The Workbench

Everybody spends lots of time using a computer at a place depending on various scenarios. Initially I connected to the Internet with a Desktop in a spare room upstairs. I soon bought a Laptop to be more “portable” then spent most of my time downstairs in the Trainroom on my workbench. I was away from the T.V. but close enough to hear the Boss, especially when she’d announce “lunch, afternoon tea or dinner”, was ready. How good was this!

Being an Electrician, I've always had an interest in things "electrical", I'm at home with most things electrical in the hobby. My workbench comprises of a spare standard door on top of some drawers I got from a previous employer. and setup with the appropriate equipment/tools etc, if not at an arm’s length, they're close by. I installed a Sliding Drawer under the bench using kitchen drawer slides from Bunnings, making for easy storage of commonly used tools like screwdrivers, cutters, pliers, rulers, scissors etc.

Present day "electronics", is getting really hi tech with Arduino etc, that's leaving me behind. My electronic questions are simply solved with resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes, relays etc as shown in my Signalling Blog entries, most of the time.  

The 2014 photo below shows the normal mess, as I work on the workbench, I’m sure I’m not alone here. I’m getting tidier in my old age, most probably because I’m sick of looking for stuff for whatever I was working on.

Since I don’t do decoder installations and stuff for others anymore, I’m workin’ for me now, to finish what I started in 1990, indicating that progress around here was very slow. So much to do but it's not about finishing the layout, it’s the fun you're having on the journey. I’m certainly having fun making scenery and as of late, ballasting.

This above messy unsceniced “view”, is the most looked at part of the Main North, well by me that is, as I sit at the workbench, made “worse” when I turn on the workbench lighting to work on a model etc. It needs updating.

The “Rotten Row” shelf and the adjacent one to the right above the equipment, have been removed for more “vertical” space above the double mainline and the new mine, see below.

The electrical equipment on the R/H side shelf has been relocated onto the bench below, to reposition the shelf to the same level as the rear “brown” shelf, so as to add a Mine, coming off the “Down” Main (to Broadmeadow & north).

To eliminate a mess under the “brown” shelf, I fitted another Jaycar Cabinet, cut in 3, for more "tidy" storage.

Fitted a fascia then added a “3 piece” polystyrene Hill to the Corner where the double mainline exits Tickhole Tunnel, so it can be removed for access to the hidden track, if necessary. I planted plenty of trees. I did this scenery 2 years ago but it’s taken 2 years to clean up the mess.

My new “view” as I sit at the workbench without the mess.

 

Researching for "local" Mine, I wanted to model the Stockton Borehole Colliery with it's 2,000 ton “over the track” Bin. I couldn’t find the motivation to make it, instead I added some Mine structures I already had (spare Walthers New River Mine parts etc). It's amazing what you find you've collected over the years stored under the layout, so this'll do for now. I parked some of my “red” LCHs there. I may still make the Stockton Borehole mine, only time will tell.

I made the front track of the Mine, my new Program Track, appropriately isolated from the mainline, using the Main/Prog Switch, 3^rd from the left on the row of switches to the right of the Power Cab, details below. See the below link for details of isolating so you don’t blow up a Program Track Booster at:

https://dccwiki.com/Programming_Track

The Workbench Equipment (l to r).

Just out of view is the NCE 5 Amp Power Pro, with the track wiring going to the fascia Ammeter Circuit Board behind the Cabinet (see: http://mainnorth.blogspot.com/2017/07/dcc-ammeter-for-layout.html ), then in 4 directions to the EB1 Circuit Breakers, for the 9 Power Districts of the layout.

My home made 30 year old 5 - 25 Volt, 5 Amp Power Supply to power projects etc, with a recently added combined Volts/Amps display from EBay to replace numerous failed Ammeter displays. Included is a Timer and Constant Current circuitry to charge rechargeable batteries. 

A Jaycar 10 Amp Multimeter  (QM1535) is fixed to a sloping bracket to easily read the display, with the Leads extended and hanging from below the R/H side of the bench with suitable Clips, with 3 other “sets” of Leads (my Power Supply, extra Program Track Leads and Power Pro “test” Leads), providing enough length to test/make easy measurements/tests on the workbench, see the next photo.  

A wireless equipped Power Cab is clipped to a sloping bracket, providing an off the workbench, out of the way Procab, depending on which system I want to use.

Plugged into the R/H Panel or using it as a Wireless Procab, it is used with the Power Pro system.

Plugged in to the L/H socket (2 x Red LEDs), it is used a Power Cab. This allows the use of the Program Track without shutting down the layout or testing without turning the layout on, see below.

Connecting the laptop with either an NCE USB Interface (Power Cab) or a Serial Cable (Power Pro), allows the use of Decoder Pro for programming. 

The Switches (left to right) select numerous options for the layout, details below:

 

• Layout ON/OFF: Left in the OFF position, isolating the layout during powering up the Power Pro and when programming/test locos on the Program Track. Obviously ON for playing trains.
• Program Track:  Selects either the Power Pro or the Power Cab to power the Program Track. In the Power Cab position, it disconnects the layout from the Program Track. 
• Main/Prog: Selects Operation or Service mode of programming for the Power Pro.
• Ammeter: The Ammeter reduces the Track Voltage by approximately 1.0 Volts. Switch OFF, full voltage at the layout, if necessary.
• P.Lamp: The "short indication" (12 V 10 Watt Lamp) for the Program Track can be switched out if necessary.
• Dremel: Easy ON/OFF for the Dremel hanging from the Upper Deck shown in the bottom photo.
• TAM O/C: 12 Volts for the Tamworth Points and Occupancy Detection.
• Hawk Lts: 12 Volts for the Sydney Staging and Hawksburry River Station LED lighting.
• 3 Spare holes for whatever new project needs an On/Off Switch.  

A Weller WES51 Adjustable Temperature Controlled Soldering Iron (green LED) with the Soldering Pencil located in a Holder on the Workbench, replacing a 30 year old Dick Smith unit, don't make them like that anymore.

I’m a dinosaur and still use a landline, the handpiece is at the end of the Program Track.

Above the yellow cabinet from the left is the Power Supply for the NCE Power Pro system also providing power for other stuff at the bench including the Fascia Ammeter, discussed on a previous Blog entry at:

http://mainnorth.blogspot.com/2017/07/dcc-ammeter-for-layout.html

Next is the Power Cab Jiffy Box, housing the USB Interface. In this configuration, it's the interface between Decoder Pro and the Power Cab. Disconnected from the associated wiring, I can take it with a Power Cab in my DCC Doctor Toolbox with the Laptop, plug the unit into 240 Volts then program/adjust locos on other modellers layouts. See my article at:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/nswmn/PCab&USB.htm

Jaycar’s very small tip Soldering Iron for repairs to Circuit Boards using SMD components, now done with my new Weller.

A 12.0 Volt Power Pack plugged into the power point, supplies the Power Cab, power to an External Hard Drive and for my ESU Lokprogrammer. 

 

The Soundtraxx PTB-100 Program Track Booster that's necessary to read CVs of most sound decoder is attached to the shelf. No need to remove the PTB-100 to program Soundtraxx Tsunami 2s. 

The last scenery job is adding ballast, but only after soldering rail joiners and adding more droppers, ballast glue plays havoc with rail joiners and Point "contacts" etc. 

The Colour Light signal (at Red) in the photo right, is located on the UP Main “protecting” trains ahead in Tickhole Tunnel especially when shunting the W44. but Operators still pass Red Signals. Those Operators are banished to make the Coffee. 

If the above "crash" happened, I'd have to remove the 3 piece Hill and the removable scenery at Fassifern/Newstan Mine, to clear the derailed train that'd take at least half an hour, a real inconvenience to an Operating Session. I should include removing the track power, with a Signal at Red. Sounds like it should be one of my next projects.

Occupancy Detectors control the Signal and will be the subject of my next Blog entry. I let you know if I did the above Signal "project".

Good “overhead” lighting is absolutely necessary for “close up” work, we're doing on locos and small projects etc, with two 18 W CFLs, and a long reflector from another light assy.

For magnification and some extra illumination when necessary on the workbench, I have a Jaycar Desktop Magnifier Light (LEDs) Part No QM3552, stored “out of the way”, under the bench that “doubles up” to illuminate the under-bench area. 

I modified the Light by replacing the base with an 8 mm bolt, that allows mounting the Light into a 8 mm hole, under the bench or at the edge of the workbench, see photos.

I need glasses for reading etc.I got a pair made up with a focal length of 200 mm, to work "inside" the models, all shown hanging up in their "correct" place. 

The latest addition to my Workbench is the WiFiTraxx Module that simply plugs into the NCE Cab Bus (no computer with JMRI needed for this), allowing the use of 4 Mobile phones with the applicable App, so when a Visitor comes to the layout, he can use his phone as a Wireless Throttle, see:

http://wifitrax.com/products/product-WFD-30-detail.html.

Thanks to Craig Mackie, he's written a very comprehensive "write up" in 2 Parts at his Blog. 

Part 1: http://ca55ino.blogspot.com/2020/05/wifitrax-wfd-30-nce-cab-bus-wi-fi.html

Part 2: http://ca55ino.blogspot.com/2020/05/more-on-yesterdays-wifitrax-wfd-30.html

A variable height comfy office chair on wheels is necessary to move around the clean Main North "nerve" centre with almost everything at my fingertips. It's so much better sitting at the Bench, now that the scene has been upgraded, shown below, with my constant companion jumping onto the chair to obviously keep it warm for me.

Now to keep the mess, away – that’s the challenge.

For an easy exit when I'm done at the Workbench, pressing the circled "master" switch below, turns everything OFF including the Workbench lights, layout etc, except the one power point that feeds the master switch and the computer, to keep the battery charged. I can now sleep easy, knowing everything's off.