Newbie N Gauge questions - with apologies/please be kind!

Started by bwj, April 22, 2025, 05:03:04 PM

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crewearpley40

Hi
Probably not much room in my opinion unless the five Sidings? in the middle can be utilised as a small station for a dmu . Great start but constructively track us  too close to the board edge to incorporate any station

Chris
Railwayman
Involved in heritage Railways
N gauge modeller

bwj

Quote from: crewearpley40 on June 16, 2025, 05:59:55 AMHi
Probably not much room in my opinion unless the five Sidings? in the middle can be utilised as a small station for a dmu . Great start but constructively track us  too close to the board edge to incorporate any station

Chris

Thanks and appreciated

I had to build close to the board edges in order to accommodate curves of sufficient radius for an 8 car Pendolino at full pelt. I'll build some protective barriers eventually and a back scene on the right hand side.

There's space for a 5cm wide platform on the right hand side which would then border the backscene. Hence the idea for a low relief station building on the same platform, if anybody actually makes one?



ntpntpntp

#47
With regard to signals, the brand of track is irrelevant as there's no connection between the two unless you're using some kind of detection or DC / ABC isolating section linked to or controlled by the signal.
 
The important thing is to ensure the signals you choose are compatible with being driven by a DCC signal decoder if that's the method you wish to use.  That tends to imply the signals must use common positive wiring (not common negative).     
Otherwise the simple option is a control panel with toggle switches on a totally separate power circuit nothing to do with DCC.
It's worth keeping in mind that having signal aspects directly controlled by a point decoder is the simple approach but not necessarily prototypically accurate:  really all the points for the required route should be set first and only then the signal is cleared.
Nick.   2021 celebrating the 25th anniversary of "Königshafen" exhibition layout!
https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=50050.0

crewearpley40

Fair enough. I would scratchbuild platform and Google station building n gauge low relief, plenty of choice I have noticed.

Guess your seeking a modern building!
Railwayman
Involved in heritage Railways
N gauge modeller

jpendle

Hi,

I use signals from Absolute Aspects, they're not cheap but are very good.

BTW, the Pendo has 9 cars  ;)

John P
Check out my layout thread.

Contemporary NW (Wigan Wallgate and North Western)

https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=39501.msg476247#msg476247

And my Automation Thread

https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=52597.msg687934#msg687934

bwj

Quote from: ntpntpntp on June 16, 2025, 11:31:24 AMWith regard to signals, the brand of track is irrelevant as there's no connection between the two unless you're using some kind of detection or DC / ABC isolating section linked to or controlled by the signal.
 
The important thing is to ensure the signals you choose are compatible with being driven by a DCC signal decoder if that's the method you wish to use.  That tends to imply the signals must use common positive wiring (not common negative).     
Otherwise the simple option is a control panel with toggle switches on a totally separate power circuit nothing to do with DCC.
It's worth keeping in mind that having signal aspects directly controlled by a point decoder is the simple approach but not necessarily prototypically accurate:  really all the points for the required route should be set first and only then the signal is cleared.


Thanks to all for replies

On the signals issue I don't clearly understand what common positive is as opposed to common negative!

When I've browsed the few N gauge signals available the tech descriptions have never been very clear as to DCC compatability - when they say 12v operating I tend to assume they are DC; the exception is the Absolute Aspects signals mentioned above but they are very expensive for an amateur!

jpendle

LED's are used for all colour light signals, so the way they are wired up determines what accessory decoder and other bits you night need.

Common +ve and common -ve refer to how the LED's are wired.

So, for example, Absolute Aspects N Gauge signals are wired Common +ve, so is the Yamorc YD8116 accessory decoder so you can use both together without any extra bits and pieces.

FYI the AA website says that their signals are common -ve, but that's just the OO gauge ones.

Regards,

John P

Check out my layout thread.

Contemporary NW (Wigan Wallgate and North Western)

https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=39501.msg476247#msg476247

And my Automation Thread

https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=52597.msg687934#msg687934

bwj

Been away for a while (work must) and now have a couple of runners back from repair/chipping

Couple of questions

(i) I sent this message to Revolution Trains. Much as I love them I find they rarely respond:


I have a Pendolino Virgin 390 set

It was working fine controlled by a ROCO Z21

Now one driving car (the other is fine) cannot be read at all on the programming track, or comes up with wild read CV numbers like 255 or 64, but will not set a CV. Should I try and reset this drive car, if so how?

My main question that is not in the instruction sheet is how do I go about removing the bodyshell so that I can test the DCC chip. If it is faulty what would be a compatible DCC chip with the drive car that is working?


(ii) My repairer has rechipped two sets of Dapol Voyagers that work fine, save no lighting in dummy drive cars. Similar question is, how do I remove the bodyshell on these and presumably I should have asked for an extra DCC chip in the dummy cars/is there a cheaper option when the DCC chip is only powering the lights or does it have to compatible with the chip in the powered drive car?

(iii) my repairer wasn't able to help with

- DCC install on a Graham Fraish Silver Fox A4 (no socket)
- repairing and chipping a Tomix Thomas and Percy with micro DCC chips

Re Thomas and Percy I've contacted Wickness Models sveral times (they specifically advertise this service) but never get a reply from them.

(iv) Finally, I started pinning down my Kato track, cleaning it and testing. I have a Kato double switchover that was working fine with DCC Concepts decoder. Now that it is secured closer to the baseboard, the electrical switch (powered through a Roco Z21) only seems to work to switch both sections back to the straight on mainline. The mechanics of switching to crossover can be heard in the point, but mechanically the switch doesn't take place.

I'm reluctant to open up the point as they are expensive and delicate, and it was all working until yesterday!

Any tips of any of these probs, much appreciated!

 
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