The Whareora & Glenbervie Branch Line

[Beddhist]

Whoops! Another month has gone by.

Finally, management have settled on a name for the line: The Whareora & Glenbervie Branch Line. Glenbervie is the locality where we live and Whareora is next door. We just pretend that this branches off the North Auckland line in Whangarei.

I found another 11m of track on TradeMe, although it's the wrong code. This has now been added to the end of the track.

ME track seems to contain too much unobtainium, so is still not available. After finishing the station layout I started ballasting there. The boss told me off for taking gravel off the road, so I have to buy a load from the quarry. I also need a screen with larger holes for sifting it, as most of the small stuff just falls through the cracks in the station yard. But it's starting to look good there.

After clearing some vegetation a train was assembled and run to the end of the line to check that there is sufficient clearance everywhere. One board had to be removed from under the stairs, other than that all seems well. The 'AWACS wagon' was used, as it has the largest profile. Here is a video of the test run: http://youtu.be/S6JW-3AajtA (still uploading, takes forever).

When reversing towards the last switch on the end of the line the engineer must be very careful: the diverging point rail is missing!

In case you are wondering about the couplers on the Newqida wagon: I have decided to standardise on Bachmann body mounted knuckles and this is the first to be converted. Only one end is finished so far.

 

[viaEstrecha]

Here is a video of the test run: http://youtu.be/S6JW-3AajtA (still uploading, takes forever).

I need to see the next instalment of this epic tale but I think the Youtube vid might need to be put on general release to the viewing public - it is coming up as 'private'.

 

[Beddhist]

As you quoted me there: "still uploading", that's why you could not see it. It took about 3h... Should be all go now.

 

[viaEstrecha]

Ah - I was too keen and did not allow for the vagaries of the interweb! I'll try later. I have a similar problem with my forum in Catalan - I have to post in that funny language, then double-check the dodgy translations and make more changes etc and quite often the other chaps have begun firing questions and comments well before I have finished :'(

 

[PhilP]

Excellent progress!
Though it does look a long way down, should something unforeseen happen!

What decoder / soundcard do you have in the loco? - I especially like the ?change of gear? when reversing.

 

[Beddhist]

Airwire Convrtr driving a Zimo MX645, powered by a 14.8V Lipo. I really like the sounds it makes. It's what made me choose this decoder, even though I had to pay extra for the sound. It's much better synchronised with the engine than my Kamel. It makes this gear sound every time I change direction. Air hiss and brake squeal are automatic, although I have to stop quickly for that to sound right.

I'm still learning how it all works. For one thing, if I dial in a high speed and then dial it back before it actually reaches that speed the engine sound "overruns". It has a lot of momentum set up. What you see is pretty much full acceleration and deceleration. Like with a real train I have to approach hard stops cautiously!

And yes, it's a long drop in places. We discussed this at the beginning... :

I really enjoyed making this and the first real day of limited operations. Now, if only ME would hurry up and produce more rail.

 

[PhilP]

Oh Yes!! - Getting the first decent length of track down, and running 'something' definitely passes the 'smile' test and spurs you on..

Thanks for the information on the decoder etc. - Am about to start with Zimo, so lots of play testing will be done!

 

[Beddhist]

Another acquisition: a second-hand Aristo F ABA set. Very 2nd hand...



It cost only $US 75, but it cost double that to get it posted here, of course. First impressions: they need a lot of TLC, before they can be put to any use. It doesn`t run fast enough at 14.5V, so it will need a bigger battery, but it only draws 0.6A. This will be a project for another day.

It`s BIG! Takes up half the length of the short siding.

Does anybody have any good data on V and A requirements?

 

[gregh]

Another acquisition: a second-hand Aristo F ABA set. Very 2nd hand...

[attachment=0][/attachment]

It cost only $US 75, but it cost double that to get it posted here, of course. First impressions: they need a lot of TLC, before they can be put to any use. It doesn't run fast enough at 14.5V, so it will need a bigger battery, but it only draws 0.6A. This will be a project for another day.

It's BIG! Takes up half the length of the short siding.

Does anybody have any good data on V and A requirements?

Looks like it uses the same motor block that I have used for quite a few scratchbuilds. I'm assuming that both bogies of each unit are powered. In similar situations I have removed the motor block from one and and made up a dummy, using the existing sideframes - this gives me a spare motor block.
Anyhow, here's the data I have measured....


Aristo long
ART29351
wheel dia mm 34.6
axle spacing 99
flange depth 3.2
tread width 6.5
gauge 43.0
back-back wheels 39.6
block length 135
block height 43
block width 35
weight g 525
ELECTRICAL
free-run mA (wheels in the air) 170
stalled amps @ 12V 3.0
arm ohms calc 4.0
R (LRC meter) 5
L mH(LRC meter) 1.5
kph / volts ratio @ no load 1:25 scale 20kph / 6.3V
kph per volt 1:25 scale 3.2
noise from PWM some



volts speed kph
3 7
4 11
5 14
6 17
7 20
8 23
9 27
10 30
12 36

 

[Beddhist]

Thanks for that, Greg. You have been very thorough, it seems.

What are the L and R (LRC meter) measurements?

 

[gregh]

Thanks for that, Greg. You have been very thorough, it seems.

What are the L and R (LRC meter) measurements?

the inductance (L) and resistance (R) measured by a special meter. I measure cause I can! R is needed when I'm calculating internal voltage drop to calc speed in my sound programs.

 

[PhilP]

Greg,
Do you have a rolling road speedometer, or use another method?
I am *sure* there was also a 'DCC ammeter' available, but I can no longer find a link to it.. Any ideas?
Thanks,
PhilP.

 

[gregh]

Greg,
Do you have a rolling road speedometer, or use another method?
I am *sure* there was also a 'DCC ammeter' available, but I can no longer find a link to it.. Any ideas?
Thanks,
PhilP.

No speedo, just a quick calculation. I know a bit of track that is 5m long. I just count the seconds the train takes to cover it. A quick calc 5m/time x 3.6 x 24(scale)= kph (say 430/time)

When I see the letters DCC I turn off. Sorry.

 

[PhilP]

No speedo, just a quick calculation. I know a bit of track that is 5m long. I just count the seconds the train takes to cover it. A quick calc 5m/time x 3.6 x 24(scale)= kph (say 430/time)

When I see the letters DCC I turn off. Sorry.

Thanks Greg.

 

[Beddhist]

The line has been out of action over winter, but the CEO recently attended a rolling stock auction, where 10 2nd-hand US-style wagons were bought, made in China... Kiwirail has delivered them to the link track with the main line, from where they have to be collected.

The Davenport is fired up.



The yard is re-arranged to make room for the new rolling stock.



Then the loco travels down the line to collect the wagons.



Here we are at the handover point.



Coupled, brakes pumped up and checked, ready to roll.



Arriving back at Glenbervie with the loot.



A bit of shunting, ...



... and the train leaves for Whareora for acceptance testing. Before the next picture can be taken the Davenport`s Lipo battery fails, all puffed up and one cell dead. The other battery is installed and the train continues.





That`s all, folks. After lunch the heavens open up again, back to our normal weather and we scramble to get all the electronics into the dry.

 

[gregh]

The line is maturing nicely. Nice spring time pics.

 

[ge_rik]

Any ideas why the Lipo failed? Age, overcharge, over-discharge, short?

Rik

 

[Beddhist]

I'm not sure why, only that it wasn't age. It may have been over-discharge. When the charger still looked at it shortly after the failure I think it showed 3.87V per cell. When I connect it now it says almost immediately 'connection broken'. Must measure the cells...

 

[Beddhist]

Main connector 9.61V
Cell 1 3.26V
Cell 2 3.38V
Cell 3 2,71V
Cell 4 0.22V

Interesting: by disconnecting the balance lead it accepted a charge, between 0.3 and 1.2A. This seems to have recovered Cell 4 sufficiently to bring its voltage up and the charger is now balancing it. I will store it outside tonight!

 

[Beddhist]

I didn't really expect to recover that battery and I didn't: At the end of the charge the charger told me what I knew already: cell failure. It's obvious when looking at it, all puffed up. I guess I can't send it back to the US for a warranty claim. So, how do I safely dispose of it? - Oh, I know: put it on a slab outside and puncture it!