Oops of the Day

So, the Oops of the Day is....  OK, I have 2 oops's (is that even a word?) - one from yesterday and one from today.  

Yesterday's one is that there is a trick or at least something to remember when making these Fast Tracks Points.  The sleepers you solder to, are copper clad on BOTH sides - no problem there.  

Yep, we all know to gap the copper on the top side so there are no short circuits between the rails AND we know that it doesn't matter on the bottom, as there is a layer of non-conductive fibreglass between it and the rails - no problem.   Remember that, it will come in handy later.

I had already made one point and therefore needed to test it.  So I figured I would whack some plywood up on the middle peninsula and set up a test environment since that peninsula would be the last to receive any track or scenery and I could still play trains around the wall without it being connected for quite some time.  So Test Area it has become.  I had 2 lengths of track to the left of this point and one to the right.  There was another on the left in case I wanted to test a point with the narrow gauge running on the other side of the track. I then clipped relevant bits together like my NCE PowerCab to power the DCC for it all, then the NCE RB02 Radio Base Station to act as my hub, then of course the NCE Radio ProCab to act as my walkabout handset to drive the locos with.

I screwed the point down so that I could add a Caboose Industries 5202S Point Lever to it to control the point throw during testing. I was now ready to roll and roll it did - worked like a treat.  Wagons were at first hand pushed and pulled at various speeds through the point in all directions.  Then locos were run through, then locos with wagons, and of course in both 12mm and 16.5mm track gauge.  All was good.

Then I decided - I can expand this little test empire, as I want proper testing and not having to add and remove wagons and such from the deck, I'd like to leave them up there - I therefore needed more track, MORE.  So I made another couple of points and I now have a yard to the right of the test point so as to hold rolling stock and locos.  Reason- well, testing will require a varied range of rolling stock and locos, so there are all sorts to be tested and of course I need them in QR (HOn3½ scale - 12mm gauge) and NSW (HO scale - 16.5mm gauge).  The test area is now 4.4 metres in length and will be able to test all formats of points I make in HO - dual gauge, single gauge (HO or HOn3½), ambidextrous gauge.  The N scale  test area will follow on the other side of the same peninsula.

Where's the Oops you say? OK, OK, I'll get to that now.  So when I added those 2 new points, I had to unscrew the first one and rearrange all the trackage.  I did the rearrangement and connected it all up and turned the DCC on - SHORT CIRCUIT detected !  Bugger, or words to that effect were heard inside the shed, many a time I do believe.

That's when the 2 hours of testing began. Multimeter in hand and away I went - testing everything I could.  Wagons came off, locos came off, track was disconnected the new points tested fine, the new track, fine.  But of course it COULDN'T be the first point... it was working fine before... So I thought I'd remove the first point and check it up real close - so I unscrewed it. Checked it and all was well, so screwed it back down.  It all worked fine !

So what had been the problem?  I thought it through and then the light bulb lit up, not the overload detector, but the brain.  Screws - they are metal.  The copper clad sleepers. Screw might just have touched both top and bottom copper cladding to meet in the ethereal world of Electricity?  This then caused a short between the rails via the bottom copper cladding on the sleeper. A bit of wiggling of the point against the screws showed another short, so theory proved.

Ha ! Issue found.  So to rectify the problem, I will in future gap the underneath of the relevant sleepers that get the screws on them or may develop some method to hold the point in place that doesn't need screws - some sort of clamp.

So with the gap on the top as per here, AND on the bottom - we don't look at bottoms out there do we?...

Before we go to my number two, get it?  hehehe. Here's the Test Track as of now.

The main 3 track yard is on the right and track held down here and there with some track pins, same as the 2 points.  So all permanent for now.

The left hand side of this 4.4 metre test area is a 2 track yard with a 3rd track sitting disconnected.  2 tracks are connected to the point and the 3rd is for if the point is a right hand point and not a left hand point.... yeh, might change and only have two here - the 3rd really isn't doing it, is it... Anyway, we move on.

Now, in between the point being tested on the left and the yard points on the right, is a Tillig Shift Track. This allows the narrow gauge track to move from one side of the main track to the other.  It is needed since I will be making both type of points - left hand running and right hand running dual gauge.

Depending on what type of points being tested will define whether to insert this Shift Track or not to make it all connect up.  Close up of the Shift Track.

Here is the overall test setup.  It may yet get bigger and become a sort of test point to point layout - no scenery, just more yard space...  MORE

Now enter Oops #2.

Some wagons started derailing on the test rig - some 12mm gauge wagons that is.  Yes, they were very light weight and the wheel spacing on the axles might have been very close to problematic also.  But they would almost derail every time. Hmmm. So on with the microscope eye set and I watched and watched as I pushed wagon after wagon through to see what the problem was.  

Eventually I saw the flange on a wheel hitting a pointy bit of rail.  So I checked the other points and yep the issue was present for some wagons on all of them.  

In the pic below, the pointy bit I am talking about is to the left of the ball point.  When traveling from left to right, there is no issue, but when travelling from right to left, the flange on a narrow gauge wagon can sometimes hit the pointy bit and the wagon jumps up and boing, Houston we have a problem.

I was about to totally blame all the wagons that were having this problem when I went and checked the points against the Fast Tracks jig - all good there - all bits needed were there and in place.  See - not caused by me, was it...

So one last thing - I actually then read the instructions for making dual gauge points. Whoever RTFM, I ask you, who?   Ahhh, the diagram shows a tiny Guard Rail in a certain position that was missing on all three of the points I had made.  OK, OK, someone can kick me in the pants (not you Scooter). So for the sake of a lousy 24mm of guard rail in the overall 1,925mm of rail used in making the point (yep, you use 2 metres of rail to make one dual gauge point). A mere 24 millimeters can cause issues.  It's small things that cause problems - like wagon couplers on your track - causes running problems.

The guard rail needs to go up against the curved rail above the ball point.

Here is what the little beastie looks like after being struck in PK's Railway Foundry - all 24mm of it...

So out with the 3 points, over to the soldering station and I made up the relevant missing piece of trouble and soldered them into place.  The ball point shows the missing piece now in position.

Then I reaffixed the points into their correct positions and TESTED AGAIN. All good now. Some wagons, yes, will need some wheel spacings on their axles adjusted, but the points are now functioning properly.  Oops #2 resolved.

Now to figure out a way to hold the point being tested, in position during testing, without using screws, as I will run out of timber to drill screw holes in after a while - remember, there are over a hundred and fifty points needing making.  And no, I cannot use the same set of screws each time, as each point could be a smidgeon different to the next.  Where is that padded cell I ordered online.......

Taking a Break from Woodworking

So, I am of course still working on building the layout.  Currently all of the wood framing is now in play and time for the decking to go in, which will be a combination of plywood and XPS foam.

But I need to start multi-tasking a bit more.  So I am going to start making some points. I have an ulterior motive though, as the club I am in is building a new HO scale layout with both Standard and Narrow gauge tracks. So we will need some dual gauge points that diverge to narrow, yet continue to go straight in dual gauge.  No problemo says this one - I have some jigs.

So I have setup a point making table in my shed where the airconditioning is working very nicely indeed.  A necessity in this hot and humid summer we are having.

Yep, I bought the Fast Tracks dual gauge jigs in #5 size a few years back, as I knew I would be making my own points. So it caters for HOn3½ scale which is 12mm track and also the HO scale in standard track of 16.5mm.  With the one set of jigs I can also make any combination of  12mm and 16.5mm points - plain standard gauge, plain narrow gauge or combinations of both. For those curious, the standard gauge will be for running NSW (New South Wales) trains and of the course the narrow is for my home state of Queensland , the QR trains.

There are two jigs needed to play this game of dual gauge for me.  You need one jig to make points that have the narrow gauge running on the left hand side of the track and another jig to make the ones with the narrow gauge running on the right hand side of the track.  Here is the one for the narrow gauge running on the left hand side of the track:

So from the above jig I can make all dual gauge points or just a narrow gauge point as pictured below. Also standard gauge and combinations of them can be made.

So here are the makings to build a point.  There is the laser cut plywood sleeper set, the lengths of rail cut in readiness (using code 83 rail), and of course the copper clad sleepers.  The copper clads are actually PCB that has been routed to the correct size by Fast Tracks.  All I have to do is cut them to length and then put an electical gap on the top side with a small file so the tracks don't short out from rail to rail.

So, the copper clads get slotted into their positions in readiness.  A previously made point sits above watching the process going on.

I will start with the frog - ribbit.  So out comes the Fast Tracks PointsForm tool.  This allow you to file the two pieces of rail that will make the frog, accurately.  Just slide the rail into the block and clamp it shut with the screws.  Then with your trusty metal file, file the rail away until you are just sliding along the side of the block.  Don't worry, the block is hardened steel and does not easily file away.

Then you slide both pieces of rail into the big jig and hit it with some rosin cored solder and of course a soldering iron.  Voila - a pointy bit.

Then you solder this onto the copper clads, again whilst using the big jig.  Here it what it starts to look like when not in the jig.

There - all the relevant copper clads are in place on this pointy bit, the frog. Ribbit, ribbit.

So next we start adding in the outer rails.  

In this particular case, that make 3 rails.  Looking at the picture below, the bottom rail is purely only used by standard gauge wheels.  The top rail is used by both narrow and standard gauge wheels and the second bottom rail is used only by narrow gauge wheels. Confused yet?  Try building these suckers...  Nah, once you look at the videos and documentation they supply, and have on their website ( Fast Tracks that is ) you get the hang of it - you just don't rush these things.

So the soldering continues

Now, before we actually soldered in the two rails that will have the point blade hit up to them, we need to file away some of the rail.  Yep, there is another hardened steel tool available to make it easier - the StockAid tool.  Again, just slide the rail into it and lock it down.  Out with the metal file for a bit of filing exercise and we are left with the correct piece for the job.

In the next two shots you can see on the upper rail, the indent we have filed for the point blade to be able to hook in and allow the wheels to pass properly.

So we are now ready for the point blades to go in. But first some more filing - yes there is a bit of filing required when making points.  So with the PointsForm tool, the other end of it this time, you insert the bits of rail and file away and end up with a nice long filing which will be your blade.  The other end you bend as per instructions, and this makes the little guard rail near the frog.  So the blade is pictured above the point in the below pic.

Now the blades are soldered into place.  You also make a couple of small guard rails and solder them into place opposite the frog.

Phew - almost done. Now we just need to fully electrically isolate the frog.  With a small jewellers saw and a 5/0 saw blade - yes, damned tiny bugger, we cut the rail gaps.  And yes, they are very tiny gaps, but since the rail is soldered to the PCB's it really doesn't move with the heat and cold of the days and night, so it works fine and does the job we want..

The damned tiny saw blade against my millimetre ruler.

Now we are done... well almost.

So I needed to test it of course. So some plywood onto some tables and some track of dual gauge type was grabbed as was some narrow gauge track.  Things were screwed down and wires soldered into place and such.  This was a big job all in itself this setting up of a test rig.

Then a few QR narrow gauge locos were whacked onto the track with some wagons, as was a NSW standard gauge loco.  All combinations of points and trains that are workable was tried and it all worked nicely.

Funny enough, even though I was powering the frog manually as required, it turned out I left the lead disconnected at some stage and did not notice it for quite a while as all the locos were long wheelbase and just ran over the point fine. The short 1720 class QR loco didn't have a problem either as it was juuuust long enough, but also had a stay alive installed :-)

Okay smarty pants... my friend Scooter down the back of the class has his hand up and saying I'm not finished - well duh...  You guessed it, not all the sleeprs are in place.  That's right, the laser cut wooden sleepers.  I will glue them on later.  What you do is get the correct contact cement and apply it to the rails and sleepers where needed, then once set, you push them together and voila - done.  Buuuut, there is a hint they give you for even better strength.  Run a soldering iron over the rail and it will set the contact glue rock solid :-)

So that is the first point made this year, with many more to make over the next year or so. I expect to need to make 60 or more HO scale points and 100 or so N scale points as well - that's right, I'll be making all my N scale points as well.  Yes, my mother did get me tested as a kid and even so, I do believe I may have been dropped on my head back then - on ya Dad  ;-)

And it Continues to Grow

 Over the last month I managed to pretty much finish the benchwork around the walls. The XPS Foam is yet to be glued on, but that is one of the last jobs - wiring and such first. Then I had to rearrange the contents of the shed a bit to give some more room at the head end.

I have found that the 1.2m mobile scaffolding unit I have, which was actually purchased many many moons ago for me to use when sheeting the walls - yeh, that never happened, as I got a professional to do the walls so they were done right!  Anywho, that scaffolding of mine makes a really great mobile wood and steel storage unit for my current building materials for the layout :-)

So with a bit of space made for construction, I began the small peninsula.  This is the smallest one and has had a few iterations after discussions with the fellas. So far I have been able to build the rectangular framing for all three decks and get them screwed into position.  The lollipop end of the penisula has yet to be built - a few ideas mulling around in the old scone for that. So just a corflute semicircle sits giving the idea of the end of the peninsula.

So that gets us to yesterday.  Today I decided to get the curved bits done where the peninsula joins the wall units.  Fiddly, but worth it in the end run.  I think I will be using masonite to act as the facia for the decks, so it needs some places to screw into aroud these joins.  So offcuts of the timbers I use for the decks comes in handy - waste not, want not.

So we  start with a corner.

Get our template for the relevant size curve out and see if it works. For the middle deck I think a 40cm radius should work.  The bottom deck will get 50cm radius.

For the 40cm, I think just one piece of timber at 45 degrees should suffice.

So I get a scrap piece of wood and clamp under the deck to temporarily hold the chunk of wood in place that I have cut for the job.

I then marked out on the frame where the new wood would go and then drilled the relevant screw holes.

The trusty screw driver was then used and in went the screws.

Now, on the bottom deck since it was a 50cm radius, I needed more support timbers for the curve. So more cutting and shaping and you get three pieces of wood making the curve.

The other side was done next and by then it was tools down for the day.

I'll think of something to do tomorrow.  Maybe hunt down a welder...  as I am thinking that the ends of the peninsula might be made from 20 x 20 x 1.6 mm steel tube welded up like this and then bolted to a big 35x70 or 35x90mm verticle chunk of wood.

By for now.