kvp's layout ideas and attempts

[kvp]

There is some progress with my Z scale mini layout, made with Rokuhan tracks. The base is ready and the electronics are mostly complete. I designed a capacitor discharge turnout driver circuit, that can be driven from a remote control panel with 1 wire/turnout and a common ground. It will be mounted under the layout, with only the ribbon cable coming out to the control panel. The missing cap is a constant output for building/street lighting. The capacitors are 1000uF and can be driven between 6 and 12V. The panel is just a bunch of single pole, double throw switches choosing between ground and power (DC) and a passthrough connection for the ground. The capacitor circuit is a brakeout panel between the ribbon cable and the screw terminals, with the caps connected in series with the turnouts.

 

Two turnouts have been made half power everywhere: the mainline direction of the top industrial track and the connecting leg of the bottom horizontal track has been made non power routing, so the main loop is always powered and the small stub track (reserved for an engine house) can be powered against the point. There are two Maerklin isolators in use, one at the top left rail of the 1st through track and another at the bottom right rail of the 2nd through track. This allows concurrent arrival and departure from both tracks and the two stub stracks while allowing full track isolation with the power routing turnouts only. The small stub in the bottom left corner is powered when the 4th track is selected but the bottom turnout is set to straight, otherwise it's isolated.

 

The ballast on some of the turnouts and tracks have been filed to make them fit and there is a 1 cm long 'flex' segment in the 2nd through track of the main station. I plan to add a small tunnel to one corner and another small single track stop near the traction power connector.

 

I have checked and all of my current rolling stock can run on it, including the longest 26.4 meter TEE cars, but i plan to run only cars up to 20 m and shorter.

 

 

Edited August 11, 2015 by kvp

[JR 500系]

Nice kvp san!

 

Wait a minute, isn't that a Lego 9V regulator I see there?  :)

[kvp]

Inspired by Toni's t-trak module and in need of serious practice on scenery making, i got the idea of building a few t-trak modules. Since another HJMTC club member (IST) already has a few, they could be usable too during a club meet. (instead of just putting bare unitrack on a table)

 

As always, i'm a complete beginner in t-track building, but after a few tips from IST, i have something that can be called a plan:

The idea is to have a 3 track station with space for 4 20 meter cars and a separate bridge module with space for a small canal underneath. I would like to have an island platform and a shorter side platform with a small old style rural/suburban station building. So far (thanks to Sumida crossing), i've identified the island platforms i need (23-101 Island Platform B, 23-105 Island Platform End #4, although it looks like they need a few cuts), but i'm very much at a loss with everything else. Are the module sizes and rail placement correct? Do they look like valid (and good) t-trak modules? What kind of side platforms should i use and how to place them? (assuming i need either stairs for the underpass and/or a classic station building where the stairs can be inside)

 

I'm looking for advice from all the t-trak builders on this forum.

Edited October 27, 2015 by kvp

[kvp]

For me, it seems b-train shorties are getting more detailed with every generation:

[kvp]

I seem to have ran into a problem with ttrak modules and kato platforms. Namely that a ttrak module is 5 times 62 mm long, and a kato platform is 4 times 62 mm. This means if i want to build a station that is 4 modules long, i have to cut and glue a platforms to make them fit. Also there seems to be some clearance issues around the curved parts of the passing track as the trains seem to hit any platforms that are around the outside end of the curves. This means the passing track platform have to be shorter than the available straight section, which means the 4 310 mm modules can only hold a 4 car train on that track (or 4 cars + a loco), while the island platform next to tracks 2-3 is good for 7 cars.

The black and white line is the module size marker, the orange tomix tracks are representing 20 meter cars, the dark gray sections are the tracks with roofed platforms and the red sections indicate the problematic parts where one platform part is too large, while another is too short. (the green is the station enterance building and the platform stairs) The top version is the 4 modules long, while the bottom is the 3 modules long variant.

 

Right now (before i do any cutting), i would like to ask for oppinions and better ideas on this 3 track ttrak station and what could or should i do differently?

[katoftw]

I found the same issue with the modules vs platforms.  My decision was to have the platforms drop onto the layout once the modules had be put together.

 

p.s. the 60mm section only need to be for the cutout behind the #4 points.  past the R481 curve, you don't need anorther.

[kvp]

That's only there to compensate for the bug in the scarm unitrack library. (the #4's have wrong dimensions) I've already fixed it on my other computer.

 

Adding the platforms after assembly is ok for the island platforms, but won't help me with the side platforms, where i have the clearence issues near the curves.

[katoftw]

add more length to plan then.

 

i would rejig it all.  use 620 length modules so there is less joins.  and also you dont really want points on the edge of the modules.

Edited November 15, 2015 by katoftw

[kvp]

The idea was to use the small (and narrower) modules only and 4 modules is the long version with the 3 modules long version to be used when there is less space. The turnouts have to be at the edges otherwise i couldn't even fit a 2 car train into the siding on the 3 modules setup or a 4 car on the 4 modules one. How does the prototype solve this loading gauge problem at the outer side of these turnout curves?

[kvp]

I'm trying to clear some backlog, so about a year later after making an interface for IST's PC based Densha De Go controller, i finally got around to make one for my Sega Saturn based one (it was very cheap so i got one). Instead of using the original connector, for which i couldn't find a socket, i added a ribbon cable through the small cover on the bottom with arduino compatible pins on the other side. There is a small interface circuit hidden in the box, so the arduino can read the values safely, while also providing power to the controller. This way, it can still be connected to a Saturn and used as a game controller. There are 4 buttons: start/select, A, B and C, 6 throttle steps (0 and 1-5) and 15 brake steps (released = 1, brake 2-9, emergency 10-14, park 15) Originally the inputs are not filtered or fully step safe, but it's possible to filter out any noise or half engaged contacts in software. So this is where i'm at now. It still needs an application, like a PWM based analog train controller or a loconet based throttle, but the reverse engineering is done. (this version has a few custom chips inside with 5V TTL logic and a 4x4 bit register structure with a parallel memory bus, unlike the pc version which is fully analog and can be read as a 2 button, 2 axis joystick)

[kvp]

T-trak module construction steps:

-gluing the module:

-adding feeder wires and painting the joiners:

-assembly:

-track installation:

 

Dimensions:

-308 mm long (62*5 - 2)

-210 mm deep

-70 mm high (with screw out legs to stand up to 100 mm)

-nearest track ballast edge is 38 mm from the front

-with 33 mm track distance

 

[kvp]

Can you spot any differences?

[katoftw]

you have painted the joiners.

[kvp]

Yes. I think it would be nice from Kato if they would offer pre painted joiners. As it is, it's great for concrete and slab track, but imho the bare gray ones look horrible with the classic black ties. (the two ties placed next to each other on the ends is also bad with many small pieces, but at least it's prototypical)

[kvp]

T-trak construction, creating and installing the legs:

 

(50 mm long ones, with M6-50 scews and claw nuts)

 

And finally the three track t-trak station that is under construction:

 

 

 

 

[kvp]

T-trak progress:

[kvp]

Testing the usability of my work in progress japanese t-trak station as a british southern region station. What do you think?

Edited December 25, 2015 by kvp

[kvp]

Since the station still lacks catenary, platform testing is done with dmus only. (track 1: 5 cars, track 2: 6.5 cars, track 3: 7 cars)

[cteno4]

Love the temporary ttrak setup!

 

Jeff

[kvp]

Progress on the new substation:

(modifications: roof covered with sandpaper, cooling vents and railings painted metallic silver)

Edited January 1, 2016 by kvp

[Blobby]

Testing the usability of my work in progress japanese t-trak station as a british southern region station. What do you think?

How many timesmust i have I travelled on the real life version of these?

[kvp]

New year, old todo list...

(i should really finish these two modules asap, along with my ttrak ones)

Edited January 3, 2016 by kvp

[kvp]

Also got a few ancient shinkansen cars as a gift. Sadly the motor unit and one windshield is missing.

Edited January 3, 2016 by kvp

[Mudkip Orange]

Progress on the new substation:

 

(modifications: roof covered with sandpaper, cooling vents and railings painted metallic silver)

Using sandpaper to represent asphalt roofing... genius.

[JR 500系]

That's looking great! You have shared a really nice idea of using sandpaper to represent asphalt! Thanks!  :)