I’ve been busting my can this week after work to get all the sub-assembling done. And I think I’m there, woo hoo!
Lots you can’t see, but I’m happy it’s done. And really happy it all went together.
Next stop: wiring. I hope to get all that done in the next 3 weekends, so that the 4th weekend is free for scenic.
Salute / cheers,
Cliff
You need a freaking hobby man !!
ʎssnd
My hobbies, especially this and the related DS&CVRR research, are wearing me out I think… Please, no, I don’t need another!!
(: ssnʍ ʞɐɹʇɯɐ
The last couple days I did a one-off wiring job on a display panel, to figure out how the routing should go, see what needed ordering, and pave the way for (hopefully) doing 8 more this weekend.
In the background are 8 plywood boxes, which need to turn into the thing in the foreground.
Each of the 4 consoles has a harness, which I also did one of. Two lines are incoming and outgoing 12v power (they’re daisy-chained), 2 for the console’s display panels, and 1 to go to the model.
I’m using prefab trailer lighting cables, so the colors are way wonky, which kinda bugs me, but I’ll get over it once everything tests out ok and my wiring diagram (labeled with the wonky colors) is done.
Onward and diagonal,
Ciff
Trailer connectors are a good choice. Very robust, easy to connect and disconnect, polarized and handle more than enough current. Colors are only wonky 'cause you say so!
Is the plexi covering the terminal strips in the first photo? Cool idea. I like your wire stress relief too. This is looking very professional from both the top and underneath that no one will see.
Quick suggestion. I can’t tell from the pic if the harness has all unique connectors, or if there are some duplicates. If there are duplicates, you could paint the connectors to help service folks to determine which one goes where, . If all unique, that problem solves itself.
I agree with Jon, the trailer connectors are an excellent choice. When I did the portable lionel layout for the local museum that the volunteers take down and set up once a year that is exactly what I used. They can’t screw it up and have worked fine for 10+ years so far. However they were all unique. Also as suggested if they are not unique and you do not want to paint the connectors for fear of it rubbing off you could always use different colored conduit.
https://www.amazon.com/Colored-Split-Wire-Loom-Diameter/dp/B079TG4M3G?th=1
Automotive manufacturers do it to warn stupid mechanics. Orange and yellow mean in Japanese ワイヤーがブームになる (wires go boom) DO NO TOUCH
Thanks Jon and Rooster, yeah, the trailer connects are super robust, and they got me out of an endless task of making up my own. They are almost all unique, except for the two which go to the display panels.
I was going to just label them Left and Right but now I think about it, I might as well flip the polarity on one of those cables and then it’ll be foolproof like you say. Thanks for that thought.
Jon, thanks, I like using plex as a “circuit board” with the holes all lasered in for free. I ended up needing only half the holes though, because the as-run routing was simpler than the routing I’d planned in CAD.
After seemingly endless pigtail setup… cutting, stripping, crimping, soldering, heat-shrinking…
… I got about halfway on the display unit wiring.
Tomorrow hopefully these will get finished up, along with (again, hopefully) the main harnesses, we’ll see.
And wire labels at some point, haven’t worked that through yet.
Cheers,
Cliff
Your anal retentiveness is holding up well. Retaining those anals. And making a fine, maintainable museum piece. You do realize that this would be the job of multiple people over a longer period of time for thousands of dollars. I hope the museum folks realize what an amazing deal they’re getting.
Great job, Cliff!
Very kind of you to say those things Jim, thanks very much!!
I’ll have to retract that, since I remembered later that the display boxes need to be interchangeable, meaning that left and right need to be identical. Oh well, a label should work. And if someone swaps the two cords (which I’ll make it difficult to do via routing), the worst that can happen is the wrong model led’s light up when the left or right button is pressed.
It’s been a race against the clock today, but the display units, harnesses & console assemblies are done & tested.
Next week: model wiring, including LED’s and main circuit boards. Lotsa unknowns there, but I’m very relieved to get these control units out of the way in a shorter timeframe than I expected.
Thanks for following this guys, much appreciated.
Cheers,
Cliff
Prepping for the main distribution boards last night, and I finished their cables and all the LED connectors.
Soldering160 connections wasn’t the highlight of my life… but I’m very glad that’s over with!
Sorry I cannot help myself.
Cliff the work is amazing!!!
Thanks Rooster!!
And I feel so honored that you’d post that special clip for me… I’m getting a little misty-eyed… means a lot Dude… (sniff) gotta go…
The main power distribution (“circuit”) boards now have their feeders installed and tested, which was the main wiring job still ahead for me.
A few bugs cropped up during testing, but nothing major (big relief).
Next step: install the model LED’s and manage their connections to these boards. I’ve got all weekend scheduled for that, so I’m breathing easier. My hope has been to have the 4th of July weekend clear for scenic work, and it’s looking like I’ll have that, thank you Lord!
Cliff
I don’t think I’ve EVER seen such neat wiring. Nice job!
How kind of you to say so, Bruce, thanks!
I was regretting not using #18 wire, just to make it bend and run more neatly… But if you say it’s neat, then I’m happy. 
So…what size wire DID you use? It DOES look VERY nice! 
