SP in 1953, Daylight & Overnight

Onizukachan Nov 18, 2018

  1. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    No rush Carl, but that would be excellent if you could measure height.
    When I scenic the module I’m going to put Saran wrap under it so it doesn’t get glued down and can be a “ breakaway “ just in case something does hit it. But I like having it near enough for the spigot to “add water” in the down position. Is also fun to try to hit the mark so it is right where the fill is.
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2020
  2. Carl Sowell

    Carl Sowell TrainBoard Supporter

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    Richard,

    hope this has some value. I measured 3 different manufacturers well car with double stacked containers and each one measured 1-5/8" from top of rail. For grins, I measured an "Auto Max" articulated auto rack made by Atlas, I think, and it was 1-1/2" above top of rail, I also measured a very old Con-Cor auto rack and it too was 1-1/2".

    Stay safe , keep that daughter safe,
    Carl
     
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  3. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks Carl. It won’t clear those for sure.

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    i think I’m just going to make it so I can turn it 90 degrees when someone wants to run double stacks, amd the rest of the time it will clear most stuff. The atlas TOFC are about 1.5 and my tallest cars. Trying to cram a magnet into a semi or maybe the Porsche speedster to see if magnarail might be cool.
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2020
  4. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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  5. Carl Sowell

    Carl Sowell TrainBoard Supporter

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    Richard,

    You are killing me, that is cool! Are you using a micro servo? BTW a Magnorail road would be real neat and really set off the module.

    Now, not to butt in, how far does the fill spout go down on that water tank? Could you just place the water tank on the foamcore board that you are using rather than burying down. Would it then clear the 1-5/8" and still drop the spout down low enough to touch the tender?

    Nice, clever, artistic work!

    carl
     
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  6. JMaurer1

    JMaurer1 TrainBoard Member

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    Last edited: Dec 4, 2020
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  7. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Jeff: now that you’ve educated me on their existence, I’m sure it would in reality, but I had never seen one of those even in photos, just ones of old faded whitish SP wooden towers in yards and small stations and such.
    I’ve been learning more and more about railroads and SP from you, and the rest of the SP gang so thanks to all.


    Since this is intended as an interactive “please touch” TTRAK module I figured ye olde $5 yellow Bachman tower I new-stalgia’d into an animated one a la $85 BLI last year needed to find a home on it. So why not put it just down from the station so kids (of all ages) can press the button to “filler up” when the train stops there.


    Carl: there is a 1/8” neo magnet I just stuck on the steel front axle of the CMW tractor, and a 1/4” neo magnet being moved under the module, in this case by my finger back and forth. Between the two there is enough attraction even at the 3/8 to 1/2” ish distance to still move the truck cab, though actually pulling the trailer gets dicey.
    the idea is to have a Servo on one end of a brass rod thru a brass tube and the neo glued on the other end of it.
    I think this animation of the semi hooking up and un hooking I will save for use on a warehouse scene on another module.

    the water tower spigot has limited Range because of the very close confines around the servo., about 10-15 degrees below horizontal is all she will do. I need to redo the thread over to some stretchy string (EZline) so I don’t have to have a big unrealistic weight on it to keep line taut.
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2020
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  8. Carl Sowell

    Carl Sowell TrainBoard Supporter

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    Richard,

    Just for grins I dug out an oldie. This is an SP 4-10-2 that is Eastbound at either Deming or Lordsburg somewhere around 1950-1955. It's about to spot the tender for water and the double header behind will also, no doubt, take on water.

    [​IMG]

    I also have an image of my favorite loco on the ready track in El Paso. I'll post later.

    I found the other one. The loco is my favorite SP steamer, an AC-9, on the ready track. You can see a water tower far right and on the far left side is the water spout or whatever they were called. The "M" on the mountain was for "Miners" and The Texas College of Mines.
    [​IMG]

    Be well my friend,
    Carl
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2020
  9. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Very nice imagery Carl! Something like that would be easy to animate with a 90degree rotation where I was going to put the other one. wonder if I could make one from a plastic sprue. Hmm.

    I felt the station needed some platform lighting so I installed 3 603 “flood lights” on it, and started getting the wiring together underneath today. I forgot to check if the light hub was set to 3v instead of passthru (the rest of the station is on the 12v DCC bus) so I blew all 3 603s instantly and had the joy of redoing the job a second time.

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    I also now have my adafruit sound card, amp and bowser dual sugar cube speaker mounted underneath on a 5v bus.
    It randomly plays two different length whistles and two different length foghorns recorded from 4449 as well as the bell.

    Cannabalized an old car phone charger to make a 5v converter, just needed a diode added to get it to work on the DCC bus. Otherwise it results in a dead short.


    I also swapped out the Tomix joiners on the trolley line for a set of atlas premades with the sideways leads about the middle of Main Street. only needed a bit of filing on the two pieces to have room for wires to pass thru. Could have made my own but the sideways/offset lead was exactly what I needed for fitment without messing up the roadbed sectional connectors and I had them on hand so I used them.

    still need to wire up the Servo control buttons to the switch pilot. That isn’t going to be fun. 8 buttons, 12 wires (common ground) But it will eventually get done.
    Still haven’t decided what to do with the 4th servo.
     
  10. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    I ordered two Century Foundry cast (close approximations) of the FairBanks Morse 12a wheelless water columns (so I have a spare) like those that would have been used at Santa Barbara and SLO. They will need some additional detailing, but should be able to be drilled and glued to brass rod so they can turn 90 via Servo.
     
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  11. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    And here we are.

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  12. SP-Wolf

    SP-Wolf TrainBoard Supporter

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  13. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Though it looks like a step backwards, it’s a big leap forwards.
    Got the next layer of foam on to build up to tie height where town will be... that will leave only a minimal layer of plaster to make the road itself. Hopefully that makes it easier?

    I’m thinking that styrene sheet would work to make building bases/ blocks. Not sure what thickness to go for though. Maybe build the blocks, skim in the road then have a second layer be the sidewalks and curb? Or a styrene strip be the curb and the sidewalk/ foundation styrene abut it? Would be easy enough to get some magnets and bury them for alignment?

    got some ideas but very open to suggestions or feedback.

    also converted the DC/trolley throttle to use a headphone jack on module front and throttle so I can use a standard 6ft aux cable... and so if it is pulled on it would just unplug.

    I plan to solder in all the button wiring tomorrow and get that done. Still haven’t gotten the insulated Tomix joiners, they should have been here friday, but instead left El Paso and went to Ft Worth before coming back to EP again for some USPS reason.

    on to pictures.

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    Yes, that’s a double length Kato rerailer. :)

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    heres how I put in servos.

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    Last edited: Dec 13, 2020
  14. Tim Holmes

    Tim Holmes TrainBoard Member

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    HI Richard -- I would be really interested in any other pics / drawings / whatever you have about your servo mounting -- im looking at something similar for my N scale switches

    TIM
     
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  15. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Tim, it’s a piece of square wood rod/dowel I got at hobby lobby3/4” x3/4” x36” . It is just slightly taller than the Servo is, so I just cut off a couple pieces , hold the Servo ear against them and then screw the Servo into them.
    Bend up your linkage, apply glue to the blocks amd fine tune the position as you wait for glue to set. If this sounds like a make it up thing, it sorta is. But it works for me.
    The important thing for a turnout is to put an extra z or square bend so you can slightly overdrive the Servo and have the spring action hold points closed.

    if you scan back a few pages you can see a video of one with two linkages on the same Servo, one rod doing about 15-20 degrees for points and one doing 90 for switch stand. That one was grossly over complex but works a treat.

    Above I made a reinforcing block for the brass rod by drilling another block and cutting down to the drilled hole with razor saw/ hacksaw and abutting it because, unlike normal turnout Servo configuration, the tube itself is also rotating. The tube has a heatshrink sleeve so there is no concern of binding, this is strictly for stability as the Servo pushes against the spring action of the rod whilst opening or closing.
     
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2020
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  16. Tim Holmes

    Tim Holmes TrainBoard Member

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    Cool -- I'll look and see what I can find -- IM planning to go with all servos, they just seem like the ideal way to go if you cant afford tortoise
     
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  17. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    I felt the same way.
    I’m using an ESU SwitchPilot Servo 2.0. Runs about $30 at SBS4DCC.com, handles 4 servos, and can run in both analog (button) and DCC control simultaneously. servos are about $1when you buy 10 on eBay. Some music wire and brass tube, for a few bucks more and you are in business for less than a single tortoise.

    Crummy vid from a long while back but so you don’t have to look for it.
    The top/long one is the turnout itself. Take very little rotation to turn the points so you use a long lever arm on the bottom and very very short on top.

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    i hope this helps!
     
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2020
  18. Tim Holmes

    Tim Holmes TrainBoard Member

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    Hi Richard -- quick question -- are you using the rod passing through the brass to throw the points, or is it turning the brass tube itself, and if so how is it connected to the points?
    TIM
     
  19. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    For points, rod thru brass tube.
     
  20. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Got the first building painted.

    the method to my madness becomes clear.

    I painted them all white with spray enamel, because it is easy to erase acrylic craft paints off the top of white, making it easy to keep the trim white and unpaint if the color goes too far.

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