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Old 14th May 2019, 10:53 am   #1
Viewmaster
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Default A Trainorama !

In between building my Bach with sparks and the spark chamber etc I am
building what I think is a first.
I call it a Trainorama, (from panorama, wide view.)
I have searched the net and find no other. Only static wall displays and a single track near the ceiling. Maybe that's because I'm nutty !

00gauge locos run to end of wall mounted tracks, and reverse back to other end and reverse again and so on. Two/three locos can be on each track chasing each other.

"Mind that china."

All controlled by micro switches at the end buffers and latching relays.
Small lamps along the track (10mm leds)

Speed variable. on each track.

Whatever next?
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Old 14th May 2019, 11:26 am   #2
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

I rather like this. Nice job!
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Old 14th May 2019, 12:09 pm   #3
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

My goodness what a wonder your wife must be an angel to put up with this I love it
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Old 14th May 2019, 1:14 pm   #4
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

A glorious folly. Love it!
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Old 14th May 2019, 3:32 pm   #5
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

Thanks guys.
My wife likes it a lot. I've just had one track running so far to see if it runs OK without derailing. etc.
All the trains will be running in different directions to add to the effect.

I think of it as a wall display to the glory of old steam locos.

When fully running I will put it on Utube and give a link here.
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Old 14th May 2019, 3:57 pm   #6
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

I'm checking back on this thread again after a few hours after a tunnel of wikipedia and window shopping on ebay and model shops. This actually triggered some fond memories for me back from the 80s and 90s when I had a bit of a fling with the OO stuff and regularly used to do the rail tours. Something I regret stopping now suddenly and have a longing to jump into again now I'm older and have some disposable income!

Thanks for the inspiration
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Old 14th May 2019, 4:12 pm   #7
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

Bungle, you will find the price of 00 gauge has risen somewhat since 80's 90's.
But glad to have inspired you to spend, spend, spend.
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Old 14th May 2019, 4:56 pm   #8
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

Yes indeed it has got rather expensive - quite shockingly so. Mrs Bungle has actually mentioned the look on my face peeping over the top of the laptop (I really should be working) and asked me what I'm thinking of buying thus this might be a short lived idea
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Old 14th May 2019, 6:31 pm   #9
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

The older way to do that sort of thing (which avoids microswithes in the buffers) was simply to cut one of the rails about a train-length from the end and connect a diode across the break. The diode polarity is chosen so that when the loco is running towards that end, the diode is reverse biased. So the loco runs over the cut in the rail and then stops (as the diode prevents the motor from getting any power).

The supply is designed to reverse periodically (a relay and a slow astable or something). When the supply reverses of course the motor starts again as the diode is forward biased. Do that at each end of the track with the diodes connected the right way round and you have a train that runs to one end, stops until the supply reverses whereupon it runs to the other end and stops, and so on.
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Old 14th May 2019, 7:15 pm   #10
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

That’s a very neat trick that
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Old 14th May 2019, 8:21 pm   #11
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

Utter, utter madness. What a great idea!
Call it an art installation - it would win prises.
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Old 14th May 2019, 8:26 pm   #12
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

There was a model railway exhibition held near where I live last Saturday. I went along to have a look because some of the layouts are works of art. I never progressed past the usual OO gauge circular layout with I think an additional set of points and a siding which I had when I was about ten, as my interest in model aircraft construction and flying took over about that time, but I still love model engineering of all types. There is a real skill in making something in miniature, particularly with scale modelling. I was a bit surprised at some of the prices for the railway engines and rolling stock at the exhibition. The same cost/income ratio seems to apply as much nowadays as it did when I was trying to finance my railway layout on pocket money 40 odd years ago. Also I noticed that some layouts were controlled remotely using infra red and a laptop. Things have moved on a bit!
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Old 14th May 2019, 10:56 pm   #13
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

Yes some of it is amazing isn't it. I ended up here today and was quite frankly blown away: http://www.emgauge70s.co.uk/index.html
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Old 15th May 2019, 12:50 am   #14
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

I love it !!! I'm still waiting to win the lotto to do that!!! I prefer N guage however.

Superb!! With a little bit of addon plywood, you could add the weeds n grass beside the track.

Joe
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Old 15th May 2019, 12:52 am   #15
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

Some years ago there was a photo in the "Railway Modeller" of a reader's N gauge layout built in an old console TV cabinet. I think it had mountain scenery with a simple circular track, so the train was perpetually "coming round the mountain".
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Old 15th May 2019, 7:30 am   #16
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

Quote:
Originally Posted by Biggles View Post
I was a bit surprised at some of the prices for the railway engines and rolling stock at the exhibition. The same cost/income ratio seems to apply as much nowadays as it did when I was trying to finance my railway layout on pocket money 40 odd years ago. Alan.
The Trainorama is getting very expensive to build with cost of track etc
not to mention up to 10 locos, in spite of having bought them second hand
off the net.
Most locos now, new are over £100. Hornby boxes once had,
'Made in England' on them, now it's 'Made in China'.
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Old 15th May 2019, 7:13 pm   #17
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

I assumed that most of the rolling stock and engines were NOS. I wasn't aware that they were still being made in China. The Chinese can produce some good stuff nowadays. I have one or two Chinese amateur radio rigs and they perform very well for the price. I must admit some of the boxed items for sale at the exhibition did look pristine, but I just assumed that they were ex shop stock which had been lucky store room finds. A bit like finding an unused Bentley in a barn!
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Old 15th May 2019, 7:17 pm   #18
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

It seems model railway gear has always been phenomenally expensive for what it is. My childhood railway was a bit more than Biggles's circle and siding, but not much more, and everything was far beyond my pocket (money).

Around 1990 I actually decided to get a Hornby set and had it running around at high level on the trunking and a couple of ad hoc shelves in my office at work (I was chief LX in a theatre at the time) and I remember that basic set being quite a hit to my wallet.
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Old 15th May 2019, 8:45 pm   #19
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

I stayed in a very at a nice hotel in Münster Germany a couple of years ago. They had a large scale model railway in the reception and bar area running around the walls and across the ceiling with tracks suspended by wires. Rather off putting after a few hours in the bar. I nearly fell off the bar stool more than once watching it.
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Old 15th May 2019, 9:09 pm   #20
Biggles
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Default Re: A Trainorama !

I remember back in the seventies we had friends of the family we regularly visited in Manchester. Their Dad was very keen on railways so this meant many trips to large Stately Homes in the area which had ride-on size railways running around the grounds and through tunnels, across bridges etc. They seemed to always be driven by a smiling bloke with a massive beard and cap on. Great fun. Health and safety probably wouldn't allow it nowadays. Too risky. His other hobby, and my Dad's (They both did their National Service in the RAF) was flying. This duly rubbed off on me and got me interested in a career in the aviation industry.
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