Yesterday I received the stuff I ordered to TVD: one QuadP servo controller, one Singlet servo controller, five servo motors and a bunch of cables and accessories.
At a first sight all is perfectly done with a very high quality. I'm looking forward to doing a first test of the two controllers and servos the coming weekend.
Hopefully, I'll do some photos and maybe a short video. Just for fun.
See you soon...
18 November 2009
16 November 2009
Benchwork construction, part 17
Yet another post of the "benchwork construction" saga. This time I completed the lower level with plywood boards. In the meantime, I added a new leg with gussets in the left corner to support the L metal girders correctly.
I tested the lifting system with the plywood in place and seems working rather well. The total weight of each section is growing, though. So I have to be very careful when adding new parts in order to keep the total weight at minimum.
To this end I'm not convinced to use L metal girders (actually legs for modular metal shelves) also for the upper level. Each L girder is quite heavy even if it's rigid and rather straight so I might decide to use something else as, for example, alluminium girders.
Well, that's it for now. Just few photos of the current status.
See you soon...
I tested the lifting system with the plywood in place and seems working rather well. The total weight of each section is growing, though. So I have to be very careful when adding new parts in order to keep the total weight at minimum.
To this end I'm not convinced to use L metal girders (actually legs for modular metal shelves) also for the upper level. Each L girder is quite heavy even if it's rigid and rather straight so I might decide to use something else as, for example, alluminium girders.
Well, that's it for now. Just few photos of the current status.
See you soon...
08 November 2009
Benchwork construction, part 16
Today, I mounted plywood boards of the first lower section of the benchwork. This section is a little less than 16" deep (actually 40cm) and almost 9' and 2" long. (299cm).
Plywood sheets are hold in place by wood screws from the top of plywood into small wood blocks below the metal beams. I know it's not a good practice to put screws from the top of the subroadbed since once scenicked they won't be visible anymore. However, I couldn't find an easier and lighter way to fix the boards to the metal beams.
In addition, wood blocks on the front will be used to hold the fascia panels as well.
I cut a small part of the plywood board in the corner to allow the other section to lift freely with no interaction with this lateral section. The missing subroadbed will be provided by the board on top of the second section.
I also started to build the bencwork for the upper level of the first section. During the week I bought a couple of removable shelf bracket about 14" 1/2 long and decided to try them out to see if it could be a solution to mount the upper level.
Since there will be no metal beams for the upper level I had to place a shelf bracket about halfway of the two legs. So, I mounted an additional vertical beam in order to support the middle shelf bracket.
The other one is mounted on benchowork leg.
Below the lower level I put a short beam screwed to the angled gussets in order to reinforce the middle beam supporting the shelf bracket.
The distance between the two levels plywood to plywood i 9"1/2. Not very much, I know. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of vertical space and need to accomodate for a convenient vertical height for the upeer level.
See you soon...
Plywood sheets are hold in place by wood screws from the top of plywood into small wood blocks below the metal beams. I know it's not a good practice to put screws from the top of the subroadbed since once scenicked they won't be visible anymore. However, I couldn't find an easier and lighter way to fix the boards to the metal beams.
In addition, wood blocks on the front will be used to hold the fascia panels as well.
I cut a small part of the plywood board in the corner to allow the other section to lift freely with no interaction with this lateral section. The missing subroadbed will be provided by the board on top of the second section.
I also started to build the bencwork for the upper level of the first section. During the week I bought a couple of removable shelf bracket about 14" 1/2 long and decided to try them out to see if it could be a solution to mount the upper level.
Since there will be no metal beams for the upper level I had to place a shelf bracket about halfway of the two legs. So, I mounted an additional vertical beam in order to support the middle shelf bracket.
The other one is mounted on benchowork leg.
Below the lower level I put a short beam screwed to the angled gussets in order to reinforce the middle beam supporting the shelf bracket.
The distance between the two levels plywood to plywood i 9"1/2. Not very much, I know. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of vertical space and need to accomodate for a convenient vertical height for the upeer level.
See you soon...
04 November 2009
Video: benchwork status by October 2009
Here is a short video of the current status of the benchwork construction. Actually, the status as of today is a bit further toward completion. I did some more painting with a white base coating of the wooden parts a few more details here and there.
However, the video depicts quite well how is my benchwork now. And by the way, I hope this video has a better quality then the very first one. I shot this with a rather old Sony DV camera though much better than my old cell phone.
Hope you enjoy.
See you soon...
However, the video depicts quite well how is my benchwork now. And by the way, I hope this video has a better quality then the very first one. I shot this with a rather old Sony DV camera though much better than my old cell phone.
Hope you enjoy.
See you soon...
03 November 2009
New locomotives and rolling stock
As you can read in my previous post (sorry, older post are in Italian) I ordered three new diesel locomotives and three boxcars.
Finally, last Friday they've been shipped -one day I'll write a post on how good are the Italian Postal Service and the Italian Custom- so I could take few photos and do an intial test.
First, I'm very happy for what I've bought. For me, all three locomotives and the boxcars are very well done, work well and have very nice details. For sure I'm not an expert but... who cares the important thing is I'm satisfied with them, right?
Anyway, without further discussion here are the photo I took last Sunday. I temporarly put a piece of 1/2" plywood on top of one of the completed benchwork sections, took a couple of ME flextrack pieces hooked up to the NCE PowerCab and... voilà let's run some loco for couple of feet.
Actually, the LifeLike GP38-2 and the Atlas U25B Phase 2A aren't DCC equipped and still run on DC. So I had to ressurect my very very old Rivarossi DC power-pack to give them a try. However, I was impressed by the quality of the two locos in DC showing amazingly slow speed performaces and smooth operation. Hopefully, when I'll be able to put DCC decoders they'll run even better.
See you soon...
Finally, last Friday they've been shipped -one day I'll write a post on how good are the Italian Postal Service and the Italian Custom- so I could take few photos and do an intial test.
First, I'm very happy for what I've bought. For me, all three locomotives and the boxcars are very well done, work well and have very nice details. For sure I'm not an expert but... who cares the important thing is I'm satisfied with them, right?
Anyway, without further discussion here are the photo I took last Sunday. I temporarly put a piece of 1/2" plywood on top of one of the completed benchwork sections, took a couple of ME flextrack pieces hooked up to the NCE PowerCab and... voilà let's run some loco for couple of feet.
Bachmann Spectrum GE 44-Ton Switcher unletterd with factory installed DCC decoder
LifeLike ProtoN EMD GP38-2 Low hood, SP #4827
Atlas GE U35B Phase 2A, SP #6702
ExactRail PC&F 6033 Cubic foot, Single door, 50'6" Boxcars, SP #659500, SP #659594 and SP #659655
Boxcar and underframe details
Some more photos of locomotives and boxcars
Actually, the LifeLike GP38-2 and the Atlas U25B Phase 2A aren't DCC equipped and still run on DC. So I had to ressurect my very very old Rivarossi DC power-pack to give them a try. However, I was impressed by the quality of the two locos in DC showing amazingly slow speed performaces and smooth operation. Hopefully, when I'll be able to put DCC decoders they'll run even better.
See you soon...
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