Some NER Mile Posts and Gradient Posts added to the Product / Price list.
REMEMBER to CLICK on the image for and ENLARGED version!
Friday, 31 October 2008
Addition To Price List
Some NER Mile Posts and Gradient Posts added to the Product / Price list.
REMEMBER to CLICK on the image for and ENLARGED version!
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Have a break NOT a Kit Kat moment!
It's some 28 years since the original ('N' gauge) Fence Houses crew experienced the first 'Kit Kat' moment.
After a track laying session it was found we had a short circuit. Various tests failed to reveal the wiring fault, so we set about stripping out some of the sections and rewiring them.
Only after some hours did we find the cause. A foil wrapper from an earlier Kit Kat snack had been left lying on the track unnoticed!
Anything that has since happened, remotely resembling the above fiasco, has since been known as a Kit Kat moment (a bit like 'The dead penguin" story, but that's another NE group tale).
Last Thursday I had another Kit Kat moment.
Les had encouraged me to have a break from the Black five project for a few hours, and have a go at chipping my first DCC loco. We would then have something to control with my brand new Ecos ESU command station, as we'd already wired up the first few layout boards for DCC. For the test however, I thought I'd use an old short length test track I had handy.
Well the decoder was temporarily installed on the loco, with the wires left long till I was sure I'd wired it up correctly (it was my first after all).
With the loco in place on the track we turned on the power to program it. No response from the loco, nothing.
Head scratching and some humming and erring followed, but to no avail, till I looked at the terminals I had hooked the controller up to.
KIT KAT! I'd only connected them to a defunct set of screw heads that had once been used for the wires on an uncoupling magnet!
Once the wires were connected to the track terminals it actually worked!
So, 28 years on and we're still having (though more high tech) fun!
Well anyway, the 9F is now chipped and working. the first of the few, with more to follow.......... after the Black 5 gets finished that is!
Bob.
After a track laying session it was found we had a short circuit. Various tests failed to reveal the wiring fault, so we set about stripping out some of the sections and rewiring them.
Only after some hours did we find the cause. A foil wrapper from an earlier Kit Kat snack had been left lying on the track unnoticed!
Anything that has since happened, remotely resembling the above fiasco, has since been known as a Kit Kat moment (a bit like 'The dead penguin" story, but that's another NE group tale).
Last Thursday I had another Kit Kat moment.
Les had encouraged me to have a break from the Black five project for a few hours, and have a go at chipping my first DCC loco. We would then have something to control with my brand new Ecos ESU command station, as we'd already wired up the first few layout boards for DCC. For the test however, I thought I'd use an old short length test track I had handy.
Well the decoder was temporarily installed on the loco, with the wires left long till I was sure I'd wired it up correctly (it was my first after all).
With the loco in place on the track we turned on the power to program it. No response from the loco, nothing.
Head scratching and some humming and erring followed, but to no avail, till I looked at the terminals I had hooked the controller up to.
KIT KAT! I'd only connected them to a defunct set of screw heads that had once been used for the wires on an uncoupling magnet!
Once the wires were connected to the track terminals it actually worked!
So, 28 years on and we're still having (though more high tech) fun!
Well anyway, the 9F is now chipped and working. the first of the few, with more to follow.......... after the Black 5 gets finished that is!
Bob.
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Even more Easitrac
It's been a while since my last posting on this blog, but here we are, caught in the act on our fairly regular Thursday get together, Mick, David, Simon, Les and yours truly.
Actually Mick just dropped by to check how we were getting on with the bulk order of Easitrac just collected from him.
We spent some 13 man hours today cutting rail, marking the top for the correct way up (!) and filing the lead end of the rail to ensure an easy passage through the chairs.
The result is 8.5 metre length in total track made, some of which can be seen in the photo. This has still to be laid, and consideration is also being given to the best way of fitting the dropper wires for electrical contact to the under board bus-bars. Probably I'll be using some of the thousands of copper clad sleepers I have with etched chairs already fitted. Might as well use them up somehow!
As I've now finally decided to go the DCC route, we plan to complete one board at a time, learning as we go, and no doubt calling on all and sundry for advice and assistance!
Thanks for viewing.
Saturday, 15 March 2008
TYPICAL INSTRUCTION PAGE
This C10 turnout instruction page gives the lowdown to The Fence Houses Turnout trackwork System.
Acknowledgement to Edward Sissling for the original etching idea.
PENSHAW NORTH JUNCTION (FENCE HOUSES)
Pictures of some progress at Fence Houses (actually about 1.5 mile north of the station, at the two double junctions just prior to the approach to Victoria viaduct).
The trackwork is made using the Foundry's etched chairplate system (see price list).
I'm awaiting some etched tiebars at present. How do you use etched tiebars without shorting the electrics? Ah well....... wait and see till after I fit them!
Thursday, 31 January 2008
IN THE BEGINNING
Well the beginning of this blog, but I'm starting with the latest development in terms of kit production. The Mighty 9F.
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