Amiens Street Terminus

[RedRich]

From what I am reading I will need TPSW grids (pairs) before the buffers in the terminus and at every signal / platform end...., then again on the mainline at signals and in advance of crossings, etc.

 

Has anyone any good references, or photos of Irish AWS/TPSW stuff?

 

Stephen I have a small booklet from Hurst Models that was published for the placement of the equipment and it's use. I will scan it when I can lay my hands on it and email it to you.

 

Rich,

[BosKonay]

Cheers Rich,

 

I think I have in my head what it's 'supposed' to look / work like

 

Although adding signals to these baby is on the loooong end of the todo

[201bhoy]

Just wondering, what's the green track meant to be?

[BosKonay]

It denotes the programming track

 

It's connected via a DPDT switch so I can toggle it from main back to programming, etc, so I can drive a loco onto it, flip to programming to interrogate or programme the decoder, then flip it back to main to drive it out again

[201bhoy]

Oh, okay! I can't wait to see what the terminus looks like with the ballasting and platforms on! Or are you going to have concreting over under the roof?

[BosKonay]

I've been experimenting with polyfilla. The problem is that the proper terminus concrete laid stuff, has the chairs and rail mounted to the concrete. I can't reproduce that look at all using peco track and filler / etc. So I'm going to compromise and use regular ballast in the terminus roads, and do a good job of the over-roof to make it less obvious

[201bhoy]

Sounds good! When do you think the roof will be going on?

[BosKonay]

I'd say a roof is a year away

 

Priority is a running loop now

[BosKonay]

Mocked out the boards for the right hand loop and steam / preservation depot:

 

 

 

[Dave]

Stunning layout Stephen, looks amazing:tumbsup:

[josefstadt]

From what I am reading I will need TPSW grids (pairs) before the buffers in the terminus and at every signal / platform end...., then again on the mainline at signals and in advance of crossings, etc.

 

Has anyone any good references, or photos of Irish AWS/TPSW stuff?

 

BosKonay, is the layout based on IÉ or NIR practice? If its the former then you won't need the TPWS / AWS equipment. IÉ uses CAWS, based on track circuits, or axle counters. Using the former will mean you wouldn't have to model track-mounted equipment, but if you were to model modern practice then you would have to include the axle counter equipment at ther end of each section, turnout, level crossing etc.

[BosKonay]

Hi Josef

 

IE primarily thought I will likely model one station as NIR

 

Any ideas where I could find photos of the caws equipment?

[josefstadt]

Hi BosKonay. That's a superb layout. Am loving watching the progress you are making.

 

The CAWS signals are transmitted through coded track circuits and are picked up by aerials mounted on locomotives, railcars and EMUs ( the driving vehicles only - not the intermediates). You can see the aerials on the DARTs under the driver's cabs. On the GMs they are also under the cabs but are a bit harder to see as they are behind the loco's skirts. There is no track mounted equipment in the same way as the TPWS has the grids. The only lineside equipment woul;d be the red/brown coloured location cases. For pictures of axle counter equipment you would have to visit one of the lines / station areas recently resignalled or new lines - eg Greystones-Rosslare, Clonsilla-M3 Parkway or Portarlington.

[BosKonay]

Many thanks! I might take a run around Greystones with the camera so!!

[BosKonay]

Just spent an hour painting ties with one of these: http://modelshopbelfast.com/index.php/woodland-scenics-tt4582-track-painter-weathered-tie.html

 

To my eye looks a huge improvement on the black plastic look, but then I am half blind

 

Will wait for it to dry before I grab a few snaps

[BosKonay]

Got a snap of Greystones too

 

[BosKonay]

Can I assume that the 'cables' and parallel steel 'thingies' are the CAWS protecting the signals?

[josefstadt]

Hi BosKonay,

The two sections of rail in the centre of each track in the foreground are at expansion joints in the CWR. They provide strength and stability to the joint. In the background are what look like impedance bonds which have something to do with the DART power supply system. I think they connect the track to the earth wire of the overhead supply system. I'm not sure how they work exactly, but they are only found in the DART area. So, if you are modelling a non-DART area or a pre-DART time then you can ignore these.

[David]

Can I assume that the 'cables' and parallel steel 'thingies' are the CAWS protecting the signals?

 

The CAWS signal is transmitted through the rail to pickup coils on the loco/railcar all along the section of track coming up to a signal.

[BosKonay]

Aha! So, basically to model CAWS, you don't do anything ? I like it

[BosKonay]

~Thanks for the help guys - greatly appreciated!@

[BosKonay]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some shots of the points after the woodland scenics 'pen' on the sleepers

 

It's a little subtle but I think they look a lot better.

[BosKonay]

The last shot shows the painted throat and the unpainted points to the back (looking more black and plasticy)

[BabyGM]

Beautiful point work in the first two pictures

[BosKonay]

Cheers That's the main station throat - lots of fun

[David]

Looking good Stephen. Get yourself something like this:

 

 

Do this and then give the whole track a light airbrushing of sleeper grime to tone it down.

[BosKonay]

I've got some of these.

 

I used the wooden sleeper one on the sleepers in the previous photos, and it did a good job of making them actually look like sleepers, rather than black plastic.

 

I'm planning to paint the 'steel rail' colour onto all the rail sides next, before ballasting and airbrushing with grime

 

[video=youtube;fxDNpUPZ-e8]

[David]

I approve!

[BosKonay]

I might drop you a line next week about getting some boards built too

[enniscorthyman]

Very impressive selection of points there,looks great.

How does your diamond crossing work as regards wheels etc,

any derailment problems?.

[BosKonay]

Works perfectly, it's code75 peco track too.

 

Some older wagons with low hanging coupling hooks can snag the rails on some crossings due to the reduced clearance, but the simply solution is the cut a piece off the hook uncoupler bit (as I'll be running fixed rakes with kadees on the ends).

 

So far, the track has worked really well, and the electrofrogs keep even short wheelbase locos moving well

[David]

I approve!

 

You've got the wrong man! The other Dave does the baseboards

[BosKonay]

Sorry Dave, I'll chase you for De Dietrich's instead

[BosKonay]

Tiny update today/...

 

Did a clean up, founds some stock, lost some stock, and resolved to order a skip to clear the rest of the attic

 

Also, had little play with the first siding to be ballasted (photo with the glue wet!)

 

[BosKonay]

I'm waiting for a box of 3mm cube magnets to land from china and testing with the kadee couplers before I can ballast any siding I'll need uncoupling on.... this was mainly just to experiment with the ballast spreader, and see how it came out!

Edited September 28, 2012 by BosKonay