Model Railway Forum

Morning all,

Just thought I’d post an update on my current project. For those who don’t know, I’m currently designing a shelf layout in my room which is 10 ft x 1 ft. Yesterday was spent constructing the platform which was built with balsa wood and plasticard. The edging was also balsa which I later painted white and scored using a blade. In the photos below it does seem to be slightly too high, but this is just because I haven’t put the track onto cork yet. At the far end of the layout will be a two track engine shed and small siding allowing for locos to run around. At the other end will be a tunnel which will lead to a small fiddle yard made up of 3 roads capable of housing a terrier and single carriage on one, my c class and two carriages on another, and a large engine running light engine on the other.

I’ve got a few ideas scenic wise, but I don’t want it to feel too cluttered. I’m planning on a signal box to the left of the platform with some working semaphore signals and hopefully some point rodding. I’m using the new peco bullhead rail with riveted fishplates, which I have to say, looks very nice indeed.

I’ve attached a few photos below for you all and I’ll try and keep you posted weekly.

That backscene is lovely, look forward to seeing this progress.

That's one smart looking train.

I thought I'd upload a closeup image of the new bullhead track plus one of my 7F which I'm hoping to fit a dcc sound chip in, in the near future. Unfortunately, this isn't a cheap hobby and I'm still pulling funds together for a DCC controller.

Hey guys,

Just a quick update. Have spent the afternoon painting the platform for what will be a country halt. Had a chat with the guy in my local model shop, who I’ve got advice from since I was about 6. Settled for 3 shades of grey, the lightest of which was used for the edges, the medium was used for the concrete paving on top. The darkest was used to go over the concrete paving to get a little texture and weather the edges.

I’ve included a few pics below, so feel free to comment.

Chris

Dcc isn't cheap, but as you have a small lyout with just a couple of locos it shouldn't cost too much. Find out what you need your DCC controller to do. If you want sound, then a controller with many functions is best. If you are not into sound you can get a really good controller for not a lot of money secondhand which would well suite your needs. Even an old three function conteoller like the Lenz Compact can control sound but only one or two sounds on the sound decoder.... (So if a friend visits with a sound decoder the loco will run fine, but you may only be able to access two sounds sounds like the engine noise and the horn (Depending how the decoder was programmed). The other sounds will nor be available).
I use the Lenz Compact as an example as it is a simple older controller, but it still does more then people really need where really only DCC sound is out of reach. It can control more points then even large layouts have and it either had 100 loco addresses or 126 loco addresses depending on the version. (Was upgraded to 126 before they stopped mking them). I mention this controller as I have seen them go for sale at real bargain prices, as many DCCers upgrade to controllers that can access all the sound functions. The Compact (With a Lenz Compact slave link wire) can even be programmed to use as a slave controller to a more advanced Lenz or Roco DCC system, (E.g. Lenz sets 01, 02, 90 or 100 which even though Lenz has advanced from there, they still pack a punch in the DCC world).
New controllers... Best to ask some in here as there are a few newer makes out there which I have never tried. I would generally avoid DCC controllers that ate the ones sold in trainsets and here is why. You may as well buy the whole trainset as it is more cost effective (Think of it this way. You get the trains and track for a only a little bit more then the cost of the controller!), and they are usually basic. However there is one advantage to basic with DCC. They tend to be very simple to use. DCC can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it.
Whichever controller you end up with enjoy it!

Thanks for the info mountain goat. I've searched around and it seems a possible option, is the gaugemaster dcc75 tech 6 controller. Relative to other controllers I've seen, it's quite cheap being around £100 to £115. It also allows sound fitted locos to operate on a DC layout which I like, as it has the option to switch from DCC to analogue. I could use this on another layout I have which is completely DC. Although I think that's a discussion for another thread.

I'm also looking into ways I can operate points and yet to be installed signals, without using the 'hand of god' method. I've looked into DCCconcepts and they've created fully operational point rodding which when weathered up would look brilliant. While trawling through the net, I came across a YouTube video showing slow moving semaphore signals, which also bounce as they come down and they look superb. I don't know if there are controllers which will allow me to operate all these, I'm suspecting there are. Along with these I'm planning on constructing an inspection pit/ash pit, for each siding road into the 2 lane engine shed, similar to the one at my local railway where I volunteer- although the one at the railway is curved which I think is quite a rare thing to see.

The next thing to do is finalise the track layout, get some cork down, and figure out how to build the scale 5 foot deep ash/inspection pits.

As I'm writing this, it's now become apparent I've got quite a big 'to do' list, but hey, model railways are never finished.

Operating points... Best with solenoids via the tag and probe method. You may need a seperte transformer. You can also use manual control via bicycle spokes. I have lots of spokes spare should you need any. Also the wire in tube method... or even the fishing line with little wheels and springs method.

When you mention thw same controller does DC, is this the same as my Lenz which can control a single DC locomotive on address 00 as if it was a DCC locomotive? The practice is not recommended for modern motors with finer coils. The DCC signal vibrates through the coils of the motor and in rare casss can damage the insulation round the coils causing a short. When they first made controllers with this feature, most of us were using locos from the likes of the old Hornby ringfield motors or Lima's Pancake motors which are both fairly robust motors even if they are not as refined as one may like. Those motors could take some battering, and could generally handle pushing a DCC signal through them. The older Triang motors were even moee robust. However, though I have not had any issues myself, some modern motors may have had issues as the general advice today is best not to.
I have used the feature myself (Generally before I found that it was a concern) without any issues and the fella from Mackays Models said he had run DC locos for thousands of hours without any issues. Having said that, is it worth the risk?
The Gaugemaster does seem an ideal controller. When I was looking into DCC I phoned Gaugemaster up and asked if they had plans to sell DCC. They said there were no plans whatsoever and they would not be selling DCC. About a month or two later and they started up their range of DCC controllers and equipment, so did my phonecall give them ideas? Who knows! By then I already had my Lenz Compact to try out DCC, and it was more logical for me to stay with Lenz as the Compact (Entry level controller) was used as a slave when I purchased the set 01.

From what was shown it was a simple case of hitting a button on the controller which enabled you to switch from DC to DCC, as long as a DC loco was on an isolated section of track when the controller was set to DCC, and vice versa. I've got the link here if you want to check it out.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gubQP9RYhuM

Personally, it would work for my layout as it only operates 1 loco at a time, but if you have a larger DCC layout then it wouldn't be as useful. You would need to reset all DCC locos to address 03. From the looks of it, it's designed primarily to allow for DCC sound locos to run on small layouts.

For the points, I could link up the rodding to a lever frame inside an open roofed signal box. There are plenty of options for me to look at while I sort out other little jobs on the layout.

I'm sure it can be done with other makes, but I use DCC Concepts Cobalt iP slow action point motors. You can wire a Dapol signal into the point terminals so that the signal operates with the point.