Cliffhanger

[Tigger]

Excellent photo, David - very atmospheric too. Shades of Dolgoch?

Spot-on Ted.  This appeared on the front of the News some years ago.  Simon Coward said that Liz mistook it for a prototype photo when she saw it!  That's why I've taken the colour out - looks a bit more convincing.  Any civil Engineer worth his salt will tell you that the arches are too shallow, which they are because I halved the spandrel height for a sleeker look.  An uncivil Engineer will use more interesting language...

[pilotfriend]

Should I start a new thread for Cliffhanger or just not bother?

[Hobby]

Good old thread drift... Gets to all of us eventually... Keep going, John, they'll catch up in  a minute!

[rhobat bryn]

Should I start a new thread for Cliffhanger or just not bother?

Perhaps hijacking can be considered the sincerest form of flattery.  However Llanmynach and Tawel-llety could be persuaded to start their own theme and leave you free to tell us of the latest developments in preparation for our being able to see the real thing at Warley.

[Tigger]

Nah!!  I'd much rather hijack an existing thread slowly and surreptitiously!
Today Cliffhanger - Tomorrow Zee Vorld!!  (Evil laugh!!!)  ;D ;D ;D

[pilotfriend]

"Tomorrow Zee Vorld!!"

When I become emperor we shall see about that!

The wiring is under way on Cliffhanger ............ miles of it!

[rhobat bryn]

The wiring is under way on Cliffhanger ............ miles of it!

Why so much?

[tedp]

...When I become emperor we shall see about that!...

I feel a presence....!

[Tigger]

When I become emperor we shall see about that!

The wiring is under way on Cliffhanger ............ miles of it!

I'm already working towards Dark Overlord status.  To echo a previous question - why so much wiring?  I thought DCC did away with all that - or have you realised that there's no future in it and actually a basic DC system is better?  ;D

Looking forward to more photos of Cliffhanger and may the force be with you...

[pilotfriend]

Why so much wiring.......................

when DCC needs just 2 wires?

Firstly, Cliffhanger is long and the fiddle yard is longer than CG even.

I have droppers for power on every rail length

I have sensing, slow down and stop sections for the automation.

I have manual-over ride on point control.

I have annunciators for point positions on  manual over-ride control panel

This equates for miles of wiring.

The electrical control panels are not even made yet which is another layer on top of all of this.

County Gate was the same, having consumed 18 reels of wire!

[Tigger]

However Llanmynach and Tawel-llety could be persuaded to start their own theme and leave you free to tell us of the latest developments in preparation for our being able to see the real thing at Warley.

It's probably fair if I do just that!  At least then it gives the rest of you the chance to hijack it with a bit of thread-drift - and in the knowledge that I daren't complain!

[pilotfriend]

This is the second board being wired.

The double angle at the bottom makes it very easy to tip it up and access beneath


wiring under way

[Tigger]

Very impressive John.  As I said in an earlier note, it's nice to see a layout being built 'away from the norm', vertically and not table-top.  Also noted are the hand-holds.  We had similar on the MRC's 7mm 'Happisburgh' layout.  I called then 'Euroholes' as they were metric in one dimension but Imperial in the other!  Designing proper handholds into an exhibition layout is vital.

[pilotfriend]

Quite right. CG also has handholds and essential they are too. Once built, two castors will be fitted on the underside so the panels can be wheeled along vertical.

The weak point of CG was the time needed for setup and knockdown. The rebuild has mitigated this by an hour on knockdown but it is still a business.

The estimated build time for Cliffhanger is one hour (plus time needed to rail stock).

[pilotfriend]

All the basic wiring is now installed on Cliffhanger and that is how it shall have to be left as shortly I am off to Oz for a month.