Newport & Rock Falls: Another Retro Micro-Layout

[Van Horne]

Awesome!!

Dave

[jpec]

That is wicked cool...excellent job!

[DKS]

Thanks, guys! Full build article here: http://davidksmith.com/modeling/layouts/NewportRockFalls/nrf2-2-15.htm

[alhoop]

David:
Very smooth operation - like Lee- I want one of those drives.
Can you elaborate on that blue box. Battery box? RC substitution box or/and?
Thanks
Al

[DKS]

Can you elaborate on that blue box. Battery box? RC substitution box or/and?

http://davidksmith.com/modeling/project-3.htm

[DKS]

One thing I neglected to say about these drives... they can't be used for this sort of animation project "straight out of the box." The potentiometer has stops that prevent it from rotating continuously 360 degrees. You need to dismantle the main gear case assembly, remove the pot, tear its guts out, then reassemble everything. This requires carefully bending about a dozen small metal tabs, cutting the pot board in half to extract it, etc. Not really difficult--takes maybe 10-15 minutes--but it does require care. However, if your animation project does not require 360 degrees of continuous rotation, it's probably fine as-is.

[peteski]

Very nice (and slow)!  You are probably running the motor at a reduced voltage (the volume pots run a bit faster).

[DKS]

Very nice (and slow)!  You are probably running the motor at a reduced voltage (the volume pots run a bit faster).

Yes, 1.5 volts.

[Chris333]

I have that bridge kit...now how do I fit it into a mini layout 

[wm3798]

I've extracted my copy(s) of the lift bridge kit ... there's one unbuilt in the box and one that looks like it was built up then smashed by N scale Godzilla.. and it looks like this could be finessed into a double bridge for a TTrak module...  It would be fun to rig it up with the Kato sensor kit to have it in the up position then automatically lower when a train approaches.  Might make the operators of a large TTrak layout a bit edgy, but wouldn't that add a bit to the fun?

The trick would be to have the mechanism speed set to provide for adequate time to close the draw "just in time" and arrange for functional sensors operating in both directions.  You wouldn't want the bridge to lift after the westbound clears if the eastbound is still on the draw...

Lee

[DKS]

I'd definitely rig it so that if the bridge was open, even slightly, it killed track power within a foot or so in both directions.

[CRL]

...unless you wanted to see how far you could throw a railcar.

[wm3798]

I'd definitely rig it so that if the bridge was open, even slightly, it killed track power within a foot or so in both directions.

That would definitely be a requirement.  It should be pretty simple, with some sort of contact switch that closes the track circuit when the bridge is down.

[peteski]

Keep in mind that Kato passenger cars (and probably cars from other manufacturers) have metal strips in the floor, electrically bridging the front and rear trucks, so they can act as shunts going through the gap, keeping a passenger train running.  If the loco's flywheels get it to coast far enough to have the first car's front truck to roll over the gap, it will get an infusion of power and keep on running.

[wm3798]

I think the obvious solution there is to kill one rail for the entire length of two modules, and perhaps the other rail for one or two car lengths.  In case of a malfunction, put in a manual override that locks the bridge closed and the track circuit on so you can use the module in the event of a hiccup.