Back In Business !

Just to advise that my new home workshop is now just about complete (needs a roll-end of vinyl flooring to finish off) , all my modelling gear has come out of storage and has been dusted off.

Work on 'Niddbeck Bridge' will recommence just as soon as the June 2mm Magazine has been stuffed and posted. I aim to post up progress reports and pics here at least once every week.

The embryionic layout performed well at the NE 'Bash' earlier this month. The only problem that came to light was a dead point vee in the fiddle yard. I need to check if this is a dropper feed wire problem or an issue with the 'Hare' decoder that does the switching.

The 'XpressNet' circuit on the layout needs finishing off and and the cable harness that will link the command station and transformers (free floor standing) and the layout needs making up. I am using 25-way 'D' connectors for this task.

A full day of operation at Bournmoor brought home to me one of the short-comings of DCC - that inadvertant short circuits trip the whole system out until cleared. This is most easily caused by driving a train into a trailing point that is set against it! Fortunately the 'Hare' decoders I use with the 'Tortoise' point actuators have a built-in 'Auto-Throw' feature, so I will need to set this up. It just needs 50mm sections of rail behind the point to be isolated and wired into one of the terminals on the 'Hare'. If a train then approaches a point that is not set for it, the point will immediately be thrown and a short circuit avoided.

This DCC 'short circuit' business also led me to ask Bob Jones to design me an insulated version of his Fence Houses etched re-railer ramp. This he has done and a 'split down the middle' test etch was put together over the weekend. The two halves are simply epoxied together using plasticard spacer on the underside and the etched spacing tags are cut away when set. Photo to follow.

Edward S