[Lannoc]

Hi,

I've recently started making trackside accessories for myself and purchase by others but I'd like a view from the Forum as to their looks and opinion on what sort of demand there is for them. Thanks.

Connal

 

[Lannoc]

First is the Start Light Gantry:

It's modular and so can be sized, according to requirements. I've also got two options, one with the starting lights, designed to connect to an Arduino (or whatever) and one with just a blank face for adverts/posters/'Start/Finish'.

 

[Lannoc]

The second is street lights/lamposts.
It's the same basic lamppost but with three different track connectors: to clip on to the track; to connect permanently to a baseboard; and one that unplugs from the baseboard, using a 3.5mm jack. It's got three very bright LEDs in each lamp.

 

[Lannoc]

The third is so hot off the press, I haven't even printed it out yet! It's a rally start podium/ceremony stage thingy. I want to have one that will actually sit on the track but I haven't figured that out yet. It can have either one or two ramps. I'm still to figure out the track connection as well. I have a couple of options but I'd be interested in anyone's views.

 

[MrFlippant]

I like them. Keep doing what you're doing.

 

[Lannoc]

Shucks.... Thanks

 

[John Aitken]

Definitely keep it up

 

[HiFi]

Wot they sed 🙂👍

 

[GRUNZ]

Overall, they look good. I am not sold on the lamp posts as they look too massive and out of scale.

 

[Lannoc]

Overall, they look good. I am not sold on the lamp posts as they look too massive and out of scale.

Thanks for the feedback. Just done some checking (for the UK) and they ARE large for residential areas (5-6m high) but on the small end of the A-roads/motorways (8-12m). So what I think I will do is make two versions; the existing height; and another smaller one, around 16cm for residential areas.

 

[Quark]

Perhaps Grunz didn't specifically mean the height ? Maybe diameter ?

 

[beardy56]

Re the rally start you could try fitting a pin or blade at one end or better both to fit the track slot and keep it in place with copper tape along the slot and folded under the ends to pickup power possible with a pocket for a magnet over each rail to help keep contact.

 

[Lannoc]

Perhaps Grunz didn't specifically mean the height ? Maybe diameter ?

Yep - I was looking at that too. I now know much more about lampposts than I ever wanted to!

The problem is that a standard diameter is 76mm, which is 2.4mm in scale! Even the chunky motorway ones would be only 3mm. So, I can't print it that small, particularly with a wire running up the inside. I have reduced the diameter compared to the one photographed but I guess it will have to be out of scale by a reasonable degree. Has anyone seen a properly to scale lamp post in 1:32? How do OO modellers manage, which is even smaller?

 

[Lannoc]

Re the rally start you could try fitting a pin or blade at one end or better both to fit the track slot and keep it in place with copper tape along the slot and folded under the ends to pickup power possible with a pocket for a magnet over each rail to help keep contact.

Could you run that by me again, please? Kinda understand but not entirely? thanks,

Connal

 

[HO RacePro]

My own take are both the gantry and the lamp post are overly tall and too structurally beefy. Both could be slimmed down substantially to look more scale, and also reduce your printing time.

However, I am impressed with your success at printing the gantry without any visible sagging. I am curious how you achieved that. The gantry appears to have been printed in one piece, but to avoid sags I would have made it an assembly of parts printed flat.

Ed Bianchi

 

[beardy56]

Have two holes in the base that you could clip an old guide in to or two slots to take a strip of plastic to act as a blade that will then fit in the slot of the track to keep the start unit in place. Stick copper tape, as used on routed tracks or on Scalex sport track, on to the start unit and run both ends under the base of the start unit so they make contact with the track rails. Depending on the weight of the start unit this may be enough to keep contact but as an insurance I would make two pockets in the base of the unit, may be at both ends, over the track rails and glue a traction magnet in to each pocket, these would pull the unit down on to the track. I would also fit the magnets before running the tape under the unit so you have track rail - copper tape - magnet. So long as you buy copper take with conductive adhesive you can build up the thickness of the tape under the start unit to improve the contact between tape and rail.

 

[Lannoc]

Have two holes in the base that you could clip an old guide in to or two slots to take a strip of plastic to act as a blade that will then fit in the slot of the track to keep the start unit in place. Stick copper tape, as used on routed tracks or on Scalex sport track, on to the start unit and run both ends under the base of the start unit so they make contact with the track rails. Depending on the weight of the start unit this may be enough to keep contact but as an insurance I would make two pockets in the base of the unit, may be at both ends, over the track rails and glue a traction magnet in to each pocket, these would pull the unit down on to the track. I would also fit the magnets before running the tape under the unit so you have track rail - copper tape - magnet. So long as you buy copper take with conductive adhesive you can build up the thickness of the tape under the start unit to improve the contact between tape and rail.

Gotcha! Thanks

 

[Quark]

In regards to your light fixtures. I fully understand why the are oversize. It's a very common problem and plastic construction compounds the problem because of the lack of rigidity. Not to mention the wiring You could try using a digital printed base piece and small diameter brass tubing for the upright portion. And even better, an old trick is to use a single wire inside and the tube itself as the other wire.

 

[beardy56]

The model railway boys will quite often use vanished plain wire like is used on armatures.

 

[GRUNZ]

Yes, I meant that the diameter of the posts looks too big.
We know that sometimes it is not about just scaling down dimension by a given factor (say dividing by 32) but more on appearances and give a "sense of scale".