4mm Polsarrett: BR(S) N Cornwall Clay, The Final Countdown

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
A key decision today is where to put the 4 sheep I have. Obviously 1 needs to go in a tree but where to put the other 3?

Make it a spot the sheep game for younger visitors/viewers.... One in a tree as you've suggested, one in the provender store, one in the clay dries and the last one in the cottage garden or better still in any cab of a GW loco. :)
 
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Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
I think after this show the servos' days are numbered. Every time I switch the layout on, at least one needs the throw or centring adjusting. Grrrr
 
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Allen M

Western Thunderer
How I see it.:)

The first, a slightly overcast early morning with the sun behind the viewer.
2nd A slightly overcast evening sky with the sun just dropped behind the trees making the sky glow.

But then I could be totally wrong.:(

Regards
Allen
 

simond

Western Thunderer
I think it was worth the effort. Of course, you'll have to make the illumination of the view blockers automatically self adjust to match that of the backscene...


re the servos. I was thinking about your level crossing, and going to scribble a quick Arduino sketch to operate the gates but your comment about servos (presumably the points) is not encouraging. Servos are the obvious route to drive the gates. They should be able to give repeatable positions for open and closed, and a smooth trajectory from one to the other and back again.

I know lots of people use them for signals, so you would expect that if they go out of adjustment, it would be very obvious. My own experience with them is limited, as I had a box full of Tortoises so used them on PD.

I know that they are susceptible to electrical noise, and can jitter horribly, but that's a different issue.

What are you using to control them?
 

Simon

Flying Squad
It looks super and I am sure that in the flesh it is even better.

I'm not able to be at Taunton myself this coming weekend but am absolutely sure you will have a great time with it there.

I hope you don't mind me saying, it is quite "Iain Rice-esque" in a highly satisfying Cameo kind of way.

You'll be needing another "little project" at this rate...

Can't beat a bit of "Suvvern"!

Simon
 

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
It looks super and I am sure that in the flesh it is even better.

I'm not able to be at Taunton myself this coming weekend but am absolutely sure you will have a great time with it there.

I hope you don't mind me saying, it is quite "Iain Rice-esque" in a highly satisfying Cameo kind of way.

You'll be needing another "little project" at this rate...

Can't beat a bit of "Suvvern"!

Simon

That's a pity, would have been good to catch up. Is it too late to enter the Rice/MRJ Cameo competition?

No more quick little projects, will be back on to Pencarrow once I've had a break from trains for a bit. I've burned up quite a lot of brownie points over the last few weeks.
 

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
I think it was worth the effort. Of course, you'll have to make the illumination of the view blockers automatically self adjust to match that of the backscene...


re the servos. I was thinking about your level crossing, and going to scribble a quick Arduino sketch to operate the gates but your comment about servos (presumably the points) is not encouraging. Servos are the obvious route to drive the gates. They should be able to give repeatable positions for open and closed, and a smooth trajectory from one to the other and back again.

I know lots of people use them for signals, so you would expect that if they go out of adjustment, it would be very obvious. My own experience with them is limited, as I had a box full of Tortoises so used them on PD.

I know that they are susceptible to electrical noise, and can jitter horribly, but that's a different issue.

What are you using to control them?

Hi Simon, I'm not sure what the centering/alignment issue is with the servos, I doubt it is the Megapoints controller, more likely to be the servos themselves?

The Megapoints controller does seem to not enjoy being switched on and off though. I'm increasingly getting the red error light when starting up and that means nothing works. Requires turning off and on again.

Once I've come up with a suitable bracket for mounting the Tortoise point motors on their side, the turnout servos will be coming out. I no longer trust them to work and turnouts definitely need to work reliably.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
I have no experience with the megapoints controller, I guess I’d start by asking them, but I wonder if it is starting up alongside other things as a result of which the supply to it is briefly “dirty” (Electrical noise, under voltage?) just at a critical time.

you might try a separate switch in the 12V supply to the controller, and only turn it on once everything else is powered up. No guarantees, but easy to do.

enjoy the show
Simon
 

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
I have no experience with the megapoints controller, I guess I’d start by asking them, but I wonder if it is starting up alongside other things as a result of which the supply to it is briefly “dirty” (Electrical noise, under voltage?) just at a critical time.

you might try a separate switch in the 12V supply to the controller, and only turn it on once everything else is powered up. No guarantees, but easy to do.

enjoy the show
Simon

Will give that go Simon. I did go to some length to separate the wiring for the track and servos under the layout, servo cables at the rear power at the front and wires crossing and 90 degs. We had interference issues on a previous layout and the signals would often twitch all by themselves.
 
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