First Movement

I still have to buy some more points to complete the main part of the layout, but first I have to corner an catch my credit card. It's still feral after the lens purchase (see last post) and needs a bit longer to calm down.

No Self-control
Whilst waiting for the points I've been trying to find a transformer (it's blue, if you see it) I used last time I ran a model railway so that I can connect a controller and get some trains running. Years ago I built an electronic train controller from spare electronic bits and pieces I had laying about; nothing fancy but it worked well for simple layouts. It would have been useful to test run some locos, but without a twelve volt input from the AWOL transformer it's useless.

iController™

Not the last word in design and only cutting edge in that the edges of the aluminium plate that acts as a heat sink are sharp.

During a recent visit to the ancestral home I took an opportunity to rootle about in the attic (bloody transformer has to be here somewhere) and came across some controllers whose existence I'd nearly forgotten about. Among them was this fine specimen.

Hammant & Morgan controller (With TMS delivery module, top left background)

 It's a Hammant and Morgan Powermaster of 1965 (ish) vintage made from old battleships and almost as heavy. The beauty of this unit is that it has a built in transformer and it provides a 12v DC output from the (removable) pins sticking out of the right-hand side. There's another 16v AC output on the left hand side. The circuit selectors are useful for track sections so that more than one loco can occupy a section of track; the holes in the top once were filled by more switches.

It's Alive
Fitting a plug to the H&M was interesting as the wires were coloured red, black and green. This colouring always seemed more logical than the brown, blue, yellow/green scheme that's currently used. Once the plug was on I paused before plugging it in; this was, after all, a 50 year old electrical item that had been in an attic for the last 20 of those. No sparks flew, no bangs, smoke or burning smells, just a low hum.

I found some wire, attached it to the back of the H&M and connected it to a stretch of track. A Graham Farish class 08 was selected as a possible sacrificial victim and was placed on the track. I turned the Voltage Control knob and, bugger me, the shunter moved, albeit somewhat jerkily.

Have trucks, will shunt

After much elbow work with a track cleaner I tried again and was surprised by how smoothly the loco moved after two decades of being immobile. I'd still like to find that transformer though...

Ultimately I want to use DCC for this layout which will make most of the equipment above all but redundant as it will be relegated to use on the branch line or sidings. After some research I'm close to selecting the NCE Powercab DCC system.

Let's Twist Again
Glancing at the layout the other day I noticed that some of the straight trackwork was out of place. Initially I assumed I'd knocked it when I'd placed something on the baseboard (it's a bit of a dumping ground at the moment) but I found I couldn't straighten it. Attempting to do so made the track twist elsewhere.

You'll be ahead of me here. It took a couple of seconds to register that the hot weather we've had in the UK must have caused the rails to expand and push the the trackwork out of shape. It's slightly cooler as I write this and the track is now straight again. I guess I shouldn't grumble when Network Rail impose speed restrictions in hot weather.