Free-moNebraska

[peteski]

Is there a single copper sided version of the product that you have found?

Yes, they sometimes carry single sides thin copper clad, but since they are a surplus dealer, the supply is not consistent. I've been a customer for decades, and was lucky o stock up when those were available.

But if you google "single sided copper clad" or  just "copper clad" you should be able to find some sources online (although they will be more pricey).
BTW, I saw your email - I will look into  that in a bit.

[Philip H]

I left the brass gates intact, filed off the dummy lights, and soldered one terminal of SMD LEDs directly to the arm. Then I soldered ultra-fine solenoid wire to the other terminals on the LEDs, and glued the wire to the back of the arm.



BTW, those are 0402s. I made these back around 1998, long before 0201s existed. And the flashing lights were scratchbuilt.

Dear God man would you let some of the rest of us catch up? That's exquisite.

[narrowminded]

Is there a single copper sided version of the product that you have found?

John, I have some .007" single side and .008"- .010"- and .020" double sided. 

If you need a piece for a project, PM me.

[C855B]

Not a lot of progress to show, but a start:



The new arm in progress was X-Acto cut 0.030" from a sheet of 2-side 0.010" PCB. What you don't see on the reverse side are cuts in the copper to divide the foil into three circuits. LEDs are Kingbright 0204 "ultra thin" (0.008"). Right now they're just stuck to the PCB with CA while I meditate on soldering to the strip.

Thoughts so far... 0.010" PCB material is a little thin, at 1.4 scale inches. And fragile. 0.015" would be better (if it exists), 0.020" is probably the better path. 0201 LEDs would be overkill, as IMO the 0204 size on its side like above is close enough to scale. I would not want to work with 0201, although in theory they could be laid flat across the top of an 0.020" PCB strip as discussed previously. The NJI gate arm is 0.025" x 0.040".

Obviously nowhere near David's artistry. However, the basic NJI cabinet is the prototype (Griswold) I'm needing, so if I can get a process down for doing a few of these for retrofitting I'll be happy.

Era trivia: anticipating painting I was researching when the cutoff was between black & white and red & white safety stripes. Definitive answer is "1971", with phase-in thru 1974. There is a published standards reference for traffic engineers, Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices ("MUTCD", or mutt-sid), and the 1971 edition is the initial mandate for red & white, replacing black & white specified in the 1961 and earlier MUTCDs.

The 1971 MUTCD made many major changes in road signage and markings. That's when dashed-yellow center stripes replaced dashed-white on two-lane roads, and highway destination signs and freeway exit signs changed from a state-to-state hodge-podge of color combos to the uniform white on green we now take for granted, among other sign standardizations.

[peteski]

Mike,
IMO, it might make sense to start a separate thread on your RR crossing gates project.

I looked at my stash and I have some single-sided 0.017" and double-sided 0.025", 0.028" and 0.032: copper clad PC boards. I also have a shear so I should be able to cut thin strips.  Which thickness would you like and wide do you want the strips?  I can cut few strips and send them to you.

Here is another surplus source of copper clad in the thicknesses you want (the Electronic Goldmine only seems to have the very thin stuff for now).
https://www.circuitspecialists.com/printed-circuit-board-supplies-printed-circuit-boards
Google search for copper clad board seems to show that some are available on Amazon ans eBay, but I haven't followed any links. They might all be the standard 1/16" thickness.

[C855B]

The 0.010" was from eBay. Agreed on the thread, but since there was no break in thought continuity, I put it here.

Let me see where I end up with this before we chop-up more material.

[Mark W]

Here's a couple scenes that will get a major upgrade once we figure out illuminated crossing arms!  I also found a great mechanism to get them animated again!


https://i.imgur.com/DVRJe9a.jpg




https://i.imgur.com/OxJjRzR.jpg



https://i.imgur.com/CKn0rGO.jpg



https://i.imgur.com/PORC4zO.jpg

[Mark W]

Here's a few more from the weekend.


A Blade Train heads west out of Hobson Yard. 


https://i.imgur.com/pUTJ1pa.jpg


Passing a few stubborn corn stocks in a field of beans.


https://i.imgur.com/GNLOMIY.jpg


Over in Marsland, looks like the circus is coming to town!


https://i.imgur.com/Jl15upx.jpg


Here's a shot I wish I brought my DSLR for.  I really love this scene!


https://i.imgur.com/x74if81.jpg

[wazzou]

You'd better hire a foundation specialist for that leaning tower of Marsland. 
Really nice scenes Mark.  Well done.

[Mark W]

Got the wye modules set up in the basement and more importantly found some free time to get some work done! 
I plan to re-work the 1st Street crossing a little, and finally complete the Rosa Parks Way overpass. 

Here's the google street view.


https://i.imgur.com/S7EfmrY.jpg


And here's the current model. Today I started small by getting that old tree stump dressed up!


https://i.imgur.com/heV8kuL.jpg



https://i.imgur.com/OEbGE6V.jpg

[DeltaBravo]

That tree trunk is looking really good.

[peteski]

https://i.imgur.com/OEbGE6V.jpg

This is N scale, right? Or or is this another Photshopped Markfoolery? I'm not falling for that again. 

But seriously, the stump looks great.  Is this a small piece of a root, or is it an actual piece of a very fine tree or bush branch?  I have observed that small 1:1 roots (not branches) make great looking N scale tree trunks.  I guess because 1:1 roots have much finer branch structure than actual tree branches.

[Mark W]

No Markfoolery this time.   

The stump is from a Woodland Scenics bag.  I believe it's sagebrush. 


Unfortunately, the more I look at the street view, the more I'm considering re-working that bike path to actually put in that little tunnel under the tracks.
Doing so would mean I have to re-grade that whole lot about 1/2-3/4 of an inch down. 

[peteski]

Doing so would mean I have to re-grade that whole lot about 1/2-3/4 of an inch down.

But the stump can be saved and replanted elsewhere. 

[Mark W]

Well that goes without saying.