St. Blazey's - My first layout - Stage 3 Building

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As requested here is a picture of the underside of the point

More tests on the V of the point only.... This shows a short circuit no matter which way the point is thrown or if the blades are centred.
Thanks
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I've managed to flash the firmware of the controller and with the removed point both the layout and controller are now working as they should.
Now I need to buy a new point and wire all the droppers and point motors back in.
I'm not going to try to fettle the point I already have. I'll only fettle it up.
Thanks
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[Bufferstop]

The link wires underneath that point aren't awfully clear, but they don't look right to me. I've taken it up to 400% but it doesn't get any clearer. At some point the two links should cross over each other with a bit of plastic in between to stop them touching. In that picture they look to me to come close together but then connect the LH blade to the LH V rail and similarly the RHS, if that is in fact how they are connected they will be permanently short circuited. If it is incorrectly wired it wouldn't be difficult to fix. Just snip both of the bare wires, stand them up where they are soldered to the railsthen join them up properly with a couple of bits of insulated wire, and tuck it all neatly under the sleepers.

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Unfortunately the controller error returned after the 2nd power up.
I reflashed it for a 2nd time but when powering up again it failed.

I'm going round in circles with his controller error more than the trains are going round.
Thanks
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[Bufferstop]

More than one point switching fault?

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If I understand you correctly Bufferstop, no, the controller was not connected to the layout at the time.
It's seems like once reflashed it doesn't hold the data when powered up for a second time. I'll give Frasier another call next week to discuss it.

On the track front, using my meter, there are no short circuits anymore after removing the troublesome point.
Thanks
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After another phone call to Signa-track describing the continuing fault, Frasier is going to replace the whole unit at no extra cost.

I did mention about sending him the original unit back to peruse the fault and he even said he would return the postage costs.
I declined the offer mentioning I just wanted a working unit and not to worry about the postal cost I would incur sending the original back.

So hopefully I should be running trains again by next week even if the missing (faulty) point has not been replaced by then. It only feeds 2 dead end sidings so mainline running won't be effected.

In the meantime I have made a start on my Gaugemaster Fordhampton Village stores kit although the weather outside isn't good enough to spray more base layers on the sprues, being either too wet or too windy.
So far I have sprayed the walls sprue black on both sides (to stop light leakage) and white on one side but that's as far as I have got.
This is the first of 5 kits I have got lined up to build.
Thanks
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Finally the weather improved enough to spray outside.
The kits turned in to a bit of an assembly line with the spraying of undercoats. I did all 5 while I had the cans out.
The stone buildings have had their mortar lines filled in with watered down cream paint and all 5 kits are now ready to add he top layers of paint 'on sprue' before building.

My replacement controller has just turned up and I bought the replacement point yesterday so hopefully it should be with me soon.

"This hobby can drive you round the bend young fella me lad! ..... of course, what radius?, is your decision!"
Thanks
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The new point arrived and before installing I checked the frog to make sure there was no fault, the older point did but this new point was fine.
It's now laid and both he track and controller are working fine. Huzzah!
Lots of point wiring to run back in and reattach the programming track but it's been so long I think I should play tra ... er ... I mean test the layout.
Thanks
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[Dublo]

Hello all
Fantastic news End2, you have earnt a thoroughly good long testing session. Enjoy.

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Actually Dublo testing has thrown up some more errors. One of the hand sets has a problem with switching direction and one of my loco's (56xx) has a problem with pick up.
Nothing that can get in the way of a good running session though I'm pleased to report, track cleaning where necessary and hand throwing the points.
Thanks
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[TimberSurf]

So glad you have resolved all the long standing issues! I was getting very worried you would jack it in!

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Thanks Timbersurf.
I almost had to if the controller couldn't be fixed or replaced. I don't have a spare £200ish for a new one.
Frasier from Signa-trak has been marvellous, although I need to trouble him again about the faulty handset. The controller, bought second hand, was out of warranty yet he replaced it with a more powerful 5amp version as he has standardised from both a 3.5 and a 5 amp version, to just 5amp versions.
That will help with all the lit coaches I intend to have.

I'm also adding bufferstop 'heads' to my 2 engine sheds at the moment so loco's don't hit the end wall with the coupling hook.
I've cut off the plastic legs of Hornby bufferstops and added some rubber circles punched out of rubber matting on the front painted red and added some balsa on the back of the bufferstop head to give them some depth.
Once glued onto the internal lighting rig, the loco's will be able to be driven into the sheds without fear of smashing the coupling.

I've used the bufferstops I previously made for the original end to end incarnation of my layout so they already have red led's glued in and will be lit inside the sheds.

I will be getting a new modelling lamp soon so the 5 plastic building kits I've already undercoated and mortared have been put aside until then.
Thanks
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[joshv8]

It's good to hear you have solved your more serious issues.
And interesting to hear about your further progress. I must say wiring LEDs is something that continues to baffle me a little, working out resistors and such. All LEDs I've wired into projects thus far I've been lucky have been part of lighting kits and all I have had to do is run lengths of wire to circuit boards.
I look foward to some photos of your progress!

Cheers,
Josh

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Thanks Josh.
On building lighting LED's I just use a 1KOHm resistor on ever positive leg of every LED.
Makes it much easier to keep them all uniform.
Thanks
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