Scale Clocks

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Serjt-Dave
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Scale Clocks

Postby Serjt-Dave » Sun Oct 04, 2020 5:40 pm

Does anyone know if anyone produces a scale clock on any description? I thought MERG may have done but no. I quite like the type on the Southwark Bridge layout I saw on their layout.

Keep Safe

Dave

Daddyman
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Re: Scale Clocks

Postby Daddyman » Mon Oct 05, 2020 7:33 am


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Serjt-Dave
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Re: Scale Clocks

Postby Serjt-Dave » Mon Oct 05, 2020 2:37 pm

Perhaps I should have made myself more clear Daddyman! What I meant was a working clock telling the time in scale. So you can operate from a working train timetable. My old ZTC controller had one built into it.

But thanks anyway.

Keep Safe

Dave

Daddyman
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Re: Scale Clocks

Postby Daddyman » Mon Oct 05, 2020 3:42 pm

Ah!

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Serjt-Dave
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Re: Scale Clocks

Postby Serjt-Dave » Mon Oct 05, 2020 3:43 pm

Not a problem. The thought was there. LOL.

Dave

nigelcliffe
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Re: Scale Clocks

Postby nigelcliffe » Mon Oct 05, 2020 4:37 pm

There is a software one implemented inside JMRI, so that's an option if a computer to run JMRI is available. Raspberry PI plus a display would be fairly cheap and compact.


I doubt its that hard to "roll your own" with an Arduino and a display module. This looks to be a simple starting place - get that running, then add a few more buttons to alter the scaling factor, and perhaps a "stop/go" button for the clock.
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/pl ... ver-4613aa

My limited experience of "scale time" stuff on most model railways is that it needs to be variable. Faster some times to reflect long waits when nothing happens (because the train has five miles to travel at 20 mph), and a bit slower when there are shunting or other moves on-scene.



- Nigel

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Will L
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Re: Scale Clocks

Postby Will L » Mon Oct 05, 2020 9:35 pm

There is no such thing as scale time.

Movements over scale distances at scale speeds take the same time as the original.

A clock which runs fast will make it impossible to run an actual working time table of any complexity to time.

When we (CAG) operated Preston, which runs to a prototypical time table, we would have needed a clock which ran slow as we couldn't get the moves done in time, despite being set at a quite time of day.

A clock which can click forward to skip over time when nothing happens is a possibility but does not travel at a constant speed. A display driven off a computerised version of the timetable might produce what you need?

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Serjt-Dave
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Re: Scale Clocks

Postby Serjt-Dave » Tue Oct 06, 2020 1:37 pm

Hi Nigel and Will and thanks for your response. This all sounds like it's getting too complicated for what I need. To be honest I just fancied a small clock built into the top of my control panel to balance out the amp meter I've had to install at the bottom of my control panel. Watching the videos of Southwark Bridge got me thinking about having a scale clock but it looks like it's going to be impractical to work on my smallish layout and just having one person operating it.

What I could do is get a normal clock and move the numbers on it's face further apart. That will give me more time! LOL.

Thanks again.

Keep Safe

Dave

martin goodall
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Re: Scale Clocks

Postby martin goodall » Tue Oct 06, 2020 1:49 pm

You could, of course, dispense with the clock altogether, and just run through the sequence (the times shown in the WTT being purely nominal).

I wrote a letter in the Railway Modeller making this suggestion as long ago as 1966 (!)

ted.stephens
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Re: Scale Clocks

Postby ted.stephens » Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:00 am

Dave,

I have made a video for you giving details about how the clock was put together on the Southwark Bridge Layout. This has been posted to Youtube and can be found on this link

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu6v-fM3UCjOrB3cueyL4y8eZQwo-OFnM

The image files and computer program source code required for the clock have been posted to Google Drive and can be downloaded from this location

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1j29cEmx7HBI-D8gafcPYDNR2g90Svcxj?usp=sharing

It's probably overkill for what you want but it may be of interest to others.

ted.stephens
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Re: Scale Clocks

Postby ted.stephens » Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:56 am

Update

A new website has been built for the Southwark Bridge Layout and can be found at:-

https://www.southwarkbridgelayout.org.uk/

This gives access to the videos published for Virtual Scaleforum 2020 plus other videos relating to particular topics such as the Gasworks. There is also a section for Downloads where you can find documents, drawings, photos and 3D models mentioned in the videos.

This site will be updated from time to time as new material is produced.

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Serjt-Dave
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Re: Scale Clocks

Postby Serjt-Dave » Wed Oct 21, 2020 10:01 am

Hi Ted, thanks for your replies. It was watching your videos on Southwark Bridge that got my mind a thinking about a scale clock. But as you say it's a bit overkill for what I need. A great idea anyway.

Had a quick look through your new website, some lovely images of the layout. One I like is of a T3. I built one of those many years ago from a Falcon Brass kit {" "}, very little instruction and not much in the way of parts. LOL.

All Best and Keep Safe

Dave


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