Building and Connecting My Signal Test/Demonstration Track

I’ve made a few trip to Jaycar this week he help me get all the items required for my layout signal test section ready.  The plan is to connect it to my Signalman’s Panel via CAT5 cable.  I have completed the woodwork for this test section, but no track has been laid as yet.  The test section folds out and will house 4 signals along with their IR detectors, and the 4 x RJ45 sockets that are wired to the signal and the IR detector.  So far I have installed three signal/Detector pairs on the test module.  The fourth signal/detector wiring will get done next week.  I need to wire up some very fine wire to get all the wires for all the LEDs through the signal post for Signal Number 2.  I also purchased a number of faceplates that either house 4 or 6 x RJ45 sockets.  These faceplates are now installed on the rear of my Signalman’s Panel and will be wired up to my internal signalling circuitry.  I have wired up the RJ45 sockets using a cheap push-down connector that I bought from Jaycar.  I have tested the four RJ45 sockets on the signal test section.  I have also wired up another 4 x RJ45 sockets that have been installed into the first faceplate on the rear of the Signalman’s Panel.   These also test as working correctly.  At this stage I have connected just the wires from the first signal/detector pair connection.  I also had to make a small tester that allows me to plug into rear sockets on the Signalman’s panel, so I can ensure that I wired everything correctly.  Already I have found out that I may have to change some resistors in the panel as the green signals are now a tad dull.  I originally used standard 1000 Ohm resistors as I had a thousand of them on hand.  So I think I might try something a bit lower resistance, like 680 or 560 Ohms.

The 3D printed signal, with 3mm LEDs is on the left, the IR detector is already poking through the baseboard and the connection on the right which powers the signal and IR detector.  A CAT5 cable plugs into the socket and the other end of the cable connects to the rear of the Signalman's Panel.  I will eventually lay some track on the board.

While I was working on the signalman’s panel I changed the track diagram on the front, as what was originally there was wrong.  Previously I mentioned that the online photos from a historical photo/mapping site showed the real track layout at the location, so I made use of that and made the changes to my panel.  This might also make for some more complex shunting moves in the future.

 

Above is the old siding arrangement.  The colours of the tracks indicate gauge.  Blue is QR 3'6", Black is standard gauge, and red is dual gauge.

This is the new siding arrangement with an additional amount of dual gauge trackage.  This photo also shows the 5 faceplates attached to the rear of the Signalman's panel that the various CAT5 cables connect to.

While it had been quite some time since I powered up the Signalman’s Panel, I thought I would have a play with it.  Everything fired up perfectly, but as I was simulating running trains from the Branch line to the Down line and then setting the Branch Home Signal B1 back to stop, to allow the Down line trains to run again, the trailing signal on the branch (B3) did not reset back to a yellow signal when the signal in front of it displayed a red aspect.  So I connected the panel to the PC and ran a couple of traces and I saw where the code may have been going wrong.  So I made a few tweaks and after the second change, I have the signalling solution working what looks like is now perfectly.  So this was one bug that had crept through my initial testing.  I’m sure there are a few more yet to be found.

During the week I also got around to assembling 4 x KD coupler pockets and these will be installed into two 3D printed SX coaches next week.

Hopefully I will have 3 signals connected up and working from the test trackage module to the Signalman's panel by the end of this coming week.  i just need to find a couple more CAT5 cables.

Steptoe and Son

I’m always on the lookout for items to add to The Shed for storage or making Operating Sessions run better.  Last Sunday on our way home from the Mother-in-law’s place, I noticed that one of the houses nearby had what looked like a small magazine storage rack (like the type at news agencies) out the front of their house for council cleanup.  So on Monday morning I organised my morning 5km walk to end at this house and then walk back home.  As I turned the corner of this street at around 7:30am, I noticed no rubbish out the front of this house.  I looked further down the street, and noticed a truck picking up the rubbish – Nooooo!  The first day of rubbish collection and early in the morning!  I could have walked in the reverse direction but I didn’t.  Any chance of verifying that the item was a usable magazine rack for my crew to use in the shed and picking it up and carting it home was gone.

Anyway on Tuesday I went another direction for my walk and the rubbish was still in place in that part of the suburb.  I looked down a street about 1.7km from home and saw what looked like a small 4 level storage frame - just like the 4 I already have.  Upon closer examination, this frame had 4 plastic tubs in the slide in slots.  I took 3 tubs and the frame and walked back home carrying the items.  Woo Hoo!  On Wednesday I walked another way and sure enough outside my kids former primary school there was a wire storage basket that fits into my previously acquired storage shelves.  That also made its way home with me.  Thursday was also a walk in another direction and about 2.2km from home, I found another 6 shelf storage frame - yes, I have two of these already.  This was also assisted back to my place.  As I was making my way home and I was almost there, I passed my wife walking in the opposite direction, she just shook her head, commented something that I cannot print, and then added ‘Stop picking these things up’.  So I now have plenty of storage frames, but I do need about another 6 storage baskets.  But all the local houses have now been cleaned up.  Maybe next year.  I think it was a good outcome from my morning walks this week.

On a modelling note, I soldered up the LEDs to fit into Greg’s 3D printed signal faces and they are ready to place on my test track after I add wires and feed them down the post.  Greg’s initial test post had a brass tube for the signal post.  My next 4 have been made out of styrene tube, as I had some of that, but no brass tube that fitted.  I have also fixed up my test track and started adding the first signal and IR detector.  I have tested the signal and IR detector by applying power via the CAT5 remote cable connections and the first signal and IR detector work.  I have a 6 way gang that initially will be used to put on my control panel to connect back to the signals via CAT5 cable.  The first 4 ports will be used for the 4 UP signals, the fifth connection for the narrow gauge signal in the sidings and the sixth connection used to manually test anything that I plug into that connection port.  Eventually this port will be used for the shunt ahead signal aspect and the two route indicators on the second UP signal.  I had my order of 50 x 0402 White LEDs rock up on Friday as well.

Saturday was NMRA meeting day and I think it was a really good meeting at Glen’s place.  We are planning what the future meetings will look like.  We did a bit of a discussion with the members in attendance and what they were after.  So I think this will come together.   After the meeting two members Alisha and Aaron came back to my place (on their way home) for a viewing of my layout and I think they had a bit of a laugh at some of the scenes on the layout.

Working on Some 3D Prints

I went for my normal walk on Monday and came across one of my neighbours around the corner who have their junk out the front of their place for next Week’s council cleanup.  They had two of the high pull out frames, which cater for up to 6 storage trays each.  I picked up 5 new trays from their discarded pile.  On Tuesday I went back for one of the frames.  These were cleaned and placed in the shed.  I picked up two of these frames last year.

Tuesday was working on the 3D printed SX coaches that my mate David gave to me last Saturday at the AMRA exhibition.  I cleaned up the flash, did a bit of filing here and there, and undercoated the wagon shells.  I also undercoated the 12mm commonwealth bogies that I just had sitting around.  Later on, I gave the underframe a coat of matt black and the coach shells a nice silver.  Once dry these were screwed together with some existing screws that I just happened to have on hand and added the bogies to two wagons.  I have subsequently found 4 x KD’s that I need to assemble and then I will give the coaches a test run on the layout.  Another job for next week.

On Wednesday I soldered up the various LEDs for the colour light test signals.  I started to also wire up a string of white LEDs for the route indicators and did not like what I found.  I then went looking for 6 x 0402 LEDs which I will eventually solder up and try them for the route indicators.

Saturday involved the trip to the northside and while there picked up a packet of styrene at the Club's local Hobby Shop – RCMA.  When at the Club we had a good showing of numbers.  I had a quick view of the HO Clubroom layout and there had been some great little scene created around the top deck.  Greg had printed off 3 more 3D printed signals which I will assemble this coming week.  I might need to buy a length of brass tube though.  We also discussed the feathers for the junction indicator on top of one of the signals, and that will be enhanced in Greg’s next print.  Greg also showed off a 3D printed aluminium foil corrugated iron roller.  It is a little beauty.  I ordered a few more from him for the NMRA guys.  I also realised that I needed to order another batch of 0402 white LEDs for the layout.  I think I have used up my last order.  I picked up 50 LEDs for a great price at less than $0.50 each LED with pre-wired leads.

Some nice scenery work

The Town taking shape

It looks really good

Looking down the streets

The Plumbing business has some great items outside, including a bath and a pedestal.  I want some pedestals for my layout.

2026 Brisbane Model Railway Exhibition Report

I’ve got to Sunday this week and I cannot remember what I did early in the week.  I’m not sure if it was because I was so busy, or I did not do anything.  I do remember that on Thursday I visited Geoff and picked up two bench seats that we sit in front of our Structure Building Stand  at the AMRA Brisbane Model train exhibition.  I know that on Friday Arthur and I drove to the other side of the world (well Brisbane) and set up our stand at the Brisbane Model Train Show.  On Saturday and Sunday I rinsed and repeated, by picking up Arthur and taking him over to the Brisbane Model Railway Exhibition and even brining him home, even though he tried to stir me with an XPT sledge.  Those close to us will know about this.  And here is my, thinking that I put all of these XPT innuendos to bed.  But I guess not.  Next to us at the show, was the RMCQ N scale layout.  I lost count of the number of times that people said, look left that is an XPT running on the layout!  This was usually followed by accusations that my HO XPT does not run.  Well it bloody well does!

There were a few observations from the show.  There were truckloads of people there on Saturday.  Geoff’s bench seats got quite a workout sitting in front my myself and Arthur at our stand.  They were occupied all day.  I did very little modelling all day and talked myself hoarse.  I did make two telegraph poles with 12 insulators on two cross arms, and built 5 clotheslines.  I almost needed a sling for my arm, as I raised it to wave to heaps of people that I knew as they walked by.  I must admit that when people were looking at the various items on my modelling desk, and in particular my small clothesline scene built on a 90mm end cap, I turned on the switch and the clothesline started to rotate along with the mother handing off of the clothesline.  It brought so many smiles to people’s faces, who then showed their partners, their kids and grandkids, or their parents and grandparents.  It was great seeing all the smiles and that started numerous conversations with the public.  I built this model for the NMRA convention last year for the 90mm cap challenge.

Sunday (today) was no different.  Plenty of people through the doors.  I had a few people ask to get copies of a few clotheslines from my stand, that I had already prepared and also asked to get some other detail items that I had previously build for the layout.  Today’s modelling efforts included scratch building just two windows for my Old Casino Station building.  Pretty poor effort, but everyone had fun.  I'm signed up for next year's Exhibition on the 3rd and 4th of July at the same venue.

I do have a vague memory that earlier in the week I put together all the items that I needed to take to the AMRA Exhibition.  I think I have a few tasks for next week to finish off a couple of items that I wanted to do at the Exhibition but ran out of time talking to the public.

I do have a vague memory that earlier in the week I put together all the items that I needed to take to the AMRA Exhibition.  I think I have a few tasks for next week to finish off a couple of items that I wanted to do at the Exhibition but ran out of time talking to the public.