Eighton Bahn AKA testing testing RhB

[JimmyB]

This is how I did mine, length of wood tow blocks 1/2" difference in thickness, 12" apart (between the part of the block in contact with the rail) 1 in 24, though I tried to ensure the bubble was towards the thicker piece of wood if not central which would give a shallower gradient.

IMG_0246.JPG

• JimmyB
• 26 Jun 2018

Gradient marker

 

[PhilP]

OK..
Practical question on this: - Well, maybe?

Would it not be better to have the length of timber/blocks the other way up?
That way, if you are laying/checking across two blocks, any dip where the blocks join will be obvious as daylight under the length of timber. It the timber rocks (end-to-end) you have a hump.

This, of course assumes the spirit level is rigid!

 

[Greg Elmassian]

No, because then you have issues.

If there is a dip in the track, then the ends of the long board would touch the rail, not measuring the angle over the 12", but the angle over the length of the board, which means recalculating the grade each time it is used.

If there was a hump in the track, the board would rock on the track and not give any consistent reading whatsoever as it rocked to and fro.

Only if the track is perfectly flat over the entire length of the board would you get a good reading that did not require recalculation.

Greg

 

[Nodrog1826]

Right confession time...

The jury is in and after careful consideration, it is confirmed I am an idiot, no surprise there then.

I have managed to make a basic error, and created a 1 in 24 incline, not the 1 in 48 I was planning on, no wonder the trains don't work.



...point proved with the 4 foot level, a 6 foot-ish piece of timber and a 1 inch improvised wedge-ish thingy...



... or to put it bluntly that 9 foot straight drops 5 inches, yes I know that makes it 1 in 22, but it's not an exact measurement...



...so now the sort it out prep work commences...



...there are three plus points in all this negativity...



...the first section is 1 in 48 ish, and confirms why the trains romped up it...



...and the second is I found this guy, who resides in the vestibule end of one of the coaches he must have got ejected from the coach when it toppled yesterday.

Looks as if his reading material is one of "for dummies" books, probably "track laying".

...and, my spiral looks to be back on the cards, unless I cock that up as well.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I was thinking 4.2% grade pretty stiff...

My friends give me grief when I run 4-6 locos on the head end of a train, but mine is 3.4% for about 60 feet, so the whole train is on the grade at once also. Some people brag they have 4% or 6% grades, but often it's a short bit and they get a run at it. Also, often it is those people asking me where to buy new gearboxes!

 

[dunnyrail]

Right confession time...

The jury is in and after careful consideration, it is confirmed I am an idiot, no surprise there then.

I have managed to make a basic error, and created a 1 in 24 incline, not the 1 in 48 I was planning on, no wonder the trains don't work.

View attachment 252279

...point proved with the 4 foot level, a 6 foot-ish piece of timber and a 1 inch improvised wedge-ish thingy...

View attachment 252280

... or to put it bluntly that 9 foot straight drops 5 inches, yes I know that makes it 1 in 22, but it's not an exact measurement...

View attachment 252282

...so now the sort it out prep work commences...

View attachment 252283

...there are three plus points in all this negativity...

View attachment 252284

...the first section is 1 in 48 ish, and confirms why the trains romped up it...

View attachment 252281

...and the second is I found this guy, who resides in the vestibule end of one of the coaches he must have got ejected from the coach when it toppled yesterday.

Looks as if his reading material is one of "for dummies" books, probably "track laying".

...and, my spiral looks to be back on the cards, unless I cock that up as well.

Well done Nod, at least now you have understood the error of your ways and know how to sort it!

 

[Nodrog1826]

Error of way now sort of sorted...





New gradient is a sort of 1 in 56 ish allowing for the overhang where the plank was placed...





...Henge modification gives some idea of the gradient lost during reconstruction...





...minor filling and generally tidying up to do, but it will have to wait, other commitments this coming week, anyway it was constructed in haste, so it may well collapse yet, I don't care.

 

[dunnyrail]

Error of way now sort of sorted...

View attachment 252357

View attachment 252358

New gradient is a sort of 1 in 56 ish allowing for the overhang where the plank was placed...

View attachment 252359

View attachment 252360

...Henge modification gives some idea of the gradient lost during reconstruction...

View attachment 252361

View attachment 252362

...minor filling and generally tidying up to do, but it will have to wait, other commitments this coming week, anyway it was constructed in haste, so it may well collapse yet, I don't care.

That will survive ok, at least you are on the route to what you want now.

 

[Nodrog1826]

Well after 9 months, what progress have I made, I don't hear you all ask.

To be quite honest, the railway has been left to slumber, to the point that serious consideration was given to flogging it all (With exception of one loco.) off.

Anyhow, today has seen some very minor progress, in the right direction.

Firstly the ejected passenger is now back home...



...secondly the second Crock, is now technically operational...







...if only it was that easy to get a driver into the cab...



...thirdly, got some more of those Airfix Quick Build vehicles at Christmas, so...



...we have sort of all gone peace, love and flower power here, mind you if I didn't use the stickers could get another pair, a plan is forming.

For good measure looks as if may be able to add to the collection as well later in the year.

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/shop/vehicles/quick-build.html

 

[PhilP]

The doN is back-wards..

Glad to see you back Gordon.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Glad to see you did not give up, and have continued on!

What % grades did you wind up with?

 

[Nodrog1826]

Greg.

It varies between 1.7 and 2.0 %, it has never been tested with an actual train yet.

One thing I have decided though, once it is tested the curve at the end is going to be turned to face the other way, in effect going further up the garden.
To then double back on itself via a series of loops.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I would guess the trains run much better at those grades as opposed to 4%

 

[mbiff]

wow ..... youve come along miles ....

 

[Nodrog1826]

The now, well for me franetic pace of activity continues....

Decided to tweek the auto couplers, to that only one actually coupled to the train works, but keeping both on my standard F16 setting...

Anyhow you will get the gist here...

Massoth FS Servo Decoder and auto couplers daft idea.

In my quest for standard settings of the locos I have fitted with auto couplers, I have set them operate on F16 at both ends, ie F16 operate both together, when in reality you only need one to work. Sometimes it's a bit of drain in the power dept., and they stutter or hesitate to work. So if I...

www.gscalecentral.net

So after setting up a work bench in what was HTO's (Now the spare.) bedroom, and running an extension to a socket, we have...

The new Eighton Bahn Towers, ( Flu 19 ) MPD work/repair shop...











...what it lacks in refinement it makes up in comfort, I can sit and work, in the shed I would have to stand due to the bench height.

 

[Nodrog1826]

...next...







...getting apart is easy, sorting out the decoder/coupler tweeks is OK.

Just the difficult bit now, re assembly and wire back stuffing.

 

[Nodrog1826]

Not sure what has got into me, but whilst I am on a roll.

Having ordered another function chip, which is on it's way might as well get ready for it's arrival...

By fitting auto couplers to the new Crok

Starting with the difficult end, the one with the whistle reed switch...



In the past I have avoided cutting into the gear box, but this time that is not on option, not sure what I was worried about, straightforward actually, maybe a tad of sealant to finish the job off though.



Both ends now done, ready for the function chip to arrive. Just some tidying up of the wires, etc..



Just got to figure out where to draw the power from, and maybe consider fitting a sound control knob, as it has a socket and a hole in the chassis for it.
Something I should of thought of in advance, when ordering the chip, ah well never mind.

 

[Nodrog1826]

Here we are nine, yes nine days later, and it's finally done.

After an initial promise it all went wrong, managed to kill one of the auto couplers, but at least it was an excuse to have a look inside one.

So after a couple of false start in the replacement ordering dept., the bits arrived today, so it's a bit of an odd ball, MKI coupler on one end MKII on the other.

The finished result...



...mind you there was a time when a different type of modification was on the table...



...a replacement parts and a few tweeks...











...and with customary dodgy photo thrown in, it's done.

Now for the next one...

Or maybe a brew and i'll give it a few days before MOW goes under the knife.

 

[Nodrog1826]

For those with an interest in the goings on here at Eighton Bahn Towers.

After the nine day saga of fitting auto uncouplers to the Crock, little MOW was a different proposition only taking a few hours.









I have a long term aim to add sound to this loco, as it is the only one of the fleet without, after today there may not be the room inside.

 

[Rhinochugger]

I have a long term aim to add sound to this loco, as it is the only one of the fleet without, after today there may not be the room inside.

Mmm, sound on an electric loco

MMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm