I wanted to make a portable lighting rig that I could use for either my 12ft Die Keinnamebahn layout or a smaller 6ft layout. I have decided that I would use a 4m professional lighting truss which is assembled from 1m sections that can fit into my estate car. I did not want to use […]
I recently ordered a 60w mains-powered soldering iron with automatic solder feed via eBay from a U.K. supplier. I received the following message and a full refund. “Hi dear customer, Thank you for your purchasing. We are so sorry to tell you that because of some accident, we found that our product have some quality problem. Please […]
I wanted to use some DCC Concepts 2-aspect ground signals that I had bought. They came with two DCC Concepts Alpha Mimic LED controllers but at 50 UKP each, and capable of operating 24 LEDs each, they are too expensive to use on Die Keinnamebahn where only a few signals are on each board and […]
With Narrow Gauge North at Pudsey fast approaching on Saturday 9th March I decided to add some signalling to Die Keinnamebahn. To this end the first light I fitted is to protect the coaling station crossover. I fitted a Viessmann 4011 stop signal and used a Train-Tech SC1 DCC signal light controller to automatically change […]
Because we will be using a computerised, Raspberry Pi based, DCC control system with wireless hand controllers to control Die Keinnamebahn at exhibitions I wanted to protect the system from induced spikes or drop outs in the mains electricity supply. Dropouts can occur if someone accidentally, or inadvertently, unplugs a mains supply lead to the layout […]
As we progress getting ready for the first of our 2019 exhibitions at Chapel-en-le-Frith I have now fitted the Raspberry Pi microcomputer into a £10 fan cooled case that fits onto the back of the TV and connects to the DVI video connection on the TV. The case, complete with fan and all fitting screws, […]
Many commercially produced locos have bulbs or LEDs to illuminate the headlamps and tail lamps. Modern LED equipped locos usually now have bicolour LEDs to change between red and white depending upon the direction of the loco, but many don’t and just have a single colour LED or lamp that shows white only in the […]
The Resistance Soldering Unit (RSU) that I bought was a second-hand unit and appears to be a home-made unit. It was nicely finished but I wanted to check it out for safety as potential mains voltages and hand held probes do not go together! I therefore opened the box and checked that all the wiring […]
I built a turntable for Die Keinnamebahn and electrified it using Peco NB-55 n-gauge turntable kit and a 10rpm geared motor, worm and gear obtained from China, via eBay. I had to build my own gearbox frame from strip brass, no easy task for this amateur metalworker! The installation worked but I wondered if there was […]
Today I started the level crossing for the goods yard for Valdieu-Lutran. The methods is the same as for the embedded track using copper-clad PCB onto which sections of Code 80 track are soldered for the rails and catch-rails. The PCB copper is gapped between the rails and between the tracks using my Dremel and […]
I came across these boards on eBay. They are listed as “1Pcs Bridge Rectifier IN4007 Ac To Dc Converter Wave Rectifier Circuit Board” at 99p each but the seller was accepting offers so I have managed to order 12 for £9 inclusive of postage. The boards will easily power a few LEDs on each baseboard. […]
On my new layout I am again are using the brass pattern makers’ dowels that align the boards to transfer the DCC power and control signals between the boards. 2mm bare solid copper wire is used to create a power/signal busbar between the dowels. The electrical contact between the male and female pattern maker’s dowels […]
One of the problems with modelling in 009 / H0e / H0m / H0n30 is the lack of remote controlled decoupler systems at affordable prices. For those not wanting to exchange all their couplings for magnetic operated Greenwich etched brass couplings or Microtrains or Kadee couplers the alternatives are either the manual Peco SL-430 uncoupler […]
