May Progress

The May update has been delayed due to the Grand Opening held yesterday!

During May shakedown activities continued with two operating sessions with 7 & 9 people and some further lessons were learnt.  One was a wiring issue where turnouts are operated from more than one location and another was the acceleration and deceleration rates of the locomotives to ensure smooth operations.

Grand Opening

Well 13 Operators, 6 Support staff and some VIP's attended!


The day went a treat, everybody who came were either early or on time. Thanks to the Operators Chris, Barry, Rossco (Ros from Oz), Pierre, Bob, Des, Wayne, Andre, Ross, Dave G, Andrew, Dave P & Peter. Thanks to the support team Don (video), Dave W (Camera) Catering team Kaye, Dave W, John & Carol.


2 1/2 hours of running with 6 people more than "comfortable numbers" in the layout room made for interesting operating conditions. The control system was loaded to the max and one booster reached maximum current draw. We ran 15 of the available 18 mainline train movements despite a few unexpected happenings.

Thanks to all that sent me well wishes.

Two Quotes from my Interstate VIP's...

Dave Parsons VIP from Sydney "WOW! Busy yards shunting cars and rushing mainline locos on a deadline made for action on the busy parts if the layout. The sounds of engines idling, impatient drivers waiting for clearance with horns sounding against the backdrop if crossing bells and train bells made made for an audio spectacular." 

Peter Rees my VIP from Victoria "It was interesting to see the intensity of operation and the carefully structured timetabling gradually deteriorate while that may sound bad it was made for an intense operating experience and the words I recall being said most clearly Stop Stop STOP STOP! - Overall a great experience."

When the video has been processed then a more details will be posted here.


After the Operating Session a great time was enjoyed by all of us devouring a scrumptious BBQ with salads washed down with beer, wine & soft drinks.  Well the recycle bin took a hit today receiving around a dozen wine bottles!

Final shakedown running sessions

Penultimate Monday 5th May

I now have a number of operators moving from "L's" to "P's" we seem to be getting better to what we do.

Congratulations to Pam who successfully ran her own trains for the first time.

There were a few lessons for me again relating to me trying to do too much and making a few mistakes on the main control panel the worst being throwing a turnout under the moving PFE splitting the consist! - Sorry Derek.

Overall we had a great session and the schedule and running strategy is close to what is required.

Last Monday 19th May

Thanks to Barry, Chris, Rossco, Pam, Bob, Pierre, Andrew, Wayne & Des for attending my running session.  I think the schedule and operating strategies are as robust as I can make them now.

In about two and a half hours we ran 12 separate train movements, supported by multiple yard operations and Loco operations to support those movements. Two movements were not attempted ad we had 1 operator that unable to attend due to family medical matters.

We felt sorry for Bob who copped a couple of turnout problems in Flintston which was not of his doing. I will make sure he has mainline work at the Grand Opening! I am pleased to report that Ross & Chris turned up the very next morning to make sure the issues were addressed - then a wall wart supplying a LED strip failed - must replace during maintenance next Wednesday.

The schedule we ran is below (Only the Interstate Passenger & Flintston Local - Flintston= Hornertown did not run).

Barry - Hornertown Yardmaster

Chris - Hornertown Yard Shunt

Andrew - Hostler Loco LeMaistre (with Chris)

L-R Rossco (aka Ros from OZ), Bob, Pam & Pierre

L-R Wayne & Des (in the crew lounge)

Gut Derailment!

Well the reefers kept biting the dust when shunting was done at Stanvac as the track is close to the edge and the middle age bulge intrude.  So a perspex safety panel had to be installed.

Control Panel Improvements

The shakedown feedback continues and suggested improvements are being implemented. Track directions showing East & West along with unnamed tracks being labelled.

Loco

Stanvac

Daveyston

Hornertown

Main Panels

Huntington

Flintston

Iron Hill

Hornertown East Control Panel

Work has commenced on wiring the last major control panel (Daveyston still remains tho).

Chris found himself back "under the layout" doing things he has done many times before.  The only comment was "where is Bob to give me a hand....".

This will not be finished before the opening tho.

Hornertown Passenger Station Lawn

Birthday Treats

I used my Walthers Birthday Discount to pick up some shipping containers.  I also assembled some Walthers Hayes Bumpers and Micro Mark Locomotive Rollers.

That's it for this month.


Thanks again to those that continue to help me achieve my ambitions and hello to all my followers!


Till the end of June.

-ooOOOoo-

April Update

This month has been quiet on the modelling front as I have been unwell and I have had family stuff to deal with.  However I did go to a running session at Picardy early in the month.

Picardy Op Session

Well Ross did things very different for this session, basically he had the maximum number of trains prepared -14 - and ready to go.

Adeaide: 2 x Passenger & 4 x Freight
Yarrara: 1 x Freight
Bugle Ranges: 1 x Freight
Birkenhead: 2 x Pasenger & 4 x Freight

We had a crew of four on  the night.

Ross at Adelaide Yard with Bugle Ranges in the background

Me at Yarrara

Rossco at Birkenhead

We had a few incidents...

It seems that most of the ones caught on camera were at Yarrara.

Birkenhead Yard at the end of the session

Grand Opening

Currently there are 19 people attending!  I hope to finalise the numbers soon.

That's it for this month.


Thanks again to those that continue to help me achieve my ambitions and hello to all my followers!


Till the end of May.

-ooOOOoo-

March Update

Not sure why last months update disappeared - I have put it back up....

During March shakedown activities continued with two operating sessions with 6 & 7 people and some further lessons were learnt.  One was a wiring issue where turnouts are operated from more than one location and another was the acceleration and deceleration rates of the locomotives to ensure smooth operations.

Work on a prototype for my proposed signal system has commenced. I have also weighted some of my blue box Cabooses so I have enough available and operating reliably for the Grand Opening. I have fitted the extra magnets Ore loads.

I still have some other outstanding task of completing of the U50 decoder install.

Shakedown Activities on 3 & 17 March

Well we tried some separate yard, loco and mainline operations and I continued to learn how people interpret instructions and just how long it takes to do some things.

Sample Schedule

What actually happened

Sample Instructions

3 March Activities

The roster was:

Controller & Loco Hostler - Jim
Tower Man (Master Control Panel) - Andre
Hornertown Yardmaster - Barry
Flintston Yardmaster - Rossco
Mainline Crew 1 - Ross
Mainline Crew 2 - Dave

Main Lessons were:

1. If you want an incoming train left on the arrival road and not broken up and cars shunted you need to be very explicit or Yardmasters will just take the next step.
2. Yardmaster in the main yard does not have time to do any local industry shunting as he is tied up classifying and putting consists on the arrival departure tracks and receiving trains and the associated caboose activities.
3. Operators learning yards need 4 - 5  minutes to shunt each car!
4. The Tower man needs to have easy access to scheduled movements without asking others.
5. I let a train run early which caused some timing issues.

17 March Activities

The roster was:

Controller, Tower Man & Loco Hostler - Jim
Hornertown Yardmaster - Barry
Flintston Yardmaster - Rossco
Mainline Crew 1 - Bill-1 & Pierre
Mainline Crew 2 - Chris & Pam

Main Lessons were:

1. The mainline Locos need the Acceleration & Deceleration rates increased - too slow
2. There is a need for pockets for the folders with instructions - people need to put the folders down when shunting. One Yardmasters folder stopped a mainline train operated by a crew after putting his folder down....
3. The ballast on the meat works spur (which was shunted for the first time) was too high in a couple of spots causing wheels to lift off rails!
4. Complex yards need some info to explain functions e.g. arrival/departure & classification Vs local storage and industry tracks (see below).

Signal Logic Trial

You may be aware that I intend to install three colour bidirectional signals on the layout.

I will be using Rob Paisley's 3 colour Signal Driver printed circuit boards.  I will be using BLMA single and dual head searchlight block signals which employ common anode configuration. Rob's site has indicative configuration for incorporation of Block Occupancy Detectors (BOD's) and simple bidirectional configuration (albeit in common cathode configuration shown) for a simple loop.

I need to develop the more complex controls for Branch, Passing Loop & Junction operations.  To that end I have developed a sample track plan which will allow me to represent turnout states and BOD's states by using toggle switches.

Sample Trackplan

 Developing the track plan into a logic diagram showing nomenclature of BOD's, Turnout relationships, East and West Block Signals

Nomenclature

 The relationships of all turnout states to BOD's & Basic Signal States were charted.

Relationships Chart

 Signal driver board - set out

The four groups of signal driver PCB's mounted on some MDF

One 3 colour Signal Driver PCB with LED's fitted for signal trail

6 of the 27 Signal Driver PCB's under construction

The production line...

27 Signal Driver PCB's mounted ready for wiring

BOD & Turnout Toggle Switches and terminal strips

Basic Power Wiring done to check all boards are operating correctly 27 modules drawing 0.2 Amps 12 V Regulated power supply in bottom right, it also includes a 5 V regulated supply for the Launchpads, to be added later.
(I did find a couple of "cold" solder joints - they are all fixed now!)

Below is the logic wiring test - the X-acto blade simulates the BOD operating showing block is occupied

Red => Yellow => Green => Green

Green => Red => Yellow => Green

Green => Green => Red => Yellow

Yellow => Green => Green => Red

Remote Operation of Turnouts

Turnouts in Hornertown can be operated from one, two or three control panels.  This has led to some "feedback" issues in the wiring which resulted in a number of toggle switches having to be "set" to the same turnout direction in order for the solenoids to operate.

I have isolated each of the solenoid feeds by including a power diodes into each feed to the solenoid coils.  Once installed in each control panels feeders things work as desired.

Ore Loads

A couple of months back I reported on how I used epoxy to fix two 3 mm cylindrical magnets to the underside of the load supplied with the Athearn ore trucks and after testing I said I will go back and add two more magnets per load to get a better result.

Before the update

After

Production line...

Now to see what the operators think the next time the Ore Train is run!

Grand Opening

Well I have people local and interstate attending, they are coming from Sydney, Traralgon,, Geelong.  I have asked some Model Rail Radio folks from the US and Sweden but no commitment to attend has been received from them yet!

Currently there are 17 people attending!

That's it for this month.


Thanks again to those that continue to help me achieve my ambitions and hello to all my followers!


Till the end of April.

-ooOOOoo-