Amoskeag Northern - Simonds Industrial Branch

[Pomperaugrr]

Ian, That looks great.  You are making serious progress. 

One request, when you get a chance, can you post a few photos of how you are currently mounting your servos and the linkage set up from under the layout.  I really need to get moving and install the 50 that I have.  I have some of the mounting brackets, but I am debating about the best way to set these up.  I had seen your older servo video, but a few new close up shots would be awesome and a huge help for me.  Are you using only DCC to control them or the push buttons as well?

Eric

[wazzou]

Also, to add to Eric's request.  Give us some pulled back shots to get a sense of things in that setting.

[Dave Schneider]

Looks great Ian. I like the look of the grass intruding on the right-of-way. Any thoughts to burying the ties deeper so that they are barely visible? I would like the do that with my Beer Line, and would love to have someone else figure out the best way to do it!

Again, great progress.

Best wishes, Dave

[Ian MacMillan]

Here is a video I made 2 years ago when I first started using them on the Amoskeag Northern. Included awkward talking to camera!!!!!!  I am pretty much using the same set up except that I now have a plywood subroadbed and I have screwed the mounts to that. You also need to make sure to add the mounting screw for the servo to keep it from moving in the mount as you can see in the video.

I'm sure I can get some more wide shots 

Dave, yes I am working on covering the ties in some areas, right up to the railheads. On the east end of the layout there is a C&D recycler that has the dirt filling both sides of the rail, with the dirt between the rails just low enough to keep the flanges clear from riding on it.

[GaryHinshaw]

Damn fine work - and a very timely bit on the servos (even if it is 2 years old).

-gfh

[Ian MacMillan]

Updated track plan thanks to DKS.

[Ian MacMillan]

I had seen your older servo video, but a few new close up shots would be awesome and a huge help for me.  Are you using only DCC to control them or the push buttons as well?

Eric

Eric,
I can get you some more shots as well.

I am using push buttons as well as the DCC. I removed the LEDs from the boards, and attached leads to the 3mm LED's I have on my custom panel. Here I also have have the "remote" push buttons set up. All of the "square hole" leads are connected to a keyed security switch, and then that goes out to the push buttons on my panel. This is set up so that a key has to be inserted and turned on in order for the push buttons to work. That way there are no accidental pushings by the public.

When I replaced the LEDs these things are damn bright. I used 3mm water clear LEDs and they are blinding compared to the LEDs that came on the servo board.

I think on future purchases I may buy the "kit" version to save on some cash since I'm making my own mods anyway. But I am also looking at the quad servo decoder as most of my turnouts are all clustered together on this layout.

[Pomperaugrr]

Thanks Ian.  That would be helpful, if you get a chance.

 I ordered my singlets without the LEDs installed, as I plan to use 3mm bi-color LEDs in the fascia with a single push button.  Duncan built the singlets so that the two push buttons are on the opposite side of the board from how the singlet is normally sold, allowing it to be mounted flush to the benchwork with wires running to the fascia for the LEDs and the single NO momentary contact push button. 

Eric

[Ian MacMillan]

Thanks Ian.  That would be helpful, if you get a chance.

 I ordered my singlets without the LEDs installed, as I plan to use 3mm bi-color LEDs in the fascia with a single push button.  Duncan built the singlets so that the two push buttons are on the opposite side of the board from how the singlet is normally sold, allowing it to be mounted flush to the benchwork with wires running to the fascia for the LEDs and the single NO momentary contact push button. 

Eric

Thats how I should have ordered mine as for each one I have to swap the push buttons, and the blue power socket to the other side. Kind of a PITA, but my own fault.

[wazzou]

Ian -
Is the dashed looking track abandoned?  That layout should provide hours of switching goodness.

[DKS]

Is the dashed looking track abandoned?

Affirmative.

[Ian MacMillan]

I was able to get a bunch of wiring housekeeping items done over the last few weeks, but in other places I was not able to get as much done as I had wanted. I ended up wasting 2 weeks F'ing around with the west control panel. It was a pain in the a$$ from day one, and for the life of me I was having problems getting epoxy to bond or harden. I used a few different ones with similar results and I have no clue what was happening as I've never experienced this before  must have just been a bad week!

So I went back to plan A, which was a track chart only panel with no LEDs or push buttons. This will only really be an issue if I want to use my UT throttles, but I made a mount on the fascia to hold my tablet so that I can run JMRI with wiThrottle and can just touch the screen to throw the points. All but 2 turnouts are visible to the operator, so not having a lit panel is not the end of the world.

An order of structures came in today which will help to give the layout a little more populated look for the train show in two weeks. Still a long way from making it the brick canyons, but its on the way there.

[wendell camp]

Ian what train show are you going to Thanks Wendell

[Ian MacMillan]

Show

Sanford, ME
Sanford Jr High Gym - April 14th - Saturday

This years list of shows:
http://www.amoskeagnorthern.com/simonds-industrial-branch-show-schedule/

I figured I'd start out at a show that I know since I have had the Cotton Valley booth there for several years.  I have a few more shows that I am adding for this year. Looks to be 4 total so far. All but 1 are in NH, and then next year I will hit some in Northeastern MA.

And with the show coming along I have spent the last few days building a "box" that allows both sections of the layout to be slid in, one on top of the other, and then loaded into the back of my truck. I don't have a box trailer yet, so I need to keep the layout protected in transport.

Some other structures arrived this week, including the HO Walthers Corn Unloading/Storage buildings that I had seen Eric use on his layout. MAN is that building huge. Where I had thought I was going to use the whole thing, I ended up having to use only half of the kit... allowing me to use the other half on another building that I had started constructing.

[wazzou]

I don't believe anything you type anymore.