Ringbalin Light Railway

A place for the discussion of garden railways and any garden style/scale portable and/or indoor layouts
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Andrew
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by Andrew » Thu Mar 12, 2020 1:16 pm

Great progress, thanks for the update.

The completed part of the upper trestle is looking great with the stones underneath it...

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Fri Mar 13, 2020 5:18 am

I had a think about the 5% grade and decided that it may be to steep, so I extended the horizontal to 6.1 Metres (20Ft in old money) with a drop of 255mm (10 inches) this gave me a grade of 4.1% which should be OK.
Downhill Side View Extended.JPG
Downhill Side View Extended.JPG (189.18 KiB) Viewed 8645 times
Downhill Length Extended.JPG
Downhill Length Extended.JPG (168.12 KiB) Viewed 8645 times
Because the support rails are in between fence posts I had to put in a small post between the rails, I use some galvanized C Purlin to do it.
Purlin Post.JPG
Purlin Post.JPG (88.48 KiB) Viewed 8645 times
Now that the 2 lines are at the same level they will now pass through a 180 degree 3.1 Metre (10 Ft) Diameter curve leading to a straight which will head back parallel to the lower line at the same height before turning 90 degrees.
I laid some boards out on the ground to get an idea of what I will have to do, looks like at least 3 posts to be concreted into the ground.
Curve Rough In.JPG
Curve Rough In.JPG (229.81 KiB) Viewed 8645 times
Now that this is finished I will be going back to the Low Trestle

Blog has been updated. https://ringbalin-light-railway.blogspo ... -page.html
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by philipy » Fri Mar 13, 2020 7:19 am

Good progress there. Glad you altered the gradient, it did look a bit fierce originally.
Philip

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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by tom_tom_go » Fri Mar 13, 2020 7:20 am

Live steam locos with Slomos love gradients!

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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by gregh » Fri Mar 13, 2020 8:09 am

Very original solution to the trestles and ground level. Good thinking.

Don't worry about the grade. Either shorter trains or a second loco will add to the operating fun.
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by LNR » Fri Mar 13, 2020 9:28 am

Interesting to see how you go with the grades, contemplating a 1 in 29 grade against the load at the moment. About to do tests.
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Fri Mar 13, 2020 10:13 am

gregh wrote: Fri Mar 13, 2020 8:09 am Very original solution to the trestles and ground level. Good thinking.

Don't worry about the grade. Either shorter trains or a second loco will add to the operating fun.
The longest train will have a Shay on the front end so with 3 motors it should work OK.
My biggest problem is going to be how to raise the line back up to the upper level I do not have the same space to gain the elevation.
I am thinking possibly a Helix or some sort of "S" loop to take it up bit of thinking to be done.
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Sun Mar 15, 2020 9:45 am

Speaking of the Shay I have just updated my blog with a description of how it is wired for battery remote control.
I used a robotics motor controller of a type which I have found to be both economical and easy to use.
Link to the blog page https://ringbalin-light-railway.blogspo ... -shay.html if you do visit please have a look around at the other pages and posts.
I will be adding descriptions of the other locos that I have and the methods of radio control I use as time goes by.
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by gregh » Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:51 am

I'm enjoying your Blog. Nice work with the RC.
Greg from downunder.
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by ge_rik » Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:27 pm

Really coming along nicely!
I agree with Greg re the blog. Interesting detail on the RC system

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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:51 pm

ge_rik wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:27 pm Really coming along nicely!
I agree with Greg re the blog. Interesting detail on the RC system

Rik
Thanks Greg and Rik.
The RC system I found while looking for some parts, they are reasonably priced relative to others and I can get them readily plus the R/C gear from Hobby King is very keenly priced.
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:11 pm

Work on the low trestle area has started.
A few pictures to show the work, I have put some stones and roughed in some turf to get a feel for what I am trying to do.
Blog to be updated.
Trestle area.JPG
Trestle area.JPG (186.1 KiB) Viewed 11119 times
Low Trestle bench work Lengthwise.JPG
Low Trestle bench work Lengthwise.JPG (203.91 KiB) Viewed 11119 times
Rocks roughed in.JPG
Rocks roughed in.JPG (166.25 KiB) Viewed 11119 times
Mesh detail.JPG
Mesh detail.JPG (190.54 KiB) Viewed 11119 times
Meadow bank roughed in.JPG
Meadow bank roughed in.JPG (183.22 KiB) Viewed 11119 times
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by philipy » Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:50 am

Using the chicken wire to support the stones to contour the slope/gap is a very clever idea, I do like that.
Philip

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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Tue Mar 17, 2020 7:17 am

Using the chicken wire and mesh allows the rainwater to pass through and air to circulate, so hopefully there will not be any rot due to the timber staying wet.
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Tue Mar 17, 2020 7:25 am

I have updated my blog with another loco description.
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:57 am

As can be seen in a couple of pictures above, the high trestle developed a low spot centered on 1 bent, initial investigations suggested that the dodgy method of skew screwing the support board had failed.
Further investigations revealed that 2 of the 4 screws at the end of the baseboard and one on the bent support had been sheared possibly by something heavy landing on the trestle.
I suspect either next doors moggy or "old poss" the possum using the trestle as a pathway after jumping off the fence.
This has now been repaired so work is scheduled for the low trestle work to recommence.

Blatant blog advert; https://ringbalin-light-railway.blogspo ... -page.html
The blog has been updated to include descriptions of 2 more locos ( Side Rod and Sugar Cane), these ones have sound cards and motor delay so that the sound "Revs" build before the loco begins to move.
The delay is provided by running the throttle signal through a "Picaxe" microcontroller, sound input passes straight through but motor is delayed.
The sound cards are of a design dating back to the 1970's using discrete IC Shift Registers, these days the same could be achieved by microcontrollers.
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by LNR » Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:20 am

I had the same problem with cats and possums, but an electric fence energizer from the farm has fixed that. I don't know if anything has received a boot from it, but as much as anything I think the click click sound as it discharges is keeping things away. As you sound like an electronics person, would an electronic clicker be worth a try.
Grant.

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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:11 pm

LNR wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:20 am I had the same problem with cats and possums, but an electric fence energizer from the farm has fixed that. I don't know if anything has received a boot from it, but as much as anything I think the click click sound as it discharges is keeping things away. As you sound like an electronics person, would an electronic clicker be worth a try.
Grant.
The biggest problem with "old Poss" is that she and bub live in my roof space and I cannot get anyone to come and get them out.
Even if they are out of the roof they can't be relocated more than 50 Metres away (protected species).
My solution is to get a carpet python and shove it into the roof space but SWMBO has given an emphatic "NO!!!" to that suggestion. :(
There are a large number of fruiting palm trees on either side that provide year round food, but one neighbour is going to cut all his down sometime this year. :thumbup:
The electric fence idea may work near the railway but probably won't work anywhere else as "old Poss" jumps from the roof into the trees. El Moggo hopefully may get a zap which should deter it.
There are sonic devices that are used to keep possums away from garden beds, according to an expert I contacted, but who was to far away to help remove it, won't get them to move That may be an option as well.
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Tue Mar 24, 2020 10:12 am

The "Low" Trestle has been finished and baseboard either side installed.
Low Trestle Lengthwise.JPG
Low Trestle Lengthwise.JPG (193.55 KiB) Viewed 12664 times
Low Trestle Lengthwise Track Roughed in.JPG
Low Trestle Lengthwise Track Roughed in.JPG (188.47 KiB) Viewed 12664 times
Low Trestle Lengthwise Track Roughed in 1.JPG
Low Trestle Lengthwise Track Roughed in 1.JPG (125.53 KiB) Viewed 12664 times
Baseboard Side Fence Lower.JPG
Baseboard Side Fence Lower.JPG (82.2 KiB) Viewed 12664 times
Baseboard Back Fence Lower.JPG
Baseboard Back Fence Lower.JPG (81.2 KiB) Viewed 12664 times
Blog will be updated later
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by philipy » Tue Mar 24, 2020 11:03 am

Coming on well, it's a great feeling when you get on a roll!

Just a thought, if it were mine, I would be sooo tempted to fill in the triangle between the RH corner at the end of the low level section and the first angled board joint on the brown boards, just to make it 'flow' visually.
Philip

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