What did you do on your layout today? (N scale)

[Drunkenclam]

I guess this sort of counts. I spent the last few days desiging a circuit board to run my signals and sent the plans off yesterday to be made.

Minimum order is 5 boards.

Mounting for an arduino nano. 6 sensor inputs, then a combination of 7 outputs. Built in 5v regulator with input from either a jack plug or screw terminals.

the signals a have use a common positive feed.

 

[Khaul]

I did something today, finally. It has been difficult to find a time to work in the layout since the missus is working in Sydney. I also lost the habit, but things are a bit better now thwt there is time for anything.

 

Progress is modest. I just kitbashed and painted a chimney for the corner, see below. I really need to work on the second module. The whole family is happy to see the model on the kitchen table, and made some nice encouraging comments.

 

[gavino200]

On 4/20/2020 at 3:39 AM, Drunkenclam said:

I guess this sort of counts. I spent the last few days desiging a circuit board to run my signals and sent the plans off yesterday to be made.

Minimum order is 5 boards.

Mounting for an arduino nano. 6 sensor inputs, then a combination of 7 outputs. Built in 5v regulator with input from either a jack plug or screw terminals.

the signals a have use a common positive feed.

 

 

 

Yeah, that counts. That's a super interesting project. In fact, I'm sure a lot of people would be interested if you made a thread out of this describing the whole process. I bet there are others who would follow the trail you're blazing. And it might even help you with your minimum order issue. 

[Das Steinkopf]

On 27 April 2020 at 5:59 PM, Khaul said:

I did something today, finally. It has been difficult to find a time to work in the layout since the missus is working in Sydney. I also lost the habit, but things are a bit better now thwt there is time for anything.

 

Progress is modest. I just kitbashed and painted a chimney for the corner, see below. I really need to work on the second module. The whole family is happy to see the model on the kitchen table, and made some nice encouraging comments.

 

 

It's great that you have been able to get back to work on your layout, hopefully when all this virus drama is over we can have an informal Sydney get together.

Edited April 28, 2020 by Das Steinkopf

[Khaul]

 

17 hours ago, Das Steinkopf said:

 

It's great that you have been able to get back to work on your layout, hopefully when all this virus drama is over we can have an informal Sydney get together.

 

That would be great!

[Tonytramman]

trying to get the bus garage in the right place! ongoing but I think it's more or less where I want it now...

[brill27mcb]

10 hours ago, Tonytramman said:

trying to get the bus garage in the right place! ongoing but I think it's more or less where I want it now...

 

I always like to see a tram layout! Got a photo or plan of the whole arrangement?

 

Rich K.

[Tonytramman]

Rich,

thanks for showing an interest, here are a couple, i should probably start a thread or something ..

[Tonytramman]

the track is pretty much set, still tinkering with the building placement ...

[AhmadKane]

I saw you guys posting on layout progresses and I want to say you gave me some inspiration on what to make. Imma post mine here, as well as a new thread in this topic. I'm still painting the rocks and planning the waterfall first..

 

 

[brill27mcb]

On 4/30/2020 at 5:22 AM, Tonytramman said:

Rich,

thanks for showing an interest, here are a couple, i should probably start a thread or something ..

 

It's nice the way that you have worked in some sidings, a maintenance/storage area, and the double crossover.

 

Rich K.

[Tonytramman]

Thanks Rich, I started a topic to show how I got that far, been a bit of a journey 

[bill937ca]

Working on the long, slow process of preparing an Outland Models  parking garage for painting as a bright red game center. Once the paint dries more I will do another coat of primer probably tomorrow.

[chadbag]

Well, today I bumped my table, and it must have been off balance, as it went crash.  So tonight I am picking it up with help from my daughter.  (A new model EF66, an EF64, and a wagon from my RailStar seem to have suffered slight damage -- an arnold coupler came out, the shell popped up and a pantograph cam apart sightly, and a wheel popped off, respectively).  I had a bunch of my German locomotives out for pics but they seem to be all right.  And none of the damage is permanent or bad.

 

Sorry about the poor quality pic -- from my daughters old iPhone with a light in front and above bleeding into the pic.

 

 

Edited May 12, 2020 by chadbag

[gavino200]

34 minutes ago, chadbag said:

Well, today I bumped my table, and it must have been off balance, as it went crash.  So tonight I am picking it up with help from my daughter.  (A new model EF66, an EF64, and a wagon from my RailStar seem to have suffered slight damage -- an arnold coupler came out, the shell popped up and a pantograph cam apart sightly, and a wheel popped off, respectively).  I had a bunch of my German locomotives out for pics but they seem to be all right.  And none of the damage is permanent or bad.

 

Sorry about the poor quality pic -- from my daughters old iPhone with a light in front and above bleeding into the pic.

 

 

 

 

That's too bad Chad. Sorry to hear it. What do you have your board set up on?

[cteno4]

Ouch! Glad it’s not a lot of horrible damage. Stuff like this happens at times sadly. We had one of those big cardboard boxes with foam inserts full of trains (you can pack a lot of them in those) knocked over at a show once, similar painful feeling. Best of luck getting the damage assessed and repaired here.

 

jeff

[chadbag]

9 hours ago, gavino200 said:

 

That's too bad Chad. Sorry to hear it. What do you have your board set up on?

 

 

I have a large standard banquet table (the only style with hard top, not the plastic ones).  The board is a 2x4 frame 4'x8' with foam top.  On one side a shelf is attached to hold controllers and trains etc.  This sits on the banquet table and there is actually a screw through the back side of the table (away from the shelf) into the frame to help keep it from tipping off the table.  (Instead the whole table tipped).

 

I've had it for probably a year and a half or longer set up, though the screw holding the back side down on the table was only done sometime in the past year.  Over time too much stuff accumulated on the shelf, and the space around the outside to walk between it and some shelving is a bit narrow.  I bumped it hard scooting past it, which was the cause of the fall.

 

Luckily no major damage.  A few parts popped off some locos etc.  Worst was a coupler that popped off the EF66 as the lower little "blade" piece that helps hold it in popped off.

 

I also found some very small black plastic pieces that look like Euro style loco buffers.  Need to carefully look at all the Euro locos that were on the board and see if ayone is missing some buffers.   And a battery popped off a charger and is hanging out by itself somewhere (a bunch did but all have been found otherwise)

[gavino200]

29 minutes ago, chadbag said:

 

 

I have a large standard banquet table (the only style with hard top, not the plastic ones).  The board is a 2x4 frame 4'x8' with foam top.  On one side a shelf is attached to hold controllers and trains etc.  This sits on the banquet table and there is actually a screw through the back side of the table (away from the shelf) into the frame to help keep it from tipping off the table.  (Instead the whole table tipped).

 

I've had it for probably a year and a half or longer set up, though the screw holding the back side down on the table was only done sometime in the past year.  Over time too much stuff accumulated on the shelf, and the space around the outside to walk between it and some shelving is a bit narrow.  I bumped it hard scooting past it, which was the cause of the fall.

 

Luckily no major damage.  A few parts popped off some locos etc.  Worst was a coupler that popped off the EF66 as the lower little "blade" piece that helps hold it in popped off.

 

I also found some very small black plastic pieces that look like Euro style loco buffers.  Need to carefully look at all the Euro locos that were on the board and see if ayone is missing some buffers.   And a battery popped off a charger and is hanging out by itself somewhere (a bunch did but all have been found otherwise)

 

Glad to hear the damage wasn't too bad. I have a few delicate trains that survived a leap off a cliff onto the floor. Let me know if you need me to post pictures of any of my German locos for reference. I think we have quite a few in common. 

 

 

[chadbag]

So the buffer things are buffers from a BR189 style (ES 64 F4) from Trix (in van Gogh livery).  Once I can find my close-in work reader glasses I should be able to get this back together.

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2021 by chadbag

[Yavianice]

Pretty lucky you got spare parts!

[chadbag]

9 minutes ago, Yavianice said:

Pretty lucky you got spare parts!

 

I don't, those are the ones that fell off when the lok slid down the table into the junk pile.  My daughter found them when she was cleaning up.

 

[gavino200]

2 minutes ago, chadbag said:

 

I don't, those are the ones that fell off when the lok slid down the table into the junk pile.  My daughter found them when she was cleaning up.

 

 

Your daughter deserves a treat for helping Dad through this trying time.

[chadbag]

1 minute ago, gavino200 said:

 

Your daughter deserves a treat for helping Dad through this trying time.

 

When this all happened she was wanting to take pictures of her trains (and one of mine that she considers hers) and was with me, getting her trains ready,  when I bumped the table.

 

Her trains:

Gudatama (Tomytech)

Hello Kitty 500

Sumikko Gurachi E231 (KATO)

 

And then the later Rilakuma E231 one from KATO (which is technically mine)

 

I expect her to come down and set up some track for her to take her photos at some point today.

 

[Lina_Blue]

It is not the finest work of modelry, but for my Lack-Tables, those track number indicators in the catenary should suffice.

 

[chadbag]

On 5/12/2020 at 11:55 AM, chadbag said:

So the buffer things are buffers from a BF189 style (ES 64 F4) from Trix (in van Gogh livery).  Once I can find my close-in work reader glasses I should be able to get this back together.

 

 

 

 

It turns out that the "buffer" is constructed of two pieces.  Of the three that fell off, one had both pieces and two did not. I found one missing buffer on the floor to go with the frame (second piece) and so am missing just one buffer (I have the frame).  I'll be making another pass to see if I can find it on the floor somewhere.

 

I also found a European style buffer for another train of some sort.  I still need to find which one is missing its buffer...