094 - Shelfington - What's In Store For 2024
Рет қаралды 1,211
6 ай бұрынWelcome to Ian's N Gauge channel!
Happy New Year!
Hopefully 2024 will be a happy, healthy and prosperous year for us all.
This being the first video of the year, I thought I'd share what I've got planned for Shelfington in the next 12 months.
Thanks very much for watching.
Ian
-
Related Video Links
057 - Planning The Tricky Bit: • 057 - Shelfington - Pl...
064 - Planning The Tricky Bit - Update: • 064 - Shelfington - Pl...
067 - The Tricky Bit Progress - Part One: • 067 - Shelfington - Th...
086 - The Updated Track Plan - Part One: • 086 - Shelfington - Th...
089 - The Updated Track Plan - Part Two: • 089 - Shelfington - Th...
-
Affiliate Links
These are products I’ve ordered from Amazon and have used myself.
Please note, that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to yourself.
Electrical Connectors
Lever Nut Connectors (2 to 4): amzn.to/45GVR9Y
Lever Nut Connectors (2 to 6): amzn.to/3EuTWt6
Spring Connectors: amzn.to/3R6ZzFm
Suitcase Connectors: amzn.to/45In8so
Electrical Wiring
16AWG Electrical Wire - 10m: amzn.to/3RrBHfR
22AWG Electrical Wire - 10m: amzn.to/3RrKOgB
Gaugemaster Point Motor Wire - 10m: amzn.to/460gCxv
Electronics
16 Channel Servo Driver Board x 3: amzn.to/3ESOLmZ
Micro Servo Motor (SG90) x 12: amzn.to/3PN0OIM
Servo Tester: amzn.to/3Rx3FXC
XPS Foam Sheets (1200mm x 600mm)
10mm x 10: amzn.to/45wDV1q
20mm x 1: amzn.to/3OPc1XC
30mm x 5: amzn.to/45C0lOH
40mm x 5: amzn.to/3P5yAIU
Cork
Cork Roll - 10m x 100mm x 3mm: amzn.to/3EKc9mF
Cork Roll - 10m x 500mm x 3mm: amzn.to/3rgykhd
A4 Greyboard
1.0mm: amzn.to/44dxAYe
1.5mm: amzn.to/3O8JeOG
2.0mm: amzn.to/3JSCORc
Tools
1-2-3 Precision Engineering Blocks: amzn.to/3RyFw2K
Soft Grip Carpenters Awl - 75mm: amzn.to/3t87kRC
Cricut Maker 3: amzn.to/46Etf1Y
Digital Caliper: amzn.to/3O5lb1V
File Set: amzn.to/3EUAcPy
Glue Smear Stick x 6: amzn.to/3rmD0lE
Glue Spreaders x 5: amzn.to/3PNX4qk
Hot Wire Foam Cutter: amzn.to/3Rx9YKO
Magnifying Glass - 10x: amzn.to/3rnIkFj
Magnifying LED Headband - 1.5x - 13x: amzn.to/3EPT6Hm
Pliers Set: amzn.to/3PPg7AJ
Safety Ruler - 30cm: amzn.to/3RAk4dI
Screwdriver Set: amzn.to/48ubZNY
Scissors Set: amzn.to/3rlYFKL
Set Square Set - 2”, 3”, 4”, 6”: amzn.to/3Rs7hKo
Soldering Iron Station - Atten ST-60 - 60W: amzn.to/3OGQJwg
Soldering Iron Tip Cleaner: amzn.to/45YZNml
Starter Soldering Kit: amzn.to/3ZtuL3E
Swann Morton Retractaway Scalpel Handle: amzn.to/3ZoGX5T
Spring Clamps x 20 - 5cm: amzn.to/3ZqyQFQ
Swann Morton Scalpel Blades - No 10A: amzn.to/3ZtBzy9
Tweezer Set amzn.to/3LuWTNZ
USB Drill: amzn.to/462DJHw
Wire Stripper: amzn.to/3QpNPO2
Xuron Track Cutters: amzn.to/3PsLZK7
Glues
Deluxe Materials - Plastic Magic Glue - 40ml: amzn.to/3PN0vxn
Deluxe Materials - Glue n Glaze - 50ml: amzn.to/3RyEMuu
Gorilla Glue - 1L: amzn.to/3Lzq174
Gorilla Super Glue Gel - 15g: amzn.to/3Lx5XCg
Gorilla Super Glue Brush & Nozzle - 12g: amzn.to/3t5c7mN
Gorilla Wood Glue - 1L: amzn.to/3EM3ikn
Loctite Extreme Wood Glue - 225g: amzn.to/46fTICx
ModPodge Matte - 32oz: amzn.to/3PMtvp0
Pritt Stick x 5 - 11g: amzn.to/3ZptHxV
PVA Wood Glue - Economy - 5L: amzn.to/3LvLs8Z
UHU Solvent Free All Purpose Adhesive - 33ml: amzn.to/3PsNOGX
UHU Twist and Glue All Purpose - 90ml: amzn.to/3LzuA0Z
Woodland Scenic Foam Tack Glue - 12oz: amzn.to/3RwaPex
Zap-A-Gap CA Plus Super Glue - 28.3g: amzn.to/48lANY9
Paints
Gesso Acrylic Primer - 1L: amzn.to/48jxOjb
HQC One Coat Matt Emulsion Paint - 1L - Leaf Brown: amzn.to/3Db2jcp
Posca Paint Marker Pens - 10 colours: amzn.to/450tSAP
Storage
Small Plastic Storage Jar x 6 - 250ml: amzn.to/3t90VoW
Really Useful Box - Clear - 18L: amzn.to/3Q21vP2
Miscellaneous
Balsa Wood Sheets - 150mm x 100mm x 2mm: amzn.to/46na77w
Cotton Buds x 400: amzn.to/3rpU1LG
Guitar Picks x 50: amzn.to/453hqQT
Isopropyl Alcohol - 1L: amzn.to/3LAI7FL
Peco 6ft Way Gauge - PL-336 - N Gauge: amzn.to/3NG9sXg
Type 90 Staples x 5000: amzn.to/3v9bgCy
@evileyeball 6 ай бұрын
One thing I love about Shelfington is that you're taking us through the entire thing, experimentation and all from the point of view of someone new to much of this. The only other Channels I've watched build a layout from beginning to end were people who had existing layouts they were replacing or were professional layout builders who build for others not for themrselves. Being able to see you making all the decisions in real time shows just what goes into the hobby and as someone who doesn't yet have a layout but wouldn't mind having one in the future if I can scrounge the time/Space/Money/Effort etc etc is most excellent and wonderful.
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
That's so very kind of you to say! When I started the channel it was always intended to be a warts and all documentary of how I went about building my model railway! I like to explain my thought process so people understand why I'm doing certain things in a certain way, and whether it results in success or a mistake, I feel like it's all useful information - even if only to me when looking back at how I did things! As you are no doubt well aware having watched along for a while, I'm no expert and what experience I had in model railways was over 35 years ago, so you're literally watching me learn as I go! Hopefully I'll make a bit more progress this year than last, and we can both learn something useful! Thanks for your support! All the best, Ian.
@inthenameofsanity2831 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year Ian. Looking forward to this years videos.
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year! Thank you! I hope I can live up to my plans! Cheers, Ian.
@PaulSmith-pl7fo 6 ай бұрын
Hi Ian. Schedules are *always* a movable feast. Do what you can, when you can. Don't rush things as this always leads to disaster! Good luck. I hope I have already wished you a happy New Year - if not, then...
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Hi Paul! Indeed! I think I'm looking at it as more of a "things to do at your leisure" list, but with an emphasis on the order in which things must be done! Have you ever known me to rush things? Lol! All the best, Ian.
@JamesPetts 6 ай бұрын
I approve of automation.
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Hi James! I approve that you approve! Cheers, Ian.
@Jkngauge 6 ай бұрын
Exciting plans can’t wait to see how it all comes together!!
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Thank you! Yes, I'm quite excited myself to see that for myself! Lol! Cheers, Ian.
@hayridgemodelrail4046 6 ай бұрын
Hi Ian, firstly Happy New Year and all the best for 2024, I like your plans for the year ahead and definitely looking forward to your work on the servos and blocks. It will be great to see trains running on shelfington. Keep up the good work. Allan
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year Allan! Thank you! There are definitely going to be some challenges ahead, but I'm quite looking forward to most of them! Hopefully I'll still have the test track for a few months, so trains will still be running until I've completed The Tricky Bit! All the best, Ian.
@piccadillymodelrailways 6 ай бұрын
Some exciting plans in store, itll be nice to see the track laid and trains running on the proposed layout. Im not expeienced with block detection, but if you get it from DCCtrain automation there is a chap there who will go out of his way to help you, inc random phone calls when you get stuck. You mention inclines and the surface on the WSc risers. You refer to cork and the Bachmann rubbery surface , both are great, but tend to be used to reduce noise when trains are running. After ising cork for years I honestly dont think it makes any difference, plus both are very expensive even when cut into strips to sit under the track. It is very important to keep the track flat and laterally level on the risers. If you use plaster bandage it wont be and can lead to annoying derailments. Id glue piece of strurdy card on top of the riser and 1/2 layers of papier mache ensuring the track bed remains flat. Clearly its all your choice Ive learnt the hard way and have to do some things again over the years.
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Hi John! I've previously had conversations with the guys at DCC Train Automation, and they've been very helpful in the past! I'll definitely be doing experiments on the inclines, but have already ruled out plaster bandage after Stephen's comment! I need to cover the risers so that ballast doesn't fall through the gaps, so a layer of paper or card, or even masking tape as someone suggested may do the trick! With all of my foam, the trains run quite quietly without cork, but that's not the reason for using it! Cork will be used as the track bed for the rest of the layout, as I need the track to be above the foam base to insert point rodding below the track! As always, thanks for your advice! All the best, Ian.
@thegrowler-blackwoodngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year Ian. Track laying - think I'll start taking bets on possibly the summer before the tricky bit is there in all its glory 😂. Oh so many experiments for you to get stuck into - which should be fun to watch. I'd agree with Mr Warner - cork isn't all it's cracked up to be. MOST OF Blackwood is laid straight on top of the ply baseboard. Without ballast it's noisy but once ballasted it isn't. I did lay the lower fiddle yard on cork and I can genuinely confirm the trains on the ballasted sections are no noisier or quieter than those on the cork underlay parts of the layout. As you are laying on foam then my take would be the foam would work as thought it was a cork underlay ? Anyway lots of fun for us to watch what you get up to over the next 12 months 😅. Cheers Euan
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year Euan! You reckon I'll have The Tricky Bit complete by summer? Hmm! I bet those are long odds! Lol! Yes, I'm looking forward to the experiments, but not so much the track laying, or more accurately, adding the point control, as that's what will take the time! To be honest, trains run much quieter on my foam base than on the plywood base, but I'm using cork as the track bed as I need the track to be above the foam base to insert point rodding below the track! Fingers crossed that this year Shelfington will really start to take shape! Cheers, Ian.
@philbrown3685 5 ай бұрын
Wow, you have set some targets Ian, I’m sure you will get there tho, looking forward to seeing the experiments, cheers mate. Phil
@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын
Hi Phil! Yeah, I think in retrospect I may have been a bit over ambitious considering how long it has taken me to get this far! Lol! There'll definitely be a lot of experimentation to come! All the best, Ian.
@Elvenhome 6 ай бұрын
AS ever you are approaching this in a logical way especially as you have quite a few things that need working out before you can permanently lay the track. On the woodland scenics risers for my branch line I covered them in plaster cloth, which with a bit of work I managed to get reasonably level. I did however add cork strips under each track to give a smoother bed for the track. It will be interesting to see what you decide. I think, if I were doing it again, I would not put bandage on the top (I might well need it to cover the sides) and I would put a single piece of cork on top (3/16" thick to give sufficient rigidity). Using the strips meant the track was too high above the plaster cloth base which required a lot of ballast (you might see that in the video out tomorrow where I get the train cam running up the branch line incline). Definitely worth experimenting before committing yourself. I will be interested to see the work with the arduino and how to work block detection. Should be a fun year following your progress. Stephen
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Thanks Stephen! I just can't help looking at things logically - it's the computer scientist in me! Lol! I remember watching you administer the plaster cloth to your branch line risers, and thought it was quite clever at the time! I'll definitely be experimenting with a few different methods, but maybe not with plaster cloth after your comment! I'm really looking forward to getting to grips with the Arduino stuff, as I'll be on more familiar ground, especially with the programming! Hopefully everything goes to plan! All the best, Ian.
@TheHeritageLine 6 ай бұрын
Hi Ian, you certainly have lots more tinkering to come! I have dabbled with opto sensors and have found that if you have a light source above them it can interfere with them but they can be fine tuned, for automation you could go the free route and use something like dcc++ex, rocrail or jmri this maybe enough to help you sort out servo control and block sensing, but I feel with the size of your layout you may be better investing in something like I-train. My thoughts are for now would be to wire up your blocks separately to a chock-bloc then wire that up to your bus that way you can easily wire in a current sensing device when the time comes. Their are quite a few N-gauge KZfaq channels that use/experimenting in automation, Woodthorp International (know as Collins N Gauge), Naive Gauge, Steel Parallel Lines and Flint Hills Model Railway - Geoff Hammond, whom I am sure would be willing to help pass on their experience from what they have learned. I noticed you was using a metal tube for your point rodding most modellers tend to use a plastic tube I suspect because you can add a slight curve in the tube if needed and also no lubrication needed. so maybe yet another experiment LOL! . Joe at Steel Parallel Lines uses servos with an arduino connected to I-trains and his controller is a z21 in your case it will be the dr5000 or the nce powercab so he might be worth a chat too. Hope this helps. All the best Tony.
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Hi Tony! Yes, exciting times ahead! I'm pretty sure I've already ruled out the optical sensors and will be going with current sensing! I'll be doing exactly as you suggested by wiring to something liek a Lever Nut connector then on to the DCC bus so I can add appropriate sensing devices later! I'd really like to write my own software to handle the automation, although I'll definitely be taking a look at JMRI just to see what's possible! I'd not thought of using a plastic tube for the point rodding casing, so will have to look into that, thanks! I follow all of the guys you mention, and actually met Geoff at GETS last year! Should really have asked more questions about automation! Lol! To be honest, I'm not sure I'll be sticking with the DR5000 or the Powercab, and have my eye on one of those new Bachmaan Kinesis systems at the moment! All the best, Ian.
@beckermet_railway 6 ай бұрын
Happy new year Ian If your goal is to achieve automatic circulation, pay attention to the number of sensors in each block. In my opinion, the more the better. On the first level of my layout, I already have 10 blocks for which I have placed 2 detection zones for each of them. It turns out that with the control software I chose, it would have been more effective to have 3 detection zones
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year! Multiple sensors per block is something I hadn't considered! If I go down the route of optical sensors then maybe I'd consider one at each end of the block, but with current sensing I was planning on having one per block, as I simply want to know whether the block is occupied or not! I'm planning on writing my own control software so I'm not tied to any one system, although I plan on taking a look at JMRI just to see what's currently available! What control software are you currently using? All the best, Ian.
@beckermet_railway 6 ай бұрын
@@iansngauge I'm using the free German Rocrail Software. At the beginning, I put a slow down (Enter) and a stopping zones (In) in each block. But with the big braking inertia of all my DCC BR locomotives, it was not enough. (I want to keep this nice braking behavior) It is preferable to add a third “Exit” type sensor.
@endoorrailway 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year to you too! As you were going through that I was starting to think it's a lot for 2024! After that description of The Tricky Bit, I suspect current sensing would be easier to set up than optical - I suspect getting the infrared emitters and sensors in exactly the right alignment at each end of each block would be very difficult, whereas insulated rail joiners for current sensors would be very little work, and there'd be little extra wiring depending on how frequent you were intending to have track power dropper wires in the first place Plenty of interesting things ahead - I look forward to seeing the videos :)
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year Jonathan! Yeah, I'm beginning to think it's a lot as I'm responding to these comments! Lol! I think you're right about current sensing being the way to go, especially for The Tricky Bit! The wiring seems to be simple if done that way, and all that is required is to add insulated fishplates then break into the dropper wires to insert a current sensor unit! I guess we'll find out at some point during the year!!! All the best, Ian.
@user-gk8gg1zt7l 6 ай бұрын
Very nice !
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Thank you! Cheers, Ian.
@ericpmdg44 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year. I would go with current sensing - the sleeper spacing in N is too close to be able to (easily) get IR emitter/receivers between (see Naive Gauge youtube for his efforts) . I've used the risers and tried a couple of things, and found that using thin, broad masking tape to cover the gaps, with the track bed (Woodland Scenic in my case) on top that worked best.
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year Eric! I think you're right regarding the current sensing, although I recently watching a video by Jonathan (Endoor) where he used IR sensors on a T Gauge layout, so you can definitely get sensors small enough! Masking tape for the base of the risers sounds like a great idea! My only concern would be how does it react to being soaked in glue / water from runoff from the track bed when ballasting? Cheers, Ian.
@AVMR66 6 ай бұрын
Happy new year Ian. I really like the idea of having a checklist for the year nice job. I’ll be doing my inclines soon so I’ll see how I structure it. Nat🚂
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year Nat! Thanks! I like to be organised, although I may not always show it on the channel! Lol! Looking forward to seeing how you do your inclines, and will follow along with interest! Cheers, Ian.
@colinnewmarch1106 6 ай бұрын
Happy New year Ian, wow so much work and thinking ,superb
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year Colin! Yes, I thought I'd be able to stop thinking when I left work! Lol! Hopefully it will lead to some good results though! Cheers, Ian.
@lynganddistrict 6 ай бұрын
Hi Ian - as others have pointed out it will be your decision alone that will determine how it progresses. When I started again I did not use plaster cloth over the top just on the sides and used cork on the top for the rails to sit on. The plaster is so hard to get completely flat. As for block detection I originally went with Digikeijs block detection as it offered 16 "sections" per unit and units can be ganged up so bought two to make 32 detectable "sections", but both are current sensing. I haven't got any where near testing them yet but I think I have covered what I need. One tip I found that I wired each individual track to a choc block using positive side, and then one wire from the choc block to the detector unit. The negative side was wired direct to the bus wire. This saved on wire and made sure each section of track received a good connection (apologies If you know this already). One final point is that I did read that Digikeijs have gone out of business -unless it was a vicious rumour. Regards Steve
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Hi Steve! I think you're right about not using the plaster cloth on top of the risers, and I started to have second thoughts after Stephen (Elvenhome) mentioned it, although like you, I'll probably use it down the side walls where appropriate! Also like you, I'm planning on wiring my track to intermediate connectors - probably Lever Nut type connectors - then on to the bus wire, so I can insert current sensing modules between them at a later date! I'm not sure how many I'll need, but will probably go with a couple to begin with! I would have gone with the Digikeijs sensors, but will probably now go with YaMoRC units, which as far as I'm aware are identical! I believe YaMoRC has rebranded the Digikeijs stock, as well as made improvements - and no it wasn't a rumour that they'd gone out of business! Cheers, Ian.
@FrankC321 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year Ian, channel is looking great! Suggestion for road bed is using that thick poster board material. Cut in 2 inch or so strips. It is straight and accept pins and so forth. Not to sure if it would be good for a permanent layout though.
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year Frank, and thanks very much! Using poster board is an interesting idea! I'll have to check it out! Thanks! All the best, Ian.
@exehavenharbour 6 ай бұрын
Hi Ian, well an interesting year ahead I think, loads of techy stuff for you to get your head round. As for the risers, i was thinking of covering mine either in cork which I have loads of or i have some 3mm mdf which will probably make them quite rigid and give the track a good flat surface to be set upon.either way it’s something I will be looking at this year. I remember writing myself a plan for the year which never worked for me as I never got any where near getting it done and I actually felt it put me under pressure!!! Now I just do what I think needs doing, like at the moment is laying track, which won’t be happening today as I will be busy tidying the garden after the recent high winds, taking the outside decorations down and putting the inside ones back in the loft! Which is actually on a list Mrs Exehaven has left 🤔🤣. Looking forward to whatever you have planned, Happy New Year, cheers, John
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year John! I think Interesting is about the right word to use to describe the next 12 months on Shelfington! Using MDF on the risers is an interesting idea, and would definitely be the option to go for to keep the track nice and flat! I don't think having a plan will put any more pressure on me, as long as I don't feel the need to have to complete everything! It's more of a "things to do at your leisure" list! It also serves as a reminder that things must be done in a certain order! Good luck with your non railway related chores! Gotta keep in Mrs Exehaven's good books! All the best, Ian.
@peterjackson-cheadleheath1182 6 ай бұрын
Hi Ian As others have said very interesting plans and challenges ahead, although your very thorough testing will sort out the wheat from the chaff and best to do all that before starting to lay track only to lift it up again....lol As for the Train automation, its something I would possibly like to do but like you say, it needs a lot of planning etc, although I would recommend James Hudson at DCC Train Automation (I think they are based down in Devon/Cornwall area), as Charlie Bishop (Chadwick Model Railway) has done his with help from James and there may be some good videos on how he did various things, might be worth a watch, good luck with it all. Thanks
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Hi Pete! Yes, I'm hoping that I can continue my (slow and ponderous, haha) testing regime so that when everything comes together, it will do so more easily! We shall see! I've talked with DCC Train Automation previously, and they seem a very helpful bunch, so will definitely seek out their advice when I get stuck - which is somewhat inevitable!! Lol! Thanks for the good luck, I'm going to need it! All the best, Ian.
@edsutherland8266 6 ай бұрын
If you were doing OO gauge, it would be easy enough to do block detection, as you can now buy resistor wheel sets pre-made in OO. That way you just put in insulated fishplates all over the place, with a detector on each. Unfortunately, I’m not aware of anyone doing them in N gauge yet.
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Hi Ed! Yeah, this is the way I'm leaning, although like you say, there don't seem to be any pre-made resistor wheelsets on the market for N gauge! I think they'd be easy enough to make though - at least trying to make them would make another good experiment! The other option would be to just use the loco, but have an accurate measurement of the train and the block, so you could determine which blocks were occupied! Cheers, Ian.
@edsutherland8266 6 ай бұрын
@@iansngauge I’ve had a quick look, and aside from an American bunch, can’t see any pre-made. It’s a shame, because the resistance based block detection seems a lot safer/less prone to failure than the break-beam types. I’ve watched a few videos of the resistor fitting, and if you’ve got steady hands it looks doable. Fingers crossed someone will release some pre-made ones on the UK market in future. I think that DCC Concepts have now started doing OO gauge ones, so fingers crossed!
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
@@edsutherland8266 - Thanks Ed! I had a quick look myself and probably came across the same American bunch that you did! Yes, DCC Concepts are usually pretty good at releasing things across the different scales, so I"ll keep my fingers crossed too! Cheers, Ian.
@clivengauge 6 ай бұрын
Hi Ian happy New year to you to it looks like you are going to be very busy this year hope you have lots of time to do all that 👍
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year Clive! I need something to keep me busy having now effectively retired! Cheers, Ian.
@tonyshield5368 6 ай бұрын
Like the plan and goals for the year. For automatic operation a lot of accurate location data is required by the controller to trigger events such as speed control. Signals and points can also be triggered by location event. As the controller requires data from the arduino's controlling local areas of points, sensors and signals - plus feed back that points have switched - then I fail to see how DCC can provide this two way data; I would be thinking CMRI over wifi or RS485 (see Little Wicket). Using block detection from DCC isolated blocks is not flexible, needs a lot of blocks and thus wiring and still needs a method to tell the controller that a train is in block. My tuppence worth is to use opto- detectors either lineside or in the track connected to the arduinos which send the data back to the controller. Micro-switches connected to the rodding can confirm movement of the points - straight to the arduino - which in turn provides local interlocking and a confirmation to the controller that the points have switched (and signals set apropriately). One arduino can control a lot of local (to it) infrastructure but beware of using long lengths of I2C comms (more than 12 inches) - that is what RS485 is for.
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Hi Tony! The ultimate goal is for automatic operation, and block detection is only a small part of that, basically so I can tell if blocks are occupied or not! I'm moving away from IR detection below the track, as they're difficult to align in N gauge, and if they fail, the track would need to be taken up to replace them! I'll look into line-side detectors later as they can be added without needing to take up the track! Thanks for the advice though, I'll definitely be taking a look at different communication protocols and interfaces as the project progresses! All the best, Ian.
@markburton3306 5 ай бұрын
I wonder if you could use a visual block occupancy solution. A camera and raspberry pi can detect objects. It would require some experiments
@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын
Hi Mark! That's an interesting idea! The computer scientist in me likes the idea of performing object recognition to sort out locos from wagons, and identify switch positions! Maybe something for the future though, otherwise I'll never get around to laying any track! Lol! All the best, Ian.
@ngaugefouroaksstreetstatio6932 6 ай бұрын
Happy new year Ian, i will be very interested in the block detection side as that may be a consideration down the track as they say. Just on the woodland scenic risers it looks like they are designed for a double track, can they be trimmed for a single track once installed? Also in regards to Cork I realised that once ballasted the cork does not really help with noise suppression but i think helps the look in regards to the ballast shoulder etc. As always looking forward to your experiments and i'm sure slowly but surely you are narrowing down all the options that will work together.
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year Chris! Yes, I'm also interested to know more about block detection - like what devices are available, and whether they play well with different controllers! I'm not sure whether they are double track or not! I hope they are as it will mean only having to use one for each descent! I'm not sure that trimming them would be a good idea, as they'd lose some stability! My foam base does a terrific job of keeping the noise levels down, however, the reason I'm going to use cork as a trackbed for the rest of the layout is that I need the track to be above the foam base to insert point rodding below the track! Yes, you're right, I seem to be homing in on some sort of solution for different aspects of the build, so hopefully there'll be a big leap forward in progress this year! All the best, Ian.
@DMCRailways 6 ай бұрын
That sounds like another exiting year ahead, I am very much looking forward to see what you do for block detection... with mine (as a stop gap) I'm planning more blocks than I need with insulated fishplates in-between rails, and dropper wires to each.... then park it there as the current detection stuff is expensive and just wire the droppers to the main bus, then I can play trains. Also I was wanting to do active powered blocks and possition detection (in dc only) using latching magnetic Reed switches below the track and it showing on a mimic board the exact position and occupancy... but then I remembered its N gauge and now I'm not too sure... I await your findings. Also, are you a member of any model railway clubs? When I'd visited the open day at the Billingham model railway club last year I'm not sure if I heard a similar voice whilst I was there. :) I'm looking to maybe join a club for the social interaction but equally unsure.
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Yes, I'm really looking forward to 2024, and making some real progress with the build! I think I've already decided that I'll be using current sensing devices, so will be doing something similar to yourself, by running the dropper wires through lever nut connectors to the DCC bus! This will allow me to easily add current sensors later while still having the ability to play trains! I'm not sure that I need position detection, but if I did, I'd see what RFID could do for me! No, I'm not currently a member of any model railway clubs, and I haven't been back to the North East in over five years - although there are quite a few people up there who have a similar accent to myself - you probably included! Lol! All the best, Ian.
@DMCRailways 5 ай бұрын
@@iansngauge sorry it's taken me ages to reply, I've had a lot of engravings to work on. ah that's fair enough, its good to know I'm along the right track then with the multiple droppers on isolated sections for the current sensing. I'm just trying to be able to have my cake of the fun parts of planning and building a railway, but be able to eat the cake too by adding all the technical stuff at a later date. The videos you produce and all of the testing and insight is defiantly helping with that. best regards, David.
@user-zc6ld2qo6b 5 ай бұрын
Hi Ian still awaiting my invite ha ha what's the benefit of servos over conventional point motors ??
@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын
Hi Jules! Haha! Well, the micro servo motors are much cheaper for a start - especially when compared to servo motors such as the Tortoise slow motion and Cobalt motors! They're also more versatile than solenoid motors, which either need to be fitted below the track or directly beside it, which can cause issues if they need to be replaced! Cheers, Ian.
@keithneal7927 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year love the videos, I like you, do test fits and checks before making a final decision on how I’m going to do something on my layout. That’s why my layout is only slightly more advanced than yours. I’ve gone down the block detection route as being an retired signal engineer there was no other option. After much testing I have started to install the Mega Points Controller S2 cards and block detectors, I’ll send you a photo of the wiring of my station area. Thanks again for the videos
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year Keith! Thank you! I wouldn't dare do anything without testing first - it's the software engineer in me showing through! Lol! I think I'm going to take a look at the newer Magapoints S2 cards too, when funds allow! I'm not sure how they differ from the earlier cards at the moment, but I guess I'll find out! All the best, Ian.
@keithneal7927 6 ай бұрын
@@iansngauge I went for the S2 version as it is Wi-Fi capable so it can be setup to use MQTT to control your points etc. which means it can be used with JMRI and other controlling system, and it’s easy to test. Keith
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
@@keithneal7927 - Ah, okay, thanks for the info! I purchased one of their DCC modules, so I can control them that way! Cheers, Ian.
@Wickford_N_Gauge 6 ай бұрын
Greetings, Shelfington, and hello Ian 👋 lots of great tips from the "Community" already 😇 My only advice 🤔 would be to work back from the "software" you intend to control the layout from ie JMRI, I Train, Train Controller 🫡 Join their support group and see what works best with that particular package 📦 no point in reinventing the wheel 🎡 I also agree DCC Train Automation are fantastic people for advice on all things digital control 👍 Looking forward to more track tickling 😳 Very best wishes from the Emerald Isle ☘️
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Good morning Paul, and hello Wickford! Yes, the community has "done good", and made some fantastic suggestions! To be honest, I'm all about wheel reinvention! Lol! I intend to take a look at JMRI to see what can be done, but being a software engineer, would like to put my own spin on things as I'm rarely happy with other people's software! Lol! Yes, the guys at DCC Train Automation are great, as they've helped me in the past! All the best, Ian.
@ssearby 6 ай бұрын
Ian Happy New Year. Sorry I can't offer you any advice on block detection - much too complex for my small brain! I do note that your running shots show the dapol pannier pulling backwards autocoach style. Is this because you have had problems tthe rear coupling?
@iansngauge 6 ай бұрын
Happy New Year to you too! Haha! Yes, block detection is turning out to be a tricky thing to fathom out! I actually took the video of the pannier tank while I was running it in, and have video of it pulling the coach in both directions! There doesn't appear to be a problem with the rear coupling, although Dapol have a track record of setting their couplings a little lower than most, so I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't stay coupled with some of my other stock! I'm assuming you're having problems with yours? If that's the case I'd suggest using Hunt (West Hill Wagon Works) or Easi-fit (Dapol) magnetic couplings or similar to avoid the problem! All the best, Ian.
@ssearby 6 ай бұрын
@@iansngauge yes the rear coupling on my pannier tank sits too low I'm looking at replacing so thanks for the advice
МИЛАНА ТУТ 👀
Рет қаралды 7 МЛН
The Derbyshire Dale's Model Railway
Рет қаралды 2,3 М.