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