The Potters Orchid Railway

A place for the discussion of garden railways and any garden style/scale portable and/or indoor layouts
User avatar
tom_tom_go
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4824
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:08 am
Location: Kent, UK
Contact:

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:55 am

What is the distance from point to lever out of interest?

User avatar
philipy
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 5033
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:00 pm
Location: South Northants

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by philipy » Sun Aug 05, 2018 8:00 am

Phil,
This guy sells it by the metre :
http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayIS ... 2000&ver=0

and this is for a full 50M roll:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-OT-S ... SwBdRbYKDb

There are others just search on ebay for "shimano gear cable casing"
Philip

User avatar
IanC
Trainee Driver
Trainee Driver
Posts: 798
Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2016 9:15 am
Location: Nr. Warrington, Cheshire

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by IanC » Sun Aug 05, 2018 9:06 am

Excellently engineered solution. Do you find time to sleep and eat?

Ian
Ian

User avatar
Peter Butler
Driver
Driver
Posts: 5219
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:33 pm
Location: West Wales

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by Peter Butler » Sun Aug 05, 2018 9:59 am

I have had a cable system operating on my railway for over a year now and can confirm the system works well and hasn't suffered from weather related issues either.
There are no cranks involved as the wire works on a push-pull basis and is able to allow a loco to run through a point set against it even though one cable is three metres long and has various curves in its run......
IMG_4634.JPG
IMG_4634.JPG (201.62 KiB) Viewed 5806 times
IMG_4633.JPG
IMG_4633.JPG (183.13 KiB) Viewed 5806 times
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?

User avatar
Hydrostatic Dazza
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1167
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 4:17 am
Location: Brisbane
Contact:

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by Hydrostatic Dazza » Sun Aug 05, 2018 10:22 pm

pandsrowe wrote: Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:50 am I do like this system of operating points, so neat and relatively unobtrusive. Do you know if the Shimano casing is available in long lengths? So far my internet trawl has not come up with anything over 2.1mtrs and I will need around 5mtrs for the longest run on my railway.
4mm Shimano STI casing is available in a 50 meter shop box roll.
You would need to get a packet of casing caps, do not use the alloy ones, they oxidise in no time at all. The black plastic with the rubber grommet are super.
Perhaps the local bike shop has a shop roll and they can you off a 5m length for a tener ?
or a 6 pack of beer :-)
Last edited by Hydrostatic Dazza on Sun Aug 05, 2018 10:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Cheers from Dazza, The Hydrostatic Lubricator 8)
The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied. Douglas Adams

User avatar
Hydrostatic Dazza
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1167
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 4:17 am
Location: Brisbane
Contact:

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by Hydrostatic Dazza » Sun Aug 05, 2018 10:30 pm

tom_tom_go wrote: Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:55 am What is the distance from point to lever out of interest?
The longest runs to points will be 3m
The longest runs to signals will be 4m
Most are shorter.
I am using cable caps that have a rubber gromit in the end that helps reduce moisture and dirt entry.
Even though the casing has a Teflon liner tube, one smears a non petroleum type very thin grease on the wire at you thread it into the casing. "Slick Honey" is my favourite brew for bicycle cabling for many years and I will use it when I do the final installation on the POR.
Last edited by Hydrostatic Dazza on Sun Aug 05, 2018 11:26 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Cheers from Dazza, The Hydrostatic Lubricator 8)
The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied. Douglas Adams

User avatar
Hydrostatic Dazza
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1167
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 4:17 am
Location: Brisbane
Contact:

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by Hydrostatic Dazza » Sun Aug 05, 2018 10:32 pm

Peter Butler wrote: Sun Aug 05, 2018 9:59 am I have had a cable system operating on my railway for over a year now and can confirm the system works well and hasn't suffered from weather related issues either.
There are no cranks involved as the wire works on a push-pull basis and is able to allow a loco to run through a point set against it even though one cable is three metres long and has various curves in its run......

IMG_4634.JPG
IMG_4633.JPG
Peter's pictures were my inspiration for my system set up to the lever frame.
I am yet to prove it all works, but I am confident.
Cheers from Dazza, The Hydrostatic Lubricator 8)
The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied. Douglas Adams

User avatar
Hydrostatic Dazza
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1167
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 4:17 am
Location: Brisbane
Contact:

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by Hydrostatic Dazza » Sun Aug 05, 2018 11:00 pm

IanC wrote: Sun Aug 05, 2018 9:06 am Excellently engineered solution. Do you find time to sleep and eat?

Ian
Do not watch TV is number one.
Just do stuff and enjoy it and the people around what you do. For example if I am to do the Saturday morning grocery shopping, I go at 7.30am when the shops are opening, get in and out, home and unpack and all is done by 8.30am, then the day is free to do the important stuff. We eat very good clean food. However I do not keep the vegie garden up to speed these days.
Beats me how people fluff about, dawdle down to the shops at 9- 10am, sit about drinking a coffee, then stroll around like it is entertainment and then do some of the shopping, get home at lunch time have lunch, their useful time begins at 1.00 pm. Life is too short for that nonsense. Social time with others is good, but fluff time is a waste.
I sleep 8 hours most nights, I am in bed by 9 or 10 each evening, up at 5 to 6 am when the first Magpie farts.
One secret we have is that Mary Ann (MAM) and I do not have any children due to the circumstances of our past. MAM does lots of stuff, she was away for two days at pottery workshop this weekend just gone. I am up at Gympie next weekend spending time around steam. Tomorrow I am have a day off and doing more railmotor training. I often work on public holidays and often our holidays are days off to do stuff. We like to go camping, simple camping, not the consumer type camping.
We also do our best to not let the media tell me how to spend our money and our time. They are even using marketing terms now like "Binge watch now the new TV series, down load etc" "Binge" is now a common and general marketing term WTF !! We have a very nice house but we drive second hand cars because that allows us to spend our hard earned gold coin on travel, doing our hobbies, doing stuff. Driving around in a brand new shiny bucket of nuts and bolts for the 2 week long new car feeling is such a waste of ones's income. My old station wagon is 13 years old (bought second hand), in good working order and I spend $ to keep it in good working order but bits of plastic are falling off. (sigh) Bumps and scratches. It is our ute, camping car and my run around if needed. MAM has a little Toyota that was 4 years old, cost $10,000 , not $24,000. Our neighbours are renting, but have two new cars, and a power boat and trailer !

Another thing is I listen to ABC Radio National for most of my working day, that is my brain food as I work. No need or desire to watch the TV news, internet news or Newspapers. ABC Jazz while I am in the Red Room. Nick Cave when I do the house cleaning.
Cheers from Dazza, The Hydrostatic Lubricator 8)
The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied. Douglas Adams

User avatar
pandsrowe
Trainee Fireman
Trainee Fireman
Posts: 246
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2014 12:15 pm
Location: West Norfolk, UK

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by pandsrowe » Mon Aug 06, 2018 8:23 am

Thank you all for the various suggestions as to where long lengths of Shimano cabling can be obtained. Obviously my internet search engine was having an off day as none of those appeared when I tried, I must get some orders in soon as I can't believe how quickly the year is going and before we know it winter will be setting in and it will be too late to do anything outside.
Phil

User avatar
ge_rik
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 6497
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Cheshire
Contact:

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by ge_rik » Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:04 am

I agree with you about listening to talk radio while pottering about. I have Radio 4 on almost continuously. Keeps me up to date, entertained, amused and curious.

The programme on R4 at the moment is all about fostering children's creativity, for example. Fascinating stuff.

Rik
------------------------
Peckforton Light Railway - Blog Facebook Youtube

User avatar
BorisSpencer
Fireman
Fireman
Posts: 251
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 2:36 pm
Location: East Northants

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by BorisSpencer » Mon Aug 06, 2018 1:50 pm

pandsrowe wrote: Mon Aug 06, 2018 8:23 am Thank you all for the various suggestions as to where long lengths of Shimano cabling can be obtained. Obviously my internet search engine was having an off day as none of those appeared when I tried, I must get some orders in soon as I can't believe how quickly the year is going and before we know it winter will be setting in and it will be too late to do anything outside.
Another option is to visit your local (independent) bike shop. They will usually have cable on drums and I'm sure will be happy to supply lengths to your requirements.

User avatar
FWLR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4262
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:45 am
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by FWLR » Sat Aug 11, 2018 8:37 am

Or have a son-in-law who is a cycle mechanic, I have…… ;) ;)

User avatar
Hydrostatic Dazza
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1167
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 4:17 am
Location: Brisbane
Contact:

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by Hydrostatic Dazza » Sun Aug 12, 2018 11:10 am

The Tunneling contractors commenced work today. More reports on this in the weeks to come.

Image

The ST contractors were completing the boxing for the Orchid Loop lever frame base.
MAM stuffing clay into the corners.


Image

Mixed and poured the slab

Image
Cheers from Dazza, The Hydrostatic Lubricator 8)
The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied. Douglas Adams

User avatar
Peter Butler
Driver
Driver
Posts: 5219
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:33 pm
Location: West Wales

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by Peter Butler » Sun Aug 12, 2018 1:40 pm

That looks familiar...
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?

User avatar
Hydrostatic Dazza
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1167
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 4:17 am
Location: Brisbane
Contact:

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by Hydrostatic Dazza » Sun Aug 12, 2018 9:37 pm

Peter Butler wrote: Sun Aug 12, 2018 1:40 pm That looks familiar...
Does it ?
We had to hang the frame base off the wall to get it all to fit, box it down the block wall. A Pendle Valley Goods Shed will cover the lever frame and battery box for the lights. The faux but realistic /smaller box will be in the Y of the Loop Junction.
Cheers from Dazza, The Hydrostatic Lubricator 8)
The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied. Douglas Adams

User avatar
FWLR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4262
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:45 am
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by FWLR » Mon Aug 13, 2018 11:44 am

Some real serious construction work being done there….

User avatar
Hydrostatic Dazza
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1167
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 4:17 am
Location: Brisbane
Contact:

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by Hydrostatic Dazza » Mon Aug 13, 2018 10:16 pm

FWLR wrote: Mon Aug 13, 2018 11:44 am Some real serious construction work being done there….
We have fierce storms here in Summer, down pours, then heat and humidity, and the bush turkeys will scratch and tear up every thing so the Lever Frame needed a secure fixing base with a good weather proof cover for the frames. Every spider and mud wasp known to man kind along with cane toads will also move in. There is 12 cables emanating from the frame, we had the timber for boxing squirreled away in corners of the workshops and we had two bags of premix left over from the track bed laying so away we went on a Sunny Queensland Winter Morning. It was nice to use up materials laying about. We may also be able to use the boxing again for the Potters Junction Lever frame base but that will be later this year or next year, so I will prise it off carefully.
I am dreading making up the production line of signal assembly. Errrrrr Yukkkkkk.I best chase these up, the kits were held up waiting for their wooden posts.
When the signals and light wire runs are in place then MAM and I can start the process of Terra Forming with advice from Slartibartfast , that will be fun. MAM is itching to start planting but that is still a long way away at our current rate of progress.
Cheers from Dazza, The Hydrostatic Lubricator 8)
The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied. Douglas Adams

User avatar
FWLR
Driver
Driver
Posts: 4262
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:45 am
Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by FWLR » Tue Aug 14, 2018 9:05 am

Anne is the same as MAM. She wants to plant more stuff and get her little Slate Mine built, but at the moment, we are having some seriously heavy rain…So that is on the back burner. Seems like you are both in the Tropics with all that wildlife. But I suppose some parts of Australia is classed has being Tropical.

User avatar
Hydrostatic Dazza
Driver
Driver
Posts: 1167
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 4:17 am
Location: Brisbane
Contact:

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by Hydrostatic Dazza » Sun Aug 19, 2018 7:04 am

This weekend the S & T contractors have been on the job at the POR.
The head foredog and leading sheephand are contemplating installation of the Modratec frame.

Image

The old base for a jig that was used to make time trial handle bars for the Australian Cycling team some 18 years ago was chopped up and re-purposed for the base for the lever frame.
A few holes here, a few threads here, a stainless steel screw here and there and some brass in there and over there.

Image

Image

Image

Then the contractors left the workshop for the on site work this lovely winter's day in Queensland. The wind is blowing and branchs are falling all about but the mob presses on. A few 6mm Dyno bolts and the frame and base is in.
Connecting up begins. First the points. All works as sweet as can be expected. No problem.


Image

Image

Image

Image

Then the signal with the longest wire run (3.5m ) to the frame was next, I only have one prototype signal at this time. (Pendle Valley Kit). I had to muck about with the crank dimensions to take up the lost motion. One wants too much travel and then it is easier to elongate the crank holes the wire and or rod hooks into. In the end we have a win. Now to take some final dimensions and tweak the pencil drawings before committing all to CAD drawings.


Image

Image

Image

What the driver and fireman will see when they leaving the cutting and about to cross the MVR under arch bridge, the distant for the Orchid Loop points. There will be a short tunnel behind # 1 Distant.

Image

The day will come when all the signals are in place (the signals are only in place for running days), the light wires laid and then the terra forming begins, followed by the paths and picnic table bench etc. Maybe by summer 2019/2020 most will be in place. Till then it looks like a building site but there is a tidy vision there.
Cheers from Dazza, The Hydrostatic Lubricator 8)
The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied. Douglas Adams

User avatar
pandsrowe
Trainee Fireman
Trainee Fireman
Posts: 246
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2014 12:15 pm
Location: West Norfolk, UK

Re: The Potters Orchid Railway

Post by pandsrowe » Sun Aug 19, 2018 8:13 am

Dazza, lots of progress there I do wonder sometimes how many hours there are in a day in Australia, clearly more than the UK!
I have now managed to buy a roll of gear casing so hopefully I will be remotely operating my points in the near future. One question, when looking for suppliers of 1.2mm stainless wire I see the majority are selling it anealled, presumably so it can be rolled up easily for posting. Do you think that this may cause a problem as opposed to using hard wire?
Phil

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests