Putting Graffiti on my cars

To begin with, my current preferred method of moving cars around the layout is with the “4 turn Car Card system”. I have tried the “Tab on Car” system and although very good, I still prefer the 4 turn at present.

A problem I had is with my freight cars, in that I have many duplicate cars simply with different road numbers. For instance, I have 3 off 50’ boxcars of exactly the same road name, length, style etc, that when using them with the Car Card system, operators are going to have problems reading the small numbers denoting the car. With all the cars “currently” in use, I have specifically chosen different cars. However, there is only so far one can go. I also use photos of the individual cars to help operators know exactly which Car Card refers to which Car on the layout. So 3 photos of the same car on 3 different Car Cards was still going to cause a problem.

I hit on the idea of using Graffiti decals to individually identify each of the duplicate cars. For instance, in the case of the 3 exact same freight cars; one I would leave as is, and the other two, I would fit decals to.

I purchase 2 sets of the same Blairline Graffiti decals. The reason for two the same was that I would fit the same decal in the same place on both sides of the car, so that no matter which side of the car one looked at it, it would resemble the photo on the car card.

Lets get to some examples and some photos: -

Below are 3 off 50' boxcars which are exactly the same in all respects. The only difference being the road numbers. They all initially looked like the centre car which also shows the car card that was in use. The other two on either side were not being used as it would have caused great confusion. Here though, the new Graffiti placed on each one can be seen and now uniquely identifies the cars. Now all I need to do it take some photos of the other two and make up suitable Car Cards.

With the ones below, they also look like the ones above. However, on closer examination, it can also be seen that they are actually different. Not just in shape, but the BN herald below is smaller then the BN herald above. Again, by adding Graffiti, I increased my Car Card freight by a further 2 cars.

These are two 40' boxcars which are the same. Again, by adding Graffiti to the one, I have added an extra wagon to my fleet.

These two below are 2 of 3 MRL wagons I have. For some unbeknown reason, known only to heaven knows who, I only decaled the one. When I get home, I will do the last one (3rd of the 3).

Please excuse the photo below for it's quality, however, the rake of cars in the front are the cars once all of them were complete. So I went from 4 unique wagons in use to 10 wagons now available for use on the rail-road, and hopefully operators will be able to easily identify the cars against the Car Cards during an operating session.

As for the decaling. That was as easy as always. As mentioned, I used Blairline Decals. They are laser cut around the decal for easy removal. I would use Microscale "Micro Sol" and "Micro Set". Micro Sol really softens the decal so that it conforms to the shapes on the car body.

I would brush some Micro Sol over the area where the decal was going to go. Then place the decal in some warm water for about 30 seconds. From there I would take it out the water and slide the decal onto the car and using a knife blade, gently slide the decal into place. From there, I would add some more Micro Sol over  the outside of the decal and that was it. Put the model to one side for the day and end of story :-)

Tam Valley Depot QuadLN Loconet servo controlers and IO

I have been doing a lot of research for a cost effective switch controller and actuator that would give me the biggest bang for my buck.

What I wanted was the impossible. I wanted to be able to control a switch from either a control panel, the throttle or finally JMRI. I also needed to know what position the switch was in at any time, especially when booting up the layout for a session. Bottom line, it all came down to cost, not just for the controller, but also the drive that would actually move the switch.

The Tam Valley Depot QualLN and a SG90 9g servo fitted the bill perfectly.

Firstly the servo. I buy these form Hong Kong on Ebay. I buy a 12 pack and having purchased a pack last week, they come in at R33.82 per servo. End of story there.

Secondly and lastly, the QuadLN. What does this beast "not do" would be easier to answer. However, here is the list of what it can do and what I wanted it for.

• It can control 4 separate switch "areas". So if you have a crossover with two switches, one servo output would control both servos for the two switches.
• There are then 8 separate inputs and outputs for whatever you want. 4 of them are standard for the fascia controllers and LED's, but if you do not need fascia controllers and indicators, they are available for other IO's. I will be using these for the fascia controllers.
• There is then the additional 4 I/O's for something else. In my case I will be using these for Block detection. I can theoretically then detect a mainline, a passing siding to that mainline, and the blocks on either side of the mainline.
• The QuadLN is a Loconet device that can hook into the Digitrax Loconet and all messages are sent over the Loconet and not by hooking the device to the rail power.
• I do not need sensors on the servos to show alignment as this is remembered in the QuadLN when a switch is either thrown or closed. So no matter what, even if the power is lost, the QuadLN will remember the switch position when power is restored to the layout.
• Routes can be programmed directly into the QuadLN. so one press of a button on a ladder would change all the switches down the ladder if so set.
• And lastly and very importantly for me, selected switches can be locked out if required. So if I wanted to lock out certain mainline switches during an operating session, I could do so. This could put all mainline switches in the control of the dispatcher. The respective fascia controller push buttons would thus not be operational. However, when an operator requested track and time at one of the switch locations or area, the dispatcher could temporarily hand control back to the operator by turning on the push button functionality for the respective switches. Absolutely awesome.
• Lastly, with the feedback of switch positions from the QuadLN, this could be tied into a nice signalling system one day.

Below is one of the QuadLN's fitted under my yard at Whitefish. If you look carefully, you will see 2 sets of 2 servos linked together. This is to control 2 separate crossovers on this side of the yard. There are a further 2 servos controlling separate switches.

Scenery update and one Helix covered

There has been lots of work done on the layout since the last post, however, just not documented in this Blog unfortunately. I really must try to update the blog more regularly. There is too much to write and show in this one post, so they will be spread out over the next couple of posts which I will do in quick succession hopefully.

Well, I have been doing some of the scenery on various parts of the layout. The one helix on the visible staging side of the layout has now been covered. This has been a long time coming.

I basically covered it with Chicken wire and then newspaper draped over the wire before cloth was placed on top and covered in RhinoGLIDE. RhinoGLIDE is a product used for covering wall joints and is very smooth with no stones or grit like that in RhinoLITE. To give it the earth colour, I add yellowy/brown pigmentation.

Below is the hardshell covering. Just needs grass and trees now.

Then over at Columbia Falls, I have put in the commuter station and the base for the grain silos. I have also put in some roads connecting the two. I again used RhinoGLIDE to contour from the plywood base up to the road edge as well as the station parking etcetera. Again, what I now need to do is scenery.

Again, below are some photos: -

Here is the commuter station. This will not be an Amtrak stop but the RDC commuter between Whitefish and East Glacier Park will stop here.

This is the same area, but looking over the commuter station towards the small grain silos.