Well I finally got around to installing the power substation for the electrified district at the Macy Moly Mine. 100_0468-1 by John Moore posted Aug 20, 2020 at 3:16 PM Also installed the power feed mast for the track. That bent rail spike is from mile 1 of the old RF&P that was used to hold a switch open or closed and now serving as a weight while glue dries. One steel catenary mast is installed and two wood masts. More masts will be installed later, all wood type. 100_0468-2 by John Moore posted Aug 20, 2020 at 3:16 PM And I fibbed when I said that was the last electric loco build, the bug bit and I built a double cab single unit. 100_0467-2 by John Moore posted Aug 19, 2020 at 11:30 AM Unit made from a Bandai express car with some Kato parts and that powerful little Bandai 8 wheel drive mechanism under it with weights in the shell. Pulls 40 cars with ease.
With the power substation now set in I set about installing catenary in the mine yard. 100_0469-1 by John Moore posted Aug 21, 2020 at 2:30 PM 100_0470-2 by John Moore posted Aug 21, 2020 at 2:30 PM Stopping here to repair the ballast and scenic materials disrupted by the pole installations. Then the next phase will be to do the canyon installation of poles up to the main line. I am about ready to make a small order of catenary wire to try it out. This wire is pre-made and comes in various lengths up to 300 mm. As far as cleaning the track I have a Woodland Scenic's Tidy Track cleaning set which allows me to get under the wire. 100_0471-3 by John Moore posted Aug 21, 2020 at 2:48 PM
John, where do you get your wire? I tried hanging 26AWG nickle-silver wire myself for my trolley line. But that didn't work. Power dropouts due to contaminants on the wire caused the DCC logic to reset every few inches.
I am looking at and will order some Sommerfeldt N Scale Catenary from a Canadian site that carries it. I will not try to power the locos off the wire. Just for appearance only.
I'm told that pure DC (direct wire, no DCC circuitry) will work with dirty wire, just like dirty track. It's the DCC circuits that are the problem, even switched to DC mode. Apparently the circuits were not designed with a carry-through capability, at least with ESU, my only experience.
Not being an electrical whiz I try to keep things simple. Plus add to the fact that the wire comes assembled in pre-made sections that means I would have to do a lot of soldering to get a long section and every joint would be some current loss. My first order of wire should be here within a month if mail is flowing between here and Canada. The 300 mm sections are back ordered and that is what I need most, go figure.
Last night I finished restoring the scenic material from putting the mine yard catenary poles in. I remembered seeing a line car back when I made an order from Shapeways. Went back and looked at it then thought about it for awhile. The result is that I have ordered one this morning. That car is much better than my cobbled together one and after some measuring I believe a Kato mechanism or a Bandai one will fit the car. But in case they do not fit I ordered the under frame for it also. The line car I ordered is the CNSM 604 car.
With my new line car probably shipping late this week I received an E-mail reference cleaning left behind deposits. Since this is my first Shapeways car I did some reading on the best ways to clean it. There were cautions about using bestine or acetone in that there were reported softening occurring and some damage. Reading further others have used Dawn detergent and Simple Green with good results so that will be my route, putting a solution of each in an ultrasound bath and running them through that. There is enough negatives on either bestine or acetone to keep me clear of using that stuff, I don't care to loose a $30 investment. There is reference to using Tamiya surface primer prior to painting but I will use Vallejo's primer instead since I have switched to almost all Vallejo paints. Measured out the spacing on the next batch of catenary poles and masts and will start installing them probably today.
Finally crossed the bridge with the catenary masts and have started down the mine branch. Stopping for tonight as I brace up a few cat masts and let glue dry. 100_0473-1 by John Moore posted Aug 23, 2020 at 7:20 PM I definitely have to brace this one mast. 100_0474-2 by John Moore posted Aug 23, 2020 at 7:20 PM
Finally got through the canyon with catenary poles and the curves really eat up the poles. The poles are also Kato as is the steel masts. 100_0477-3 by John Moore posted Aug 24, 2020 at 12:10 PM Now ready for the line crew. Decided to bring the cat mast and poles around the curve and into the engine facility. I have 13 double track steel masts which when split into single track mast give me 26 and just enough pole types to go in the engine service facility. 100_0476-2 by John Moore posted Aug 24, 2020 at 12:10 PM So it is back to the workbench to paint the mast bases and the insulators and install line tensioners every so often. In the photo below are a double track steel mast, a single steel mast, and the wood poles. Also visible are the bases that are designed to go under unitrack. 100_0478-4 by John Moore posted Aug 24, 2020 at 12:44 PM I also ordered four Bandai freight electrics since the supply seems to be drying up. And I may be going with TomTec power chassis since the Bandai ones are in short supply also.
Finally rounded the curve at the East end of the layout and switched from steel mast supports to a single pole support. 100_0480-1 by John Moore posted Aug 25, 2020 at 12:54 PM I now am at the entrance to the engine service area and it will be all pole mounted catenary from here on in because of space needs. 100_0482-2 by John Moore posted Aug 25, 2020 at 12:54 PM Probably install 1 or 2 more poles past this point. 100_0483-3 by John Moore posted Aug 25, 2020 at 12:54 PM I will have some steel masts left over after this and am thinking whether to extend the catenary down into the port area or the main line in the back of the layout.
Late this afternoon I drilled holes and sunk the last catenary poles in the engine service area. Not glued in yet so they still have to be glued and braced. 100_0492-1 by John Moore posted Aug 26, 2020 at 6:42 PM Having poles left I started working toward the West end of the layout and the last one sunk in a hole can be seen just over the top of the metal silos of the animal feed processing plant. 100_0493-2 by John Moore posted Aug 26, 2020 at 6:42 PM I still have poles and steel masts left so probably will cross the bridge and work around the curve to the front mainline.
Late today I started across the back bridge and I used my bridge and trestle mount bases for the first time. These are part of Kato's catenery base kit 25-056 for bridges and trestles. In the picture are the standard base on the steel mast and on the wood pole is the bridge base. 100_0495-1 by John Moore posted Aug 27, 2020 at 5:57 PM I have left about 12 poles to complete the whole main line in catenary, not my original intention. Originally I set out to just put the mine yard and spur plus up to the front of the station and have ended up doing it all. Total cost so far is about $50. I just have this small section and the mainline is complete from the highway tunnel to the front main. 100_0494=2 by John Moore posted Aug 27, 2020 at 5:57 PM My cat wire will be a little longer in coming because I am awaiting the vendor to be resupplied from either Germany or Switzerland. I now have the option of running electric, diesel, or steam on the layout. I ordered 4 Bandai freight electrics and they should be here in a few days. These little guys are about 34 N scale feet long and are ideal for my tight mainline radius of 8.5. 10407041a-2-1 by John Moore posted Aug 27, 2020 at 6:24 PM 10407035a3-6 by John Moore posted Aug 24, 2020 at 3:13 PM Since the supply of Bandai mechanisms have dried up for now I will power these with either a Kato or a Tomytec mechanism.
I finished the main line and decided to bring the electric down to the port train station when I found an overlooked pack of cat poles. 100_0497-1 by John Moore posted Aug 28, 2020 at 5:53 PM . I have decided to electrify the port feed track and when the order for additional poles and mast gets in I will start.
The track ballast and scenic work to restore things after the catenary installation is well underway. First order of business was to clean the track using WD-40 and my Tidy Track cleaner with a coarse scrubbing pad on it. 100_0499-1 by John Moore posted Aug 30, 2020 at 12:12 PM You can see that I can reach under the cat masts and the head of the device can rotate so I can use it to the side also. And I shot of my mini vacs. The silver one can operate off a 9 volt and can be cordless or also work off of a wall transformer. The other little black one works off of a USB cable with a USB transformer plugged into a wall outlet. And for a more powerful vac I have my corded plug in Bissell with a crevice tool. 100_0500-2 by John Moore posted Aug 30, 2020 at 12:12 PM Taking time also to reposition some of my crossing gates and signal masts.
Since I am working on the layout I decided to do something about the lousy highway below the cliffs. The stream is crossed by a rail and highway bridge. 100_0501-3 by John Moore posted Aug 30, 2020 at 4:09 PM So I am widening the highway plus putting in a pedestrian walkway. 100_0503-4 by John Moore posted Aug 30, 2020 at 4:09 PM A strip of thick styrene and some structural shapes plus some fence. I am not concerned with underneath since it will not show. It will show better when it gets a little paint. Then I am going to rip out the trees below the cliff to widen the road. The two cent project should be done tonight.
And my add on bridge structure is ready to be attached to the existing bridge. 100_0506-5 by John Moore posted Aug 30, 2020 at 6:09 PM
Got the new bridge addition installed last night and started widening the highway. Have to top coat the highway today and then paint it with an acrylic black. 100_0514-2 by John Moore posted Aug 31, 2020 at 10:41 AM My Shapeways line car may arrive today.
Well I got my EF65 and EF81 electric locos late this afternoon and a short while later my line car. 100_0515-4 by John Moore posted Aug 31, 2020 at 6:43 PM The electrics do not fit any chassis that I have so I either have to modify the subframe or go on a hunt for a mechanism. I can say the same for the line car as it doesn't fit with Kato 11-105 or 107. The body is too narrow. Fortunately as you can see in the picture I ordered the underframe for it at the same time. Just have to find wheels that fit the trucks. So the line car is in the ultrasound bath in a solution of Simple Green and water while I start to research the web for mechanisms that may fit the electrics. Fortunately I downloaded this site which may help me. http://www.trainweb.org/tomix/chassis_dim.htm
