Beer Garden Terminus - O9

[dave]

Hi guys, been a while (again), since my last post, it even appears my thread about a small coastal railway layout has bee lost/removed its been that long )

Anyway, last week I had a week off work with plenty of time free while my daughter has been at school, so i managed to 'plan' with bits of track for two days before settling on a simple trackplan for a terminus station which will be the main access to a pub and beer garden. The pub being modelled on a certain small pub on the CCLR.

Today, I have got the track laid, wired and tested but have run into a small problem - everything works apart the loco refuses point blank to do anything on the switch blades of one point, it just stops.





The problem point is the one on the left. From left to right on the lower line:

Headshunt, split into 2 sections, both sections working OK.
Point, Peco electrofrog.
Connect track to upper line, isolated on one rail from the other point.
Platform Line (lower track), connected with one rail isolated.

All sections work when switched on, its just the blades on that point, I've swapped to the with a different one, still the same.

Anys suggestions as to what the problem is??? (Im sure it will be a simple oversight on my part).

Below are a couple of shots of the loco in the picture in quarter-build stage - inspired by DA1 at the CCLR, a loco I have a soft spot for.

[Glen A]

Hi Dave.
Sorry to hear about your point problems.
Could be one of two things -
1. the wiring plan is wrong.
2. there is a bad connection in the joint in the fish plate between the fixed rail near the point frog and the moving part. (I've seen this many times and I aways solder a wire to jump than part so the power feeds from both directions). if you are good a soldering you can put a little flexiable wire over the joint. make sure the blade can still move. If you are not good a soldering then stay well away from this area!.
The other solution is put a wires on each section of the point. Sorry don't have time to draw a diagram right now. will do later if some else hasn't already done one.
Can you draw a diagram (or take a photo) and show us exactly where the wires are soldered on to the point?

[Tomo]

Are the frogs plastic?

[Si]

I've had the problem that Glen describes (No.2) above. On one I did as he says with the additional wire. But on the other I found that just rubbing over it with a graphite stick cured the problem...graphite goes down into the fish plate and between blade end and side rail and re-establishes the connection without all the faff of soldering wires on....if the problem turns out to be elsewhere then you haven't really wasted must effort with this fix.

[More_Cats_Than_Sense]

If you have two electrofrog points nose to nose, you need to have insulating fishplates between the two. You'll get a short if the blades are in the wrong position.

[Colin Peake]

Looks like an interesting project Dave. I can't put my finger on the electrical issue but the points do look re-used, could this lead to problems?

The loco was instantly recognisable as DA1 inspired! Have you seen pictures of the real loco now it is painted dark blue? There are pictures if you search for the railway on Facebook....

Colin

[dave]

Looks like an interesting project Dave. I can't put my finger on the electrical issue but the points do look re-used, could this lead to problems?

Hi Colin,

At almost the same time you posted your message, I had a brainwave!!! After checking, re-checking and re-re-checking every electrical connection around the point, I hadnt check to sodding blades on the point on the top line!!!!!!!!!!

It was slightly out and not making a good connection, a little tweak and we're running again - thanks to those that offered suggestions.

The loco was instantly recognisable as DA1 inspired! Have you seen pictures of the real loco now it is painted dark blue? There are pictures if you search for the railway on Facebook....

Colin

I will certainly be having a look for those pictures, dont think Ive seen DA1 in action since it hauled our train in August 2008 with my (then) 11 month old daughter on board.

[Simon Andrews]

Hi Dave,

Like the idea behind your layout. Do you have more info about the loco (prototype and your model)?

Simon.

[dave]

Hi Simon,

The prototype is a 4 wheel loco originally built by the Bush Mills Railway as an assistant to (I believe), Mountaineer because it struggled to pull 5 coaches on its own.

Not sure when it was moved to Cleethorpes, but Im sure someone will provide the answer soon.

The DA in the loco number has one of two meanings, depending who you are talking to, some will say it stands for 'Diesel Assistant', others say 'Diesel Auxiliary'. Ive always referred to it as Diesel Auxiliary.

If you search 'cclr da1' on google, there is a couple of links to other forums' discussions about it, and theres also a few pictures on google too.

As for the model, the chassis is from a Bachamnn Plymouth shunter, the rest is 40thou plasticard - simples. Evidently, plenty o work still to do on it at this stage, but will keep the thread updated.

[Simon Andrews]

Thanks for the info. Looking forward to the next update.

Simon.

[dave]

Well, its been a few months and not alot of work has been carried out on the layout due to looking for a new place to live.

Thankfully, we moved into the new place 11 days ago and things are just about sorted and I can now start to get my modelling head back in gear.

Thankfully, SWMBO agreed we needed a cellar for my railway antics and once the last few boxes are sorted out, plans can be formulated and the beer garden terminus can be moved to its new home. Also, because the cellar is all mine, there is definately an extension of the line in the pipeline, of which i will report on as and when this happens.

Finally, does anyone know if the bachman plymouth will still work after accidentally being frozen for 72 hours during the move? Im suspecting its not going to be good news.

[Brack]

I think it says allow 24 hours for defrosting and do not refreeze on the box...


I'd strip it down, wash all the bits in warm water/fairy liquid with an old toothbrush, then reassemble and oil, and it ought to be fine? the freezing shouldn't have caused trouble unless there was water in the mechanism (which would be a bigger worry), but might affect the grease/oil, so I'd wash it out and replace.

Bachmann always tend to put too much grease on things anyway, cleaning it all off and just adding a spot of proper modelling oil often makes things work better anyway.

[dave]

Pretty much got the moving boxes sorted so Ive been able to spend a bit of time with the Pub for the layout before attacking timbers tomorrow for the baseboards. (I'll tackle the Plymouth at a later date)

Images below show todays progress after adding the planking to the walls, window ledges and the boards for the pub name. It has only just received a thin coat of paint hence the shine in the images.

[dave]

Back again, after ditching SWMBO and moving into my own gaff with a view over the south of Doncaster station, the modelling mojo is coming back.

Last month I got round to ordering a brass kit from Minimum Gauge Models which finally arrived yesterday (the mail service managed to lose the first one, Allen quickly sorted a replacement).

Today I got out the file, knife and glue and got sticking. I really can't believe how easy the kit flew together considering it's the first ever kit I've built.

Just goes to show that ANYBODY can build an MGM kit and I'm pretty sure I'll be getting some other bits.

[docnjoj]

What did you use for glue? That little diesel really looks excellent.
otherDoc

[dave]

I used Loctite, applied with a brush. The loco needs a clean up before I can think of priming and painting, but the glue is neater than my soldering attempt would be

[Colin Peake]

Looking good Dave, let's hope the mojo continues!

Colin

[southpier]

Back again, after ditching SWMBO and moving into my own gaff ....

a bit drastic just to build a layout, eh?

[dave]

Maybe it was drastic, but it was necessary.

See, we had a difference in opinion about the dining room table, she thought it was there to do something called eating(???), me on the other hand thought otherwise. .......