Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2021 15:44:47 GMT
I got my lift up bridges working and trains running two days ago. They provide access to the center of my mostly around the walls Blackwater Canyon Line layout in my 11x11 room. The bridges are powered by a linear actuator. My installation is based on that of a friend Mike's over on that other forum. He gave me some extra photographs and drawings. I then adapted it to my existing benchwork, bridges, materials, tools, and skills (or lack thereof). It was a real challenge for me to get this working dependably taking up most of the winter. Here are the preliminary lift operation and first runs over the bridges. Mark you might have already answered this but what radius curve do you have on your layout? You also need to get an OGF credential holder. If Emile can't help ya out getting one I have extras.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2021 18:18:07 GMT
RJ, I decided to go with 054 curves. If I had gone with 072, the track plan would have resembled two slightly elongated circles. You noticed I do not have an OGF credential holder. I have a hat and coffee cup, but no holder. Thank you, I will ask Emile.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2021 17:16:44 GMT
Roundhouse lighting is underway. Last night stall 6/7 was lit for the first time. We have found that roundhouse stalls on our roundhouse are lit by LEDs that follow stringers on each side of the locomotive so a string of LED lights provides lighting for two half stalls. That certainly makes dimming and turning stalls on and off more interesting. It is going to take eight strings of lights, all but the ends having 12 LEDs each. Of course we tried to take some pictures last night using the new I-12 that I got for my birthday. We were impressed as it automatically adjusted the focus and all that stuff so that we received an overexposed nothing. Also have to adjust three shades. So back to the train room to complete the next row (5/6) and hopefully get better pictures.
|
|
|
Post by ptc on Mar 27, 2021 18:35:07 GMT
The lighting is a huge improvement, Bill.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2021 20:32:28 GMT
Bill, The lighting in the roundhouse looks great!!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2021 23:08:25 GMT
Thanks. Finished another section today. Time to complete a section reduced to about 4 hours and should decline to maybe 2.5. But it simply takes time to construct a string of 12 LEDs, test them, and install including basic wiring. A decent photo looks pretty good. Still a lot to do to complete this but finally the end for twenty hour tasks is in sight. The roof and lights have taken a lot of time. After the lights are completed, when we work a few hours, we should be able to see results. The bright lights lying on the floor await the addition of the front section. It will be added just about last because, once added, the ability to get to much of the roundhouse is severely reduced.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2021 23:58:17 GMT
Today I decided to build strands of lights to see if it improved the time. That meant completing a step for 4 multiple light strands before moving on to the next step. Completing the LED lights was first. We special ordered about 100 5mm chip LEDs from Dave Evan Designs). Magnet wire is soldered to them and the wire is passed thru a small shade then a small metal tube; the magnet wire is 6” long which is exactly far enough to properly space the lights 2.5” apart. In the clerestory, the tubes hang straight down about 2”. In the front and rear sections, the tube is bent and hangs down about 1”. We painted the shades and tubes green as I said in an earlier post. All shades had to have a drop of glue applied to hold the shade. The small amount tightens the shade but still allows it to be adjusted. A properly adjusted shade reflects light downward and does not show the bulb. Obviously real life roundhouses were imperfect creatures and some shades were improperly adjusted. So we want a few to show the LED and most not to. Once the glue was applied, the end was stuck into a piece of styrofoam to keep it even. The rear and clerestory are both 16” deep, the front section 8”. 5 LEDs go both the rear and clerestory and two in the front. The next step was to cut magnet wire into three specific lengths for each stall and to remove the insulation from the ends. Sandpaper is the best way to remove the covering. Then the fun part began. Attach 5 bent LEDs to a 23.5” piece of magnet wire, red to red, green to green. Test the connection. If it worked (all did) solder the wires together then insulate with a piece if shrink tubing and heat. Next, attach 5 straight tube LEDs and a 19” piece of magnet wire. Test, solder, insulate. Do it again for the 2 bent LEDs in front but this time add a 13” piece of wire. If you follow this process, about five hours later you have 4 LED strings. Look carefully and you can see multiple LEDs. Yep, it is a tangled looking mess but installation works pretty good. More on that tomorrow. It may sound complicated but I set up a jig Friday for the first two strings to be sure that everything worked. Then it was a matter of replication. Tomorrow I hope to get the four strings installed. That should take about an hour per string. All this is on plywood/homasote 44” off the ground trying to work around the sides of the roundhouse and reach over and into a building that is roughly 56” X 40”. It is challenging.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2021 0:09:09 GMT
Three more strings installed today. Ran out of Tacky Wax which I use to hold the lights and wire while glue dries. More on the way, here Wednesday. No time/help to adjust the light shades yet. That takes me on the second level adjusting and someone else checking the building from the sides. Plan to install one more stall tomorrow and then work on completing the strings that will be on each end. There is about a 2” jog inward on the rear half of each side rear section which makes lighting the rear corners problematic. The building is bright and we will have the ability to dim the lights when Dave gets the dimmers completed. The right stall in not lighted yet.
|
|
|
Post by Zeke on Mar 30, 2021 0:49:45 GMT
Mark - GREAT JOB on those bridges! It ain't easy - it took me 4 tries to get my first one right. You done good!
Bill - I love the lighting in the roundhouse! It's a lot of effort, but it's paying off. Fantastic!
|
|
|
Post by ptc on Mar 30, 2021 11:53:00 GMT
Outstanding look of the lighted roundhouse. You can hire-out as an installer.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2021 13:55:51 GMT
Outstanding look of the lighted roundhouse. You can hire-out as an installer. No way. We won’t do roofs or lights... until the next building. We have a diesel service building to complete too. Several years ago we got it as far as we could go and still keep it in the box. It will hold two Centipedes in length. After the roundhouse it should be a breeze. Have to complete the right side second level Benchwork first. Can’t believe I wrote that... finally almost there. Thank goodness Scott’s ship has been held up. We have no place for the new GP-9s until we can put some engines in the roundhouse.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2021 20:49:39 GMT
Yesterday with no Tacky Wax to hold lights, I decided to build the two end light strings. Due to the inward jog in the last 8” depth in the rear, there is no rafter to hold lights in that section. So I attached 3 lights to a 5” piece of rafter leftover and will glue it to the inside of the building. The back corners will be lit. I bet that on some railroads their roundhouse was a dark and dreary place in the rear corners but not on the N and W where the mighty Y6B made its home. That dark, dreary corner was probably where the Santa Fe stuck the no-pulling 3000’s until they could tear them back apart. Excuse me 3000 lovers, I wandered off course. After completing the light strings, it was time to attach the fascia to the clerestory roof sections. That was finished today. Then I got out some vents that will go on the clerestory and have them ready to mark when I am on the train board. We want them to be as straight as possible. The Tacky Wax just arrived and the light installation should be completed for the rear and clerestory tomorrow. Tonight I plan to figure out what is left to do before we add the front section. Meanwhile my valuable assistant Rich Holden and his wife Pat are in Tennessee for the week attempting to catch trout. He sent a picture this morning that totally explains why we experienced an earthquake on the layout a couple of months ago. If this is how he catches a fish, no wonder the wall tried to come tumbling down.
|
|
|
Post by laz57 on Mar 31, 2021 20:57:49 GMT
Nice going with the lighting BILL. Looks great!!!👍👍
Was RICH with you at the last YORK? Is he the one that flew both of you to YORK? Nice rainbow.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2021 21:26:55 GMT
Thanks; we are pleased with the lighting so far. Still a lot to do for separate controls and dimmers but Dave said he can handle it.
The plan was to fly but the actual was that a front came in and stuck there so we drove. He was there with me and thoroughly enjoyed it. It appears that orthopedic surgeons make good carpenters. He has been a wonderful help.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2021 21:37:46 GMT
Looks great Bill, thank you for the descriptions of how you do things. The photograph of Rich juggling a trout reminds me of my dad, an avid trout fly fisherman and fly tier. Dad hung up his rods when he hung up his car keys a couple years ago. Both at 90, he and Mum are in a personal care home now. We got to see them last week for the first time since the Covid mess started. They are well.
I finished wiring up the limit switches on my dual lift up bridges today. No chance of crashes now.
|
|