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Re: New Corners
I agree. Option 2 sounds good to me.
I suggest we try and schedule a work day (not a BCE day where we all want to
run trains). The work day could include:
- completing the 2 new corner modules (leg sockets & trailer connectors)
- wiring new crossover harnesses
- finishing plexiglass on the corners
- there's a long list of other to-dos...
Anyone up for Saturday June 29th or Sunday June 30th?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott A Smiley" <sc.smiley@juno.com>
To: <ttat-members@aoot.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2002 4:09 PM
Subject: Re: New Corners
> This
> is a good summary. I agree that option 2 is a good choice. These plug
> adapters would be useable if any module would be reversed in the layout
> for what ever unknown reason. (Taking a module with switches on track 4
> and putting it in so the switches are on track 1????)
>
> This could also be done at home with out the modules or trailer.
>
> Scott
>
> On Sun, 09 Jun 2002 15:22:26 -0500 "Ira Schneider"
> <ira_schneider@Iname.com> writes:
> > Yesterday we used the new corner modules for the first time and set
> > up an L-shaped layout.
> >
> > Despite my skepticism as to the usefulness of this layout, even I am
> > now convinced this is
> > a good thing for the club. It was interesting to see a long freight
> > train snake around the
> > double-reverse-curve inside the L.
> >
> > The new corner modules (thanks Ed and the others who helped out)
> > work, but have a couple
> > of problems which need to be addressed before we use them in a
> > show:
> >
> > 1. Most legs won't fit in the module marked C5. It looks like Ed
> > used the new "appearance grade"
> > 1x2s from Home Depot for the spacers in the leg pockets. This
> > lumber is thinner than standard
> > 1x2s and most legs, including ones made from the same lumber,
> > won't fit. These leg pockets
> > need to be redone with standard 1x2 spacers.
> > 2. Both corner modules should have two (2) trailer connectors on
> > the inside so we can use
> > them interchangeably as power or auxiliary power (i.e. the
> > diagonal module where the power
> > harness is connected). Right now, only one module (I think it
> > is the C6 module) has one trailer
> > connector mounted in it, and the connector is not wired.
> > 3. We need a special wiring harness for the inside corner. Either
> > we need to add a special harness
> > to one of the new corner modules (or both if we want symmetry)
> > or we need to construct
> > separate crossover harnesses for the inside corner. (See
> > below).
> >
> > I had originally calculated that we would have about a 2" gap in
> > both directions when constructing
> > the L-shaped layout using the new corners inside the L. When we got
> > to the last module joint,
> > there was a gap, as predicted. We didn't measure the gap but it
> > looked like a couple of inches.
> > We were able to close the gap by moving the modules around, as we
> > thought we could. So, even
> > though the dimensions are not exact, there is enough play in the
> > module joints to allow us to
> > close the L-shaped figure. However, we do have to remember to use
> > both new corner modules
> > on the same side of the figure (i.e. one has to be the inside corner
> > and the other has to be
> > an adjacent corner).
> >
> > Now for the wiring. There are two ways of wiring the inside corner.
> > (The colors in the following
> > lists correspond to our standard connector wiring colors.)
> >
> > 1. Add new harnesses to both sides of the corner module. The 4-pin
> > plug goes on the end
> > of the module where the normal 4-pin socket is, etc. The new
> > harnesses are wired as follows:
> >
> > 4-pin connector
> > pin 1: brown (mainline 4 power)
> > pin 2: orange (mainline 2 power)
> > pin 3: black (common)
> > pin 4: red: (mainline 3 power)
> > 6-pin connector
> > pin 1: white (mainline 1 power)
> > pin 2: yellow (unused)
> > pin 3: blue (accessory power 2)
> > pin 4: gray (accessory power 1)
> > pin 5: black (common)
> > pin 6: green (turnout power)
> >
> > 2. Construct two (2) crossover harnesses which can be connected
> > between the standard
> > plugs on the inside corner and the adjacent modules. In the
> > following description, one side
> > of the harness contains the A plugs and sockets and the B side
> > contains the same kinds of
> > plugs (i.e. one harness has a 4-pin plug and a 6-pin socket on
> > each end and the other
> > harness has a 4-pin socket and a 6-pin plug on each end). These
> > harnesses have to be wired
> > as follows:
> >
> > 4-pin connector A:
> > pin 1 (white): connected to 6-pin connector B pin 1
> > pin 2 (red): connected to 4-pin connector B pin 4
> > pin 3 (black): connected to 4-pin connector B pin 3
> > pin 4 (orange): connected to 4-pin conector B pin 2
> > 6-pin connector A:
> > pin 1 (brown): connected to 4-pin connector B pin 1
> > pin 2 (yellow): connected to 6-pin connector B pin 2
> > pin 3 (blue): connected to 6-pin connector B pin 3
> > pin 4 (gray): connected to 6-pin connector B pin 4
> > pin 5 (black): connected to 6-pin connector B pin 5
> > pin 6 (green): connected to 6-pin connector B pin 6
> >
> > There is a third method for handling the wiring. We can construct a
> > passthrough harness with
> > a 4-pin plug and a 6-pin socket on one end and a 4-pin socket and a
> > 6-pin plug on the other end
> > with all of the wires connected straight through (i.e. 4-pin plug
> > pin 1 connected to 4-pin socket pin 1, etc.).
> > This harness can be connected ACROSS the inside corner module,
> > routing the power between
> > the adjacent modules and bypassing the inside corner module. The
> > problem with this scheme is
> > that the tracks on the inside corner module would only get power
> > through the bridge tracks.
> >
> > I would suggest that we build the harnesses described in method 2.
> > This gives us the advantage
> > of being able to use ANY corner for the inside corner, not just one
> > corner that we add a special
> > wiring harness to. It does have the disadvantage that we have to
> > store the new harnesses some place
> > and remember where they are when we are wiring the layout. I think
> > we can keep these harnesses
> > either in the main or auxiliary power box or in the egg crate with
> > the test harness we use when we
> > are connecting the modules together during setup.
> >
> > Does anyone have any other thoughts on this subject?
> >
> >
> > Ira
> >
> >
> > ------
> > TTAT members reflector.
> >
>
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