To say that May has been busy on the Knoxville Division would be an understatement. The first 2 weeks was consumed by getting as much as possible done in preparation for the Ops Session. Since then I have reflected on the night and there are plenty of things to be done before the next session in July.
I had a few projects on the go for the Ops Session such as the Staging yard control panels. These use the 751D cct boards from Ken Stapleton in Canada. A really nice cct to control the Atlas code 80 turnouts in staging and provide feedback on the panel as to the way they are set. The first of the 2 Arrival/Departure staging panels is now completed.
Etowah Tn South Staging Control Panel
I also decided that the Layout Signals needed to start getting made. So, after searching the room for all the parts I decided to build a single head Searchlight signal. This wen fairly well and i was very pleased with the result. So much so that I built a 2 head signal the next night. That was after making a jig to cut the brass tube for the signal masts and hoods. I also made a jig to help assemble the masts.
Bass tube cutting Jig (top) and Signal assembly Jig below.
Now that I had started building signals I needed to get back into JMRI and start adding everything there that is needed. But first I had to test the Signal LED’s I plan to use on my Digitrax SE8C. I used 2 Digitrax Signal masts to understand how to operate the 3 signals that sit around a turnout. Once that was done I built a Signal test unit with the Common Cathode red/Pure Green 2mm
Double head and Single Head Searchlight Signals.
LED’s I purchased from http://www.led-switch.com/ 10K resistors to feed the green and 1K on the Red, mounted 4 LED’s and the resistors on vero board, added the ribbon cable and after a few wiring issues I had a Test Signal.
Test Signal for Common Cathode LED’s. The B and C signals on the left and the 2 A signals on the right.
Test Signal connected the SE8C
So what is planned from now until mid July? Hopefully a few working signals on the layout. With Detection working from Oak Ridge to La Follette I will probably add some signals there first. Some updates to the train packs we use for the Car Cards, some refinement to the Train Schedule and work on the Corbin Staging Yard Control Panel. But I’m sure there will be other things as well.