Modelrail Glasgow.

[Dhu Varren]

Just back home after an exhausting three days working and exhibiting at Modelrail.

Good to meet numerous familiar, and some not so familiar faces, including Patrick and Fran of the IRM team who were wandering about. Did not get to speak to them, as I was otherwise engaged at the time.

For those who found me repairing the turntable on the Friday, it worked flawlessly for the rest of the show.

Thanks to everybody who stopped to chat. 

[Warbonnet]

6 minutes ago, Dhu Varren said:

Just back home after an exhausting three days working and exhibiting at Modelrail.

Good to meet numerous familiar, and some not so familiar faces, including Patrick and Fran of the IRM team who were wandering about. Did not get to speak to them, as I was otherwise engaged at the time.

For those who found me repairing the turntable on the Friday, it worked flawlessly for the rest of the show.

Thanks to everybody who stopped to chat. 

Sorry we didn't get to stop and chat, we saw a grand total of two layouts in the day and a half that we were there! The rest was work duties for IRM and Accurascale.

Was a great show, would recommend it to anyone for standard of exhibits and trade as well as nice sociable feel to it!

[GNRi1959]

5 hours ago, Dhu Varren said:

Just back home after an exhausting three days working and exhibiting at Modelrail.

Good to meet numerous familiar, and some not so familiar faces, including Patrick and Fran of the IRM team who were wandering about. Did not get to speak to them, as I was otherwise engaged at the time.

For those who found me repairing the turntable on the Friday, it worked flawlessly for the rest of the show.

Thanks to everybody who stopped to chat. 

Would have loved to have gone over but I have a prior trip planned for Glasgow in March, and couldn't do both. Sorry I missed it because I love every chance to get to Glasgow. Any pictures of your layout David?

Edited February 26, 2018 by GNRi1959

[Dhu Varren]

Some Youtube footage of the layout, Newtontoll, including the working turntable which had caused so much trouble on the Friday after only a couple of hours use on the Friday. Now working fine.

From 19.30 on.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnjSHlbrSA8

 

[GNRi1959]

Thank you for sharing this delightful layout with us, despite the hard work I am sure you are pleased with your presentation.

I really liked the turntable. Is it a Dapol or South Eastern Finecast, it looks just like the turntable at Omagh - i'll be picking your brains.

 

[Dhu Varren]

The turntable is a heavily modified Airfix kit, with the deck turned upside down, and then motorised. It was built more than twenty years ago and at Glasgow developed a fault in the electrical/mechanical system for controlling the rotation, due basically to wear and tear. Unfortunately, since it had been so long since I built it, it took me a while to figure out how exactly how it worked. Once that was figured out, it was fairly straightforward to repair. 

[ttc0169]

I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition, one of the best in years, excellent layouts to be seen and lots of bargains to be had.

Roll on next year=highly recommended 

A selection of photos from Saturday.....

[GNRi1959]

Can you tell me how it is motorised?

[Joe Keegan]

Motorized turntable as requested 😉

[GNRi1959]

Joe, thanks for the photograph. Always nice to get a different view of a working layout.

[Dhu Varren]

Nice picture Joe. Didn't realise you had taken a picture while I was trying to fix the contact disc, which is missing in the picture.

[Dhu Varren]

How it works

      Bear in mind that the mechanism is upside down in the picture, so down in the text means up in the picture, and so on.

     The turntable consists of 3 main parts.

1. The turntable deck.

The deck is not rigidly attached to the centre spindle, but lightly rests on a brass plate, which has two pins sticking up which engage with two holes in the bottom of the deck. It is then secured loosely to the plate with a shouldered screw. The deck is therefore free to follow any fluctuations in the level of the pit without binding. The weight of the deck, and locomotive, are carried on the four wheels which run on the circular rail round the outside of the pit.   

2. The turntable pit.

The floor is made from a circle of 9mm plywood to ensure there is no warping. It is edged with card to form the pit.

3. The operating mechanism.
   1. The Relay
   2. The Motor & Gearbox.
   3. The Control Board
   4. Relay Arm Extension
   5. The Locking Pin. 3mm brass rod.

The control board is a disc of copperclad paxolin with two 2mm isolated strips 180 degrees apart, which line up with the point at which the turntable should stop.

 

Underneath the deck at each end is a flat brass strip, across the width of the deck, with a 3.2mm hole at the centre point of each strip. Pin E rests in this hole to ensure that the deck lines up correctly, and does not move. Wire F acts as a spring to ensure the pin enters the hole quickly.

Also underneath the deck are two phosphor bronze pickup strips which contact two brass screw heads in the pit near the centre. These provide power to the rails when the deck is lined up, but lose contact once the deck starts to move. This prevents a locomotive moving during the turning cycle.

 

     When the start button is pressed, the relay A closes and

1. Switches on power to the motor B.
2. Switches on power to itself via the control board C (which is missing in the picture. The white disc is actually the last gear in the geartrain. The control disc fits on the spindle below the gear) to keep itself switched on until completion of half a revolution of the turntable.
3. Rod D is rigidly attached to the relay arm and the end at pin E moves down to pull Pin E out of the location hole in the bottom of the turntable deck, thus allowing the deck to move.

Once the deck has started to move, the pickups on the disc will contact the copper part of the disc, and supply power to the relay to keep it on.

 

On completion of half a revolution, the pickups on the disc enter the isolated strip and cut the power to the relay. The relay starts to open, but the pin E rises slightly and hits the brass strip on the bottom of the deck thus preventing the relay opening fully. The deck continues to rotate until the pin enters the hole, which allows the relay to open fully and cut the power to the motor. The deck stops and the pin ensures the deck is correctly aligned and will not move. Power has also been restored to the rails, and the loco can drive off.   

 

[The Derry Road]

22 hours ago, ttc0169 said:

I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition, one of the best in years, excellent layouts to be seen and lots of bargains to be had.

Roll on next year=highly recommended 

A selection of photos from Saturday.....

Totally agree Noel, Your first picture, i thought this a very detailed layout, great to meet up with yourself, Kirley, Hunslett 102, Dhu Varren and a few others, missed the chance to talk to IRM reps but still purchased 12 of their superb wagons, looking forward to and planning next years visit. Highly recommended show