7mm North Kent Yard
- Thread starter Hobbyhorse
- Start date
Hobbyhorse
Western Thunderer
I'm still pondering with the small cameo type layout, but have three extra baseboards the thought of a bit more narrow gauge is in the design mix, but centred around the Gantry Crane recovered from the NKLR, so time to get the crane working.
Originally controlled using RC with a Del Tang receiver it wasn’t that reliable and as these aren’t available at the moment, so altering the control system to a wired should solve the reliability problems.
And using the motor controllers from transfer cranes, work just like the RC setup.
The most difficult bit of the modification is with 3 motors 6 wires need to traverse the various sections for the crane, with pick ups to transfer the current from the frames to the two carriages. I wanted to keep the mods as simple as possible and didn’t want it to impact visually.
Luckily when I built the crane I mounted the rails on copper clad which has helped with the power distribution with two wires only needed for the crane control tower and four from the frames, using 4mm bull head rail soldered on it sides to 2mm scale copper clad sleepers, these strips are then glued next to the carriage rails. The reason to use the 4mm rail is it provides a good channel for the pick ups to run in, each pick up has two wipers.
This setup seems to work well, not sure yet as to have the controls moveable mounted in a box our fitted into the layout, as these will still be used with the two transfer cranes.
The new name of the project is North Kent Yard, so keeping a bit of the flavour of the old layout alive.
Simon
Originally controlled using RC with a Del Tang receiver it wasn’t that reliable and as these aren’t available at the moment, so altering the control system to a wired should solve the reliability problems.
And using the motor controllers from transfer cranes, work just like the RC setup.
The most difficult bit of the modification is with 3 motors 6 wires need to traverse the various sections for the crane, with pick ups to transfer the current from the frames to the two carriages. I wanted to keep the mods as simple as possible and didn’t want it to impact visually.
Luckily when I built the crane I mounted the rails on copper clad which has helped with the power distribution with two wires only needed for the crane control tower and four from the frames, using 4mm bull head rail soldered on it sides to 2mm scale copper clad sleepers, these strips are then glued next to the carriage rails. The reason to use the 4mm rail is it provides a good channel for the pick ups to run in, each pick up has two wipers.
This setup seems to work well, not sure yet as to have the controls moveable mounted in a box our fitted into the layout, as these will still be used with the two transfer cranes.
The new name of the project is North Kent Yard, so keeping a bit of the flavour of the old layout alive.
Simon
Greengiant
Western Thunderer
Good to see the project resurrected, all be it in a smaller format. Completely understand, the previous version did certainly occupy a lot of space in the shed. It was beautifully built though.
Intrigued about the Deltang reliability issues, what sort of things were happening?
Your chain tube guides, did you flare the ends where the chain enters the tube?
Do you ever get any chain snagging at that entry point when lowering an empty hook?
Be good to pop by and see the layout at some point.
Intrigued about the Deltang reliability issues, what sort of things were happening?
Your chain tube guides, did you flare the ends where the chain enters the tube?
Do you ever get any chain snagging at that entry point when lowering an empty hook?
Be good to pop by and see the layout at some point.
Hobbyhorse
Western Thunderer
I’ve always liked the run down industrial look, and that’s the plan for North Kent Yard. It’s a small section of a much larger busy yard, with various industries feeding into it, my end of it is mostly cement, with standard and narrow gauge lines to the works, the standard gauge line runs off on a tightly curved track, giving the reason for some small privately owned locos. The narrow gauge feeder could run into the cement works, but that’s another story. I’d like to keep the period flexible, most of my rolling stock is pre 40’s but do have a bit of late 70’s blue diesel’s, so as the layout won’t need a lot of stock it’ll be easy to ring the changes.
So expanded the size slightly giving a T shape, using three other leftover boards with a total size of 12’ by 15’ this does include 3’ for the storage area at the bottom of the T, and being hinged overcomes the duck under that was the death nail of the old layout. Luckily the only timber work board has been adding another 12” to the top lefthand board and the new storage board, which is good as I’m not over keen on woodwork.
Using the plan that had taken quite a while to come together the track timber work has started to be set out.
Simon
So expanded the size slightly giving a T shape, using three other leftover boards with a total size of 12’ by 15’ this does include 3’ for the storage area at the bottom of the T, and being hinged overcomes the duck under that was the death nail of the old layout. Luckily the only timber work board has been adding another 12” to the top lefthand board and the new storage board, which is good as I’m not over keen on woodwork.
Using the plan that had taken quite a while to come together the track timber work has started to be set out.
Simon