NMRA members.  I picked up some more Peco 12mm points so I can now complete the trackwork at South Brisbane Station, and then I will also complete the wiring activities.  On both days I was allowed to steal some running time on the brilliant 12mm layout Walloon run by the Logan District Model Railway Club.  My QR 2050 railmotor did about 4 laps on Saturday and 1 and a half on Sunday.  The main achievement is that the motor bogie looks very usable for many other QR Railmotor models.  We will work next weekend to put together a bulk order.

Dutton Park is Working

On Tuesday morning, I spent some time working on two troublesome points in Rocklea Siding that were not throwing.  The first point a standard gauge one, had its point motor replaced and all was now good.  Attention turned to a narrow gauge point that also would not throw.  I replaced the complete point.  Re-attached the point motor and everything was now working.  Damn Stiction.  I hate it.  In the arvo on Tuesday I did some track installation at South Brisbane.  I finally installed the first set of points in the run around for platforms 1 and 2. 

On Wednesday morning I ventured down to the shed and soldered a few wires to the bus around South Brisbane.  So I can run train further in that area now, but not down to teh run aaround area yet.  In the afternoon, I started recoding the Mini Panel located at Loco Pilly.  I realised that I needed to run a single wire all the way from there to the Panel for Rocklea Siding.  I also needed to add an extra push button to that panel to set the points for the narrow gauge Sunnybank branch when it gets installed next year.  I tested the new updates to the Mini Panel and the push button and all are working well.

The plan was to install the new trackwork at Dutton Park, but I have lacked motivation to install it.  Access is a royal pain...  I was planning on doing it Tuesday, then Wednesday, and then it was going to be Thursday but the wife and I went into town to see my daughter in court doing her thing.  Friday I did not get motivated to do anything either.

Saturday was NMRA Christmas Party at the Monier Hotel.  There were about 30 people there.  A great meal and some good conversation.  When I got home, I bit the bullet.  I went down and started installing the pointwork at Dutton Park.  Just because of where it is located, and the reach needed from the various aisles, it was a tough job.  After about 3 and half hours, I had all but the last piece of track installed.

Sunday morning I installed that last piece of track.  Attention then turned to see if I had created any shorts.  First the standard gauge was tested.  Second the marrow gauge was tested.  While I had no shorts, I had some dead track sections.  I worked out what sections had to be jumpered around the insulated joiners on points.  I tried to run trains through the dual gauge crossovers and the trains just stalled.  I thought that they might coast across before I could afford an auto-reverser for the crossovers.  So I had to wire up a DPDT switch that I set to either narrow gauge or standard gauge for trains to travel across.  I have only tested the narrow gauge sections so far. 

A view looking south towards Dutton Park where the tracks junction to Fisherman Islands on the left and towards Park Road and South Brisbane on the right.

Looking north as the trains approach Dutton Park

This view from Fisherman Islands with the 'Y' to Park Road for the narrow gauge.

Now I need to start testing all the point motors. Initially the two at the southern end of Dutton Park, and the ones for Fisherman Islands branch to Park Road for my ‘Y’ and the two at Park Road station can be tested but I do not have a DCC Controller to permanently connect them to.  I do have a spare Snap-it that the point motors can connected up to, one point motor at a time to see if they work.  That will be next week's job.

This is a view of Park Road with the QR SX set approaching the station.  Next week this train will move into South Brisbane and I will test the power supply here to make it operational.

During all this track work, I accidentally pulled off some track bus wires and some wires to some control panels.  This will be Monday’s job to re-attach.  I also have an issue with two of my staff machines sections.  They are not powering up.  I am thinking that it is related to a wire I bumped in my building process.  Again a job to investigate next week.  Also track power will be tested in South Brisbane next week.