TT-Tracks

[sacto-tt]

I've used those same cameras on my rockets for several years, never thought of using them on my trains. Doh!

[Bill Dixon]

I like this. Shows lots of promise for interesting videos. Also the high tech camera mounts is awesome. Is that an N scale or a TT scale rubber band?

This is the complete mount for the rocket.

Down is to the right. The tyvek strap is taped to the rocket body. Simple and effective.
I'll be putting the camera on a MOW flat car. It should sit nicely without an elastic band holding it.

[Bill Dixon]

This is a Tam Valley SwitchWright setup for two servos.
I bought this a few years ago for a crossover. Time to use it.

Power is currently from a 9V battery through a simple 5V regulator circuit on the bread board.
Need to build a proper regulator circuit. Will pick up the components Monday.
DCC comes in on the white-grey wires on the top right.
You can control the turnouts with DCC (address 8) or a pushbutton (front centre).
The SwitchWright will handle the polarity for one Frog. The other will need a Mono Frog Juicer, currently somewhere between LA and Canada.

Sadly due to the death of the person pushing this project, Tam Valley no longer makes this product.

[Bill Dixon]

It is Done!

And if that isn't an ominous opening line, I don't know what is.
This posting could possibly belong in another topic but since it concerns the Home of TT-Tracks, I put it here.

A few years ago my father passed away, and he left the family house to my sister and myself 50/50.
Part of the deal between us is that in the future I would buy her half.
This year is that year.
I have been fretting since January on how to get $ 850,000 to buy her out. Oh and repay deferred taxes, property transfer tax, lawyers fees, etc, etc. etc.
It took a while.
I was dealing with what I though was a good company but the the 'By The Ways' started coming fast and it was clear that they would not lend me enough money.
I went with a company my sister found and things have gone well.
This past Friday the money showed up.

So now I (and the bank) own my home. We are stable for five years when we see about remortgaging again or selling and moving.

So how much did I have to borrow to cover everything and end up dept free with $ 10,000 in the bank:
.
.
.
.
.
.
$ 917,200.
That is about half the assessed value of the house and I expect that I could easily get 2 1/2 times with the right buyer.
A whopping big mortgage but I am sleeping better now.

[Bill Dixon]

Progress on the #8 Crossover module.

The mainline turnouts are glued down. The code 70 track is soldered to code 80 rail pieces in the end bedding track pieces.
The rail pieces have been filed down to give a smooth joint with the code 70 rail.
The rail pieces have also been nailed in place.

As you can see the road bed for the diverging route is now glue in place and drying.
As this and other projects are taking all my tine, the work train and cabooses are on hold.

I may be running the work train cars without decals. I will glue the sides in place temporarily with canopy glue.
I hope to have at least one caboose in a run able state. It may not be totally finished.
I spray paint out side and the current weather is not good for that.

So progress is being made.

[ConducTTor]

So a million bucks give or take. Just had family over for a week from Toronto and they "enlightened" us on Canadian home prices. Insanity...

[Richard-B]

So a million bucks give or take. Just had family over for a week from Toronto and they "enlightened" us on Canadian home prices. Insanity...

No... Canadian home prices are merely deranged.
Here in the SF Bay Area it is full-on bonkers insanity.

One home in nearby Berkeley (aka Berzerkly?) made the news because it went for $1 million...
not price... OVER the asking price!!!

On the home front...
I finally found 2 meters of vacant wall space to set-up my double-double (300 by 2000) TT-Tracks;
Upstairs in the 3rd bathroom!!! It only blocks one of the two sinks.

Re-doing the track for the THIRD time... the ongoing project is adding block detection and signals,
using electronics from MRCS https://www.modelrailroadcontrolsystems.com.

[Bill Dixon]

The back track on the #8 crossover module exits at a shallow angle matching a #6 turnout.
I added a gentle S-Curve to the track to move the track back further but it still was not enough. The exit track would take a modules length or more to reach the industrial modules. This would impact setups.

I made a pair of gentle curves by cutting a pair of BG1 straight tracks to curve them. These are about R9-R10.

The curve brings the exit closer to the edge of the module.

[Bill Dixon]

Except for the Mono Frog Juicers the #8 Crossover module is complete.

The little triangular group of items top center is the control push button and indicator LEDs.

As you can see the servo installation fought m all the way.
One support foot needed to be cut back to allow for the installation of a servo. The servos were supposed to be screwed in place but that was a pain to try and line up. I ended up Hot Gluing them into place.
The white circuit board center right is the power supply. A basic 7805 Voltage regulator, two filter caps, and a diode bridge to rectify the DCC signal.
Power currently coned for a Digitrax PS14 power supply through a UP5 panel because I did not have a spare socket for the power supply.
When the frog Juicers are installed (on the two sets of three wires) the power supply will be connected to the track.

Industrial module one has been modified to a #6 turnout.

The module is offset 4.5" from the edge of the crossover module. If i didn't have the two curved track pieces it would be offset at least a half module.

Might throw some paint on the modules but otherwise they are ready to test.
I expect the #8 crossover module to have a few teething issues so will have tools on hand to fix it.

[Bill Dixon]

Mostly Loaded.

Still need tool box, coupler box, truck box, computer, carry bag, etc.
A bit full. If this was a show, there would be two bins of table coverings, possibly a return loop and maybe a table or two.
Would fill to the top then.