Cadhay Sidings layout thread

Tell us about your layout, where you put it, how you built it, how you operate it.
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iak
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby iak » Sat Feb 09, 2019 10:53 am

I thought we had reached seasons end with all this misplaced nonsense about Los Marillos...
However, I FEAR some will always be clutching at straws with regards to the past and not be brave enough to move on.
My marbles are well known for being wonky but this band continue to thrill with their sounds which can't be made... :thumb
Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest
enemy of truth....
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Perfection is impossible.
But I may choose to serve perfection....
Robert Fripp


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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Sat Feb 09, 2019 10:46 pm

Agreed. They get better with age and are still original in almost everything they do. It's been a great ride for more years than I care to think about. Looking forward to another new album sometime next year, and the gigs with orchestral friends in the autumn, plus of course the weekend in April.

They really get this Strange Engine into gear. You can feel the Radiation -perhaps it's time for some Holidays in Eden, but only if you're not Afraid of Sunlight, in which case you could go Somewhere Else! Although I know that Happiness is the Road, I'm not sure how to get the (sorely underrated in my view) .com into the discussion, but the real prize is for some one to work Script for a Jester's Tear into it!

Once that is achieved I suppose we should go back to talking about Railways?

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iak
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby iak » Sun Feb 10, 2019 6:50 pm

:D :D :D
Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest
enemy of truth....
Albert Einstein


Perfection is impossible.
But I may choose to serve perfection....
Robert Fripp


https://www.facebook.com/groups/PadgateWorks/

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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:00 am

Just to draw a conclusion to the Marilli-ness in this thread, here's all five (post 1989) members of the band in loco form on Cadhay. These are all Hornby Railroad industrials. It appears there's a prog rock fan in Hornby's graphics department and he's been sneaking in prog related locos for years! These cost me around £15 each. Some have had straight wheel swaps (not worked that well) and the eventual aim when I get time is to scratch build a simple chassis for each. watch this space....

19-02-004.jpg

19-02-005.jpg


Meantime I have made a bit of scenic detailing progress in preparation for Holland this week. The washing line now has clothes hanging on it!!

19-02-006.jpg


Also my mate Chris McCarthy has P4'd the EM LSWR G6 picked up at the Southampton show last year and that had it's first timetable run at yesterday's final practice session before we break down for Houten:

19-02-007.jpg



Cheers

CDG
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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Sat Mar 02, 2019 3:26 pm

Had a great trip to Houten, near Utrecht for the Rail exhibition with Cadhay last weekend. Here's the only two snaps I took as I was a bit busy over the three days.....

19-02-008.jpg


19-02-009.jpg


Layout performed well, with the only mishaps being the 2 point blade actuators I've not switched to the new style through board connection, so they are next on the list of jobs to do.

The signalling and bells created lots of comment and also our uniforms were commented on a fair bit also. Plenty of questions about the AJs and how they worked in the sidings as well.

All in all a thoroughly satisfactory show.

Next up for development is a scrolling LED matrix under the clock to do away with the timetable prints!

Cheers

CDG
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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Sun Mar 10, 2019 7:53 pm

Spent a relaxing day today recovering from a hard day having Cadhay at the Skills day in Linlithgow yesterday. We ran without the curtains up and had lots of conversations of the "how do you?" or "how did you?" variety. I found it a most interesting experience and it was a pleasure to chat to knowledgeable folks all through the day. Even had a chat with a fellow prog fan. And kudos to Dave Gower who made it all the way from the South to inspect the layout for any sign of the copper dome!!!!

Cheers

Chris

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Serjt-Dave
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Serjt-Dave » Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:56 am

Thanks Chris. I really enjoyed seeing your layout on Saturday and had a great time at the event. Well worth the trip up. When you were not looking I planted an IED under the track which is set to take out any GWR intruder. LOL.

All Best

Dave

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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Fri Oct 25, 2019 9:20 pm

Well flipping heck, over 6 months since I posted anything on this! That said not a lot has happened in Cadhay world since March other than the implementation of the speeded up clock and LED Scrolling Matrix displaying the next train details and a successful outing at Cupar MRC Exhibition in July (voted 2nd best layout). To give you a flavour, here's a photo of a right bunch of likely suspects looking smug cos they've just cleaned the track or something...

CuparShow1.jpg

Mainly though this hiatus has been due to work on Burntisland and it's presentation rig this summer taking up most of my spare time (and then some!).

Anyway, now I'm back in Cadhay improvement mindset, work has started on a replacement fiddle yard for the Cadhay ST Mary end. For those that have seen the layout this is the left hand end where the fiddle yard is operated open to the viewers at an exhibition with the off road from the layout coming in from the right. Currently it operates with the original cassettes I built as a temporary solution. It's being replaced with (I hope) an electronically controlled 6 road traverser plus loco storage and run-round facility that should make operating this end a lot easier. Here's a templot output plan for the traverser which will show the idea:

csm_traverser.jpg


As ever with Cadhay this is an experiment so it may not work (first time) but my intention is to post progress along the way.

The traverser will be moved by a stepper motor driving a pair of lead screws via a timing belt whilst running on a pair of linear guide rails as per CNC/3d printer. It will be controlled by a pair of Arduinos, one for control and with a DC power shield to run the locos in "local" (rather than "layout") control mode, and the other to control the stepper motor via an 8825 driver.

The electronics are currently mocked up on a breadboard on my desk looking like this:

Control Electronics.jpg


and the basic frame is now taking shape as per this photo:

Trav Body.jpg


The traverser tray is also built and in the workshop so over the next couple of days the plan is to fit up the belt and try to get the stepper motor to shift the tray! Wish me luck.

CDG
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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Thu Oct 31, 2019 9:56 pm

Correct length timing belt arrived earlier in the week which allowed me to get the traverser motion fitted up and trialled. So far it's looking very accurate in repeat positioning. Spent some time yesterday evening sorting out the Arduino programming for an emergency stop (I envisage the operator may need to stop a move if a coupling snags or something else gets in the way).

Here's a view of the frame showing the transmission by belt from stepper to gears on each end of the lead screws with a pair of belt tensioners (they also allow the belt to be slackened for removal and replacement). The movement of the lead screws is transferred onto the angle that in this shot is at the front. This will in turn be fixed to the track tray that runs on the linear bearing tracks shown in the next image.

Trav Transmission.jpg

Next is an overall of the traverser frame with jury rigged electrics transferred from the desk. Movement angle now further back.

Trav Overall.jpg

This allowed some operational testing and it seems the movement is really quite accurate so far.

Finally I've finalised the control panel design.

Trav Panel.jpg

Just need to laminate and mount onto the plate and I can start fitting the buttons/LEDs etc
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Le Corbusier
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Le Corbusier » Thu Oct 31, 2019 10:51 pm

looking forward to the video :thumb
Tim Lee

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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Mon Nov 18, 2019 7:36 pm

OK so in spite of a load of work on at the moment, I've made a bit of progress on the traverser. In fact today it had it's first full testing of a run round and an engine swap.

There's some video of the engine swap at the youtube link following. Excuse the dodgy camera work - I was operating and filming at the same time, but you get the idea....

https://youtu.be/uXBuQdJ3kC8

More to follow perhaps, once I find a competent cameraman!

Cheers

CDG

DougN
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby DougN » Tue Nov 19, 2019 9:19 am

That is seriously impressive, the ingenuity is fantastic. You could practically sell them! any one to purchase 2 and then all you have to do is build the layout in between or change around to have different layouts with such a great fiddle yard system!
Doug
Still not doing enough modelling

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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Sun Feb 06, 2022 1:34 pm

Well that's over two years since I posted anything on this thread! In that time Cadhay has not been unboxed since the Cupar show in July 2019 until last Wednesday when we got it set up at the East Group's Barbara Ritchie House to prepare for Glasgow. Apart from me having to refer to the layout documentation to remind myself what does what and a couple of relay board issues it really wasn't in bad nick.

However, there's always a "but" with Cadhay and this one is followed by "the extension"!!

Our last two years have been eventful to say the least. 2020 was pretty quiet and mainly isolated whilst shielding my Dad who lived alone and had a lung condition that meant covid was really not a good idea. 2021 has been the year from hell in some respects. Not content with losing my mate Bruce Murray, I'd just committed to take Cadhay to Glasgow when life kicked us in the teeth again and my Dad passed away very suddenly in early May. Some of you will know that Dad and I shared the railway modelling interest and losing him meant I had a period over the summer when I really did not want to get Cadhay out at all. It's never been to an exhibition without him (or in fact Bruce for that matter) and I don't think we'd even had many training sessions without him there helping guide folks. You can see him and Bruce between Sara and McCarthy in the Houten photo earlier in the thread. What with the Executor-ing and having to dismantle the loft layout that he and I built together over 10 years as well, it was really November before I was able to look properly at Cadhay.

So to "the extension" and anyone (who is still) following this thread will also have seen that I'd made a new fiddle yard for the south end of the layout, and having committed to transferring the electrickery from the old fiddle yard to the new one, I couldn't use Cadhay in the old configuration, however future plans dictated that to connect the layout to the new fiddle yard a new scenic baseboard was required. It's been designed for ages & has only a plain length of track on it so it would be pretty painless to build before Glasgow right? - then I got Covid! Whilst symptoms were away within a few days it's left me with a chronic fatigue issue that even now (the covid was early December) means I have to have a kip every so often when I've been concentrating. So of course progress has been slower than I'd wanted.

So that's where we've been. Below are a few photos showing work in progress on the new scenic baseboard. When I get five minutes I'll take a few snaps of the layout up in BRH.

21-01-001.jpg

21-01-002.jpg

21-01-003.jpg

21-01-004.jpg

21-01-005.jpg

21-01-006.jpg

21-01-007.jpg


Oh and did I mention we're also switching the loco fleet to DCC sound and I must thank Nigel Cliffe for his help in this respect

Cheers

CDG
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Paul Willis
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Paul Willis » Sun Feb 06, 2022 6:54 pm

I must say, the new extension is looking just as good as the rest of the layout.

Fingers crossed for Glasgow, and I hope that you enjoy the show even though I'm sure parts of it will be bittersweet.

Cheers
Paul
Beware of Trains - occasional modelling in progress!
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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Tue Feb 08, 2022 5:04 pm

Thanks Paul, In one way I'm looking forward to exhibiting again, but it will be sad without both Dad and Bruce there. I've used a bit of Dad's money to equip the locos with the sound chips and he would I think have liked that. There were over 30 sound equipped locos in his loft!

CDG

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Le Corbusier
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Le Corbusier » Tue Feb 08, 2022 6:24 pm

I hope it will be a positive experience Chris :thumb

The work looks fantastic as usual ;)

All the best

Tim
Tim Lee

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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Mon Feb 28, 2022 3:01 pm

Back at home recovering from the Glasgow Show. Slightly shocked to win Best Layout and definitely welcome after such a fraught build up and a sticky Saturday dealing with issues. Team seemed to enjoy themselves and we had a good crowd on the barriers for most of the show. Some stuff to improve for next time but on the whole I'm not unhappy!

Here's some of my photos of the weekend:

MRS22-01.jpg

MRS22-02.jpg

MRS22-03.jpg

MRS22-04.jpg

MRS22-05.jpg

MRS22-06.jpg

MRS22-07.jpg

MRS22-08.jpg

MRS22-09.jpg


Cheers

Chris
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Winander
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Winander » Mon Feb 28, 2022 3:08 pm

Well deserved, I'd say.
Richard Hodgson
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Philip Hall
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Philip Hall » Mon Feb 28, 2022 4:50 pm

Well done Chris, glad it was a success for you all. I guess it ran all the more smoothly because of the designer gear you're all wearing!

Philip

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Paul Willis
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Paul Willis » Mon Feb 28, 2022 5:18 pm

Congratulations! Thoroughly deserved as an award, by you and the whole team.

A small hint - should you really be thinking about changing the title of this topic? ;-)

All the best,
Paul
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Paul Willis
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Cadhay Caption Competition...

Postby Paul Willis » Mon Feb 28, 2022 5:20 pm

"How do I get BBC2 on this thing?"

MRS22-05.jpg
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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Mon Feb 28, 2022 5:33 pm

Possibly Roger is calculating the tonnage to be shunted using his shunt plan - Roger works on the big railway at the K&WVR and did indeed create a genuine shunt plan for the sidings. Some of us even handed over to him in a position where he could use it!

How do I change the name of the thread? Been thinking about it for a while actually.

CDG

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Paul Willis
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Successfully Made A Start in P4!

Postby Paul Willis » Mon Feb 28, 2022 6:06 pm

CDGFife wrote:
How do I change the name of the thread? Been thinking about it for a while actually.

CDG


When you click on <reply>, just type whatever title you want in the box "Subject: above the text box.

As you'll see, that's what I've just done. :-)

I'll admit that I do see a slightly different view of the Forum as I'm part of the Admin team keeping things neat and tidy (deleting duplicate posts, expired adverts, etc) but I think that it should work the same way for any other user.

Cheers
Paul
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CDGFife
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Post title changed but not thread?

Postby CDGFife » Mon Feb 28, 2022 6:11 pm

Thanks Paul,

Got that (as you can hopefully see) but doesn't that still show the overall topic title as what it was originally? I was thinking to change the whole thing to something like "Cadhay Layout thread" so it makes more sense for anyone looking for it on the index page.

Cheers

CDG

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Paul Willis
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Re: Post title changed but not thread?

Postby Paul Willis » Mon Feb 28, 2022 6:17 pm

CDGFife wrote:Thanks Paul,

Got that (as you can hopefully see) but doesn't that still show the overall topic title as what it was originally? I was thinking to change the whole thing to something like "Cadhay Layout thread" so it makes more sense for anyone looking for it on the index page.


That definitely worked as a post title!

I get what you're looking for. Let me have a delve in the Admin Team's toolbox to see if I can find something suitable to do it for you. Wish me luck - I'm going in!

Paul
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