new loco for cliffhanger

[invercloy]

Aaw, and I was excited about being able to run a 7 coach train on Isle Ornsay - damn you, John!  ;D

[Tigger]

Don't get too excited!  When the mood takes, I can run an 8-coach excursion on the L&TR!!!

[Tigger]

PS - Copyright Tim Easter & Railway Modeller, 2011.

[pilotfriend]

The reality is that I have found the longer trains are much more appreciated in exhibition than the normal every day L&B consists. We have retained just one typical short L&B train now hauled by Lyn.

Our River Brue Mallet hauls seven coaches and Avon 9 bogie wagons. This is despite the fact that both locos have two class 08 chassis. The front power bogie has relatively less adhesion due to the Mallet articulation.

To better explain the DCC comments between TedP and myself:-

Our automation has slow down, stop and sensor sections (these may give the command to change points, start another train, switch on and off lights, blow whistle or initiate a video) cut into one rail of the track. Once a loco runs onto a section, a single command is sent by the rails to the train from the computer.


I shall say this only once

If there happens to be a momentary loss of current connection at that moment, the train will not 'hear' the command and will happily carry on and run head first into oblivion!



This is why we ensure that this cannot happen by using so many pickup wheels.

An additional problem is that we always have a function chip in the end vehicle to switch on and off the tail lamp. The system has to know that this is not another train or yet again, mayhem would result.

Your double header looks good Tigger. Sorry Tom!

[Tigger]

Many thanks John.  One of the locos was built by me and the other by a friend who borrowed mine to use as reference to build his and later bequethed it to me.

Your photo of the head-on reminds me of a similar incident on my railway in the late '70s.  It happened when a friend's reverse-polarity Joueff Decauville and my steam railcar (built onto a Warship chassis) got onto the same section!  My railcar held the rails but his Decauville ended up in the field!

[Hobby]

If there happens to be a momentary loss of current connection at that moment, the train will not 'hear' the command and will happily carry on and run head first into oblivion!

I can confirm that, usually at the loop in the front and also when John has gone for his hourly fag break...  ;)

[pilotfriend]

" can confirm that, usually at the loop in the front and also when John has gone for his hourly fag break..."

Quite right. The new station layout solves most of the problems.


old layout

new layout

The removal of all 12" Peco points from the main line has also helped matters considerably.

We also suffered from occasional abberations of the digital messages. Finally, the bulk of these were found to be mains electricity spikes which were being picked up by the system. I had installed my transformers in the baseboards and this was eventually found to be the flaw. All mains now stays on the floor and the ten or so transformers individually lead low voltage to the baseboards. Every low voltage feed had to have a different design plug so that it is impossible to make a mistake plugging in. When exhibiting in Holland, the railway ran for hours at a time without problem. Finally I discovered that the power supply was quite special at that show.

Among the CG Desperados however, there was an alternative explanation.

This was that the layout was actually controlled by myself using psychokinesis. I would 'go out of range' when disappearing for a fag!

The complexity of automation on County Gate has meant that it has taken some time to be assured of near perfect operation. Nothing quite like it had been done before using this equipment and we had a very steep learning curve. Prior to mothballing, County Gate now runs for an average of 2 hours before something daft happens! This is more likely to be rolling stock issues these days.

[tedp]

Perhaps it's time for DCC control using bluetooth instead of having to rely on wheel-rail contact. Although I suspect you'll have trouble from mobile phones playing havoc with the digital commands.

Nice trackwork by the way.

[pilotfriend]

I can just imagine someone sending a photo of the line and the trains going mad if we used Bluetooth. It would be hell. The problems are really solved now and an article will be going into BRM at some point.

Glad you like the track
JdF

[Hobby]

County Gate now runs for an average of 2 hours before something daft happens!

Think I might frame that and stick it in a prominent position at the front of the layout (when John isn't looking!)...  ;D

[pilotfriend]

Sounds like a plan Blair but knowing you, you will put superglue on the rails or introduce white cat hairs into the mechanisms! ;D ;D ;D

worse, you might paint one of my locos pink!

[invercloy]

Although I suspect you'll have trouble from mobile phones playing havoc with the digital commands.

There's an app for that ;)

[pilotfriend]

Does that piece of kit stop Blair painting locos pink? ;D

[membership]

As there seems to be an interest in mallets I thought you might like this

[pilotfriend]

A very handsome beast