Dublingham Goods Station

[76043]

bit of a mixture of old and new but for someone like me who has always wanted to tinker with the raspberry.

Thanks Mick, I know it's all a bit topsy turvy weird, with all this Dublo lark, looking back on my 2mm days I would never have thought I would end up here! I do have the stock for a 7mm shunting plank to do at some point, so maybe sense will prevail.

I haven't done anything special with the Pi, just downloaded NOOBS and installed it, created a PDF and running with a PowerPoint clicker, really basic stuff. The main Raspberry Pi website tells you how to do that stuff, link below.

NOOBS - Raspberry Pi Documentation

Tony

 

[Simpas]

Thanks Tony, I've just had look and it seems straightforward enough even though there are some terms used that mean nothing to me at this stage, but that's no excuse for having a go. In for a penny as they say, a project for post Railex perhaps.

Mick S.

 

[76043]

Need to crack on with the backscene and front fascia now. To get the dimensions right, I used masking tape to help visualise it. Am looking at a deep top edge to hide the top edge of the rear backscene and a place to mount the LED lighting.

I placed some temporary buildings to look at viewing angles.

 

[76043]

Ok, so backscene was cut and front facsia cut and glued on. Just takes a long time as there's plenty of woodworking to be done before it even gets stuck on.


Curve requires spacers top and bottom, the foamex sits inside the cabinet, but is flexible enough to sit over the topmost wooden beams so I might make it higher and sit over them.



This is the inside of the cabinet showing where the LED lighting will go, just above the aperture, hopefully resulting in no unsightly shadows on any rolling stock on the front-most siding

 

[NHY 581]

Morning Tony.

If I might make an observation based on my experience of lighting.

My first cameoesque layout had the lighting flush with the front edge of the base board. This did mean that the front of the layout was somewhat dark.

On Mutton, I made the fascia overhang the front edge of the layout by a couple of inches.

This worked much better and I subsequently altered the first layout accordingly.

Bleat will have similar lighting mounted outboard of the front edge to illuminate the front.

I also mount a second strip of LED in the middle of the layout.

One LED is warm white and the other is cool white. This combo gives a nice daylight feel to it all.


Rob.

 

[76043]

Hi Rob, thanks for your observations and experience, very much appreciated as your work on WT is superb and this is my first ever layout, so I'm trying to get everything right with no prior experience other than my experience as a former architectural modelmaker, which is a very different discipline.

I think @Simpas and the Cameo book mentioned both the overhang issue and the mix of LEDs, so have been thinking about this for some time. I also happen to photograph works of art and sculpture for living now so was hoping my lighting experience will see me through.... Maybe!!

It's good to know a couple of inches worked for your overhang as that's all I have with my curve. I'm hoping this is enough to stop frontal shadows, but we'll see. For this line of LEDs, I intend to point them downwards or at 45° and put some diffusion over them, which is likely to be tracing paper. I had read others on WT that felt LEDs are too harsh, well they are because they have no diffusion. I suspect LEDs are perfect for sunny day effects, but not overcast, if I keep the plain foamex colour, then overcast diffused lighting is needed.

I've also bought a mix of cool and warm to see how that goes, I do have a rebate in the top of the cabinet that was intended to be for a cover, so will experiment with the placement on the cover.

Thanks again
Tony

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I'm hoping this is enough to stop frontal shadows, but we'll see. For this line of LEDs, I intend to point them downwards or at 45° and put some diffusion over them,

This was my approach except I angled the LED strip at around 25° to 30° and they also had diffusion.

 

[76043]

Did you make your own diffusion or did the LEDs come with diffusion?

I'll try those angles too then, cheers!

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I was lazy and purchased a 5m roll of LEDs, 1m aluminium channel, diffusers and ends from a lighting supplier I found on the web. I think they were in Liverpool.

The LED roll is handy as you can cut it to the desired length added to which they have a peel 'n' stick backing.

 

[76043]

Thanks Dave, today I purchased some triangular wooden beading so will stick the LEDs onto that and wrap the diffusion material around it. Yes, I bought the stick on LEDs stuff too, but will probably glue it as a backup.

 

[Simpas]

Tony, I'm just catching up after a brief trip overseas hence a somewhat late'ish contribution.

I still haven't settled on the proper means of diffusion and in the absence of a 'perfect solution' I may very well leave as is. Mine don't overhang but are sited at the front shining directly down. There are six rows of alternatively placed warm white and cool white and they give a good light with no shadows. If I were doing it again I would make the top of the cabinet and inch or so deeper to accommodate some plastic sheet diffuser.

Mick S.

 

[76043]

So, this is pretty much as far as I'll get for the HRCA exhibition next weekend. It all works and I can put in the temporary buildings.

Cabinet was Danish oiled, lighting installed and a foamboard top cover made.

I'm knackered.

Maybe a name would work over the top of the main cabinet...

 

[Simpas]

Tony,

I think this looks the part and with the buildings sitting thereon it will I'm sure generate some enjoyable conversations while you're operating - or even when you're not...!

Well done and enjoy the show....

Mick S.

 

[76043]

Thanks Mick, I think the chat will be the most enjoyable part. In theory, I only need to receive and dispatch 14 trains in one day, the rest of the time can be spent talking nonsense.
Cheers
Tony

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Maybe a name would work over the top of the main cabinet...

Personally I'd leave the cabinet as is i.e. unadorned. The name on the screen is sufficient.

 

[76043]

Thanks Dave, I just thought the space needs filling, but to be honest, I'm really in no hurry to do it.

 

[76043]

So the day has arrived for my first outing of Dublingham Goods, all setup and ready to go. The table arrangement is very Heath Robinson, involving kitchen legs and an Ikea table, but it works and means the viewing height is at eye level when sitting down.

 

[76043]

Well that was a lot of fun today. The layout worked really well, only let down by one slightly dodgy baseboard joint, that derailed just the brake vans occasionally. The 08 performed flawlessly all day once the track was scrupulously cleaned at the start of the day. The timetable worked well too, gave a real focus for operating, the run round added operational interest.

Lots of chinwag went on too.

Thanks finally to @Steve's Shed for operating the layout perfectly too.

 

[Simpas]

Tony,

Sounds like you enjoyed the show as, no doubt, did those with whom you 'chinwagged'. For what it's worth I agree with Dave and think the name on the screen is all that is needed - it looks fine to me..!

Mick S.

 

[76043]

Mick, Thanks for the view on the name, I am sticking with it on screen.

Day Two finished and show over, throughly enjoyed myself and got lots of nice comments. I can see this exhibition lark is very addictive. I even met someone who operated Peter Denny's Buckingham Branch, albeit reluctantly, as they just wanted to view the layout, but the Rev Denny wouldn't allow that, you had to operate and it was terrifying by all accounts.

I tried out a second 08 today and it still has some binding going on with the coupling rods, so back to the first loco, which was again running so slowly and sweetly, I just had to pinch myself to believe it. Isn't feedback brilliant!

Tony