Life and Art

I try to capture the essence of Melbourne life in Victoria Street with street scenes from a time ago.  People, places, signage all play a part in creating a narrative of the time. While most scenes are created out of my memory. One in particular, is one I intend to model possibly when exhibiting and I need to go for lunch or for just a wander.

The scene played out yesterday (24/1) in full 1:1 scale in Racecourse Road, Newmarket.

Note the scorch marks on the impact beam courtesy of 600 volts.

(Herald Sun Newspaper)

This event happens too often, 3.7 metres (12 feet) is not that great a clearance; however, it always seems to catch out truck drivers regardless of the advance signage, clearance gauges and warning lights and this causes all sorts of traffic mayhem for locals, the route 57 tram and the rail line above.

So at the end of the day, some truck driver will be looking for a new career.

Play safe, work safe.

From under the shorted out wires.

Glenn.

P.S.Happy Australia Day.

Settlement Day - The aftermarth.

Settlement Day,(1) a term used by bookmakers in the racing caper, on that occasion all balances were settled between each other, then the true account of the race day could be recorded, usually one or two days after the meeting.(2) a term used by me to describe the eventual outcome of Christmas Day, 'outlay versus return'.

The running of a blog spot is not only for my amusement and to share my efforts with like minded souls, it is also a great insight into your wishes, aims and outcomes that your significant other can mine for gift ideas, as I found out.

Armed with a smart phone, the bride with two kids in tow, secretly hit a premium model railway store in a Melbourne seaside suburb with a cunning plan.(however that the two kids under four managed not to either spill their guts or tear the shop apart, is the biggest mystery)

So instead of making do with the usual Christmas takings of card, plastic box top and other potential materials like, the tokenistic flashing LED Christmas crap found in some Christmas crackers(only marginally better than the paper hat and the bad joke). The family delivered a couple decoders (*6 light function!), some cars and other bits and pieces, in the end a great result.

So what is the future for these 6 light function decoders.......Here are a couple of ideas, trams with indicators....

 

 PCC 1041

 

 

even better now that I have plans.

 

and an early Z class.

(note the classic 70's colour scheme..cool!)

 

 

So, now I have a few projects that need attention this year, which will drag Victoria Street into the fashionable 70's.

 

From under the wires,

 

Glenn

 

 

 

 



That time of the year again...

A bit more than a week out from Christmas, and how much of the past year has flown by. As part of the online tradition, here is this years Christmas Card.

Above all enjoy the season, tolerate your family and try not to spoil the kids. (Who know, Santa may slide a few more decoders into the stocking), so therefore keep safe, try not to eat anything bigger than your head and hangovers still do hurt.

From under the wires
Glenn

The Pancake Parlor

As the DCC transformation of Victoria Street continues forward, the conversion of my fleet of W class trams powered by the cheap and cheerful Bachmann Brill trolley mechanisms has offered me some few and interesting moments. As these trams are powered by the rather retro 'pancake' motor as opposed to the more 'recent' can motor, there are a few things that need to be sorted out.

The power pick ups of the Bachmann Brill trolley assembly need to be isolated from the brush assembly for this DCC concept to gain traction, as the pancake motor is fed by contact prongs that touch either of the two halves of the motor bogie. (This unreliable method of electrical transfer has led to many a premature 'death' of a Bachmann Brill trolley).

My method of fitting DCC to these dinosaurs is to disassemble the pancake, remove/isolate the prongs and direct solder the orange/grey wires to the brush assembly, and connect the red/black wires in parallel to either side of the motor bogie and to the non driven bogie. It ain't pretty, but it works.

With the DCC conversion of the two Cooee Collectable RTR W class (964 & 812), the installation and programing of the decoders was easy, being can motors and smooth running at low speed; however the Bachmann Mechs (800 & 870) are completely different. Not only is the wiring unique, but all the phaffing around required when sorting through the CVs, for they can need a good kick in the arse to get going, then need a subtle touch on the throttle to stop them racing off at breakneck speed.

The other issue with installing decoders in the Bachmann Mech W class is the amount of real estate these units take up inside of the saloon, even more so when installing the lighting options as well. The W5 800 with its open three door drop centre section, per side, full of punters, really set the mind thinking of how to install a decoder, offer directional lighting and saloon lighting, all with one end of the car taken up by a pancake motor bogie...... (in the end, I think I may have nailed it.)

 

W5 800 (Bachmann Mech with NCE D13SRJ Decoder)

 

 

The underside of W5 800

 

 

So that's what I have been up to lately.

 

From under (amongst) the wires.

 

Glenn

 

Computer games

Now I have finally crossed over to the DCC side, not happy with smooth running and multiple light functions, I pushed the boundaries even further, I hooked the laptop to the DCC using the NCE DCC usb interface, then to go that one step further again, I can now run the trams via wifi from my 'smartphone' all with the JMRI software and apps. I have achieved satisfaction.

The smartphone with JMRI controller.

 The NCE DCC usb interface.

(note the professional application of electrical tape)

The NCE DCC usb interface will be housed in a clear lidded zippy box so I can watch the LEDs light up as the computer and the Powercab chat to each other.

The ancient laptop which runs Windows XP with the JMRI software that allows 

myself to spend countless hours phaffing around with CVs.

Getting all this technology to work together required watching youtube vision, google searches, bad language and a few beers, best to be done when women and young children are not present.

*** SAFETY TIP*** 

When using your smartphone to run multiple trams be aware that incoming phone calls WILL result in losing control of your fleet as they will continue on with their last instruction, and you cannot stop the trams until you complete the call. 

From under the wires

Glenn

Little Details - The Video

Some video evidence of the lighting functions I installed on W5 812 using DCC, yes, it was a challenge but it does encourage me to eventually install similar features to the rest of the fleet.

 

 

So sit back and wonder at how OCD I'm getting with DCC.

 

From under the wires

Glenn

 



 

 

My cup runneth over

As I started back in the model rail/tramway caper about four years ago after a long layoff from my mid teenage years. The time in between was taken up by the love of football and thoroughbred racing, (I was a really ordinary footballer and still not that great as a punter/owner either).

In that time I bought a house that is about a kilometre away from Flemington racecourse*, (the wife came later on), well this week is the spring racing carnival, last Saturday was Derby Day, tomorrow (Tuesday) is the time honoured Melbourne Cup(a public holiday), Thursday is Oaks (ladies) Day then the following Saturday is Stakes Day (cash permitting?).

As you can understand, it does get a little busy around here and as I have done for near the last twenty years, I take the week off work. This now gives me time on non racing days to 'run services' on Victoria Street, fit more DCC decoders and just be a Dad. (This explains why there is a racecourse on Victoria Street)

Best of both worlds.

Pretend races on the study shelf, real races on the laptop.

 

 DCC allows for tighter headway.

More mayhem outside the racecourse.

From under the wires and amongst the losing tote tickets,

Regards Glenn

*For those not from Australia, Flemington would be on par with Royal Ascot (UK), Churchill Downs in Kentucky (USA) or Longchamps (France)