Banbury_in_00 (Posts about lighting)

Goods Loading Platform Contd.

Tim Pearson — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT

I have continued working on the goods loading platform and fitted both the rear retaining walls and the lighting.

I have not yet found the sort of fencing I would like all of the retail stuff I have tried has been too tall.

Loooking at the photos I believe the fencing is unchanged in the last 65 years apart from now been painted a rather gaudy blue colour. By eye it is about 3.5 to 4 feet tall ie needs to be about 16mm in scale.

I also need to fit coping stones on the top of the wall.

Goods Platform Contd

Tim Pearson — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT

I have been experimenting with Juweela paving slabs - I want to use them for both paved areas around the station entrance - and for edging on my goods platform - (it's too late to use on the main platforms as the levels would be all wrong). I first did a bit experimenting using an offcut mounting the slabs first and then masking them and filling the space between with smooth-it:

I wasn't over happy with the result - things I learnt were

The slabs are really delicate before they are glued to the base
White PVA sticks them fine, but if you let it get on the top of the slap it will discolour it
the 'look' really needs careful attention to lining up, they will have enough variation even if you line them up well if you don't they will look poor. So use a nice straight edge metal ruler to provide a straight edge.

Here is the result prior to spreading the platform surface:

I am pretty happy with it.

I used Juweela 11 x 11mm (24148) ceramic for the slabs and I also purchased for the pavement that runs alonsgside Juweel Curbstones(sic) (28353)

Sloping Roadway

Tim Pearson — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Having spent far too long on the woodwork, I now have a platform that is basically complete. Before I do any further cosmetic work on it, I have turned my attention to the roadway that runs alongside it and descends a couple of feet to the level of the station. I have made a sloping frame for it to go on, and used the platform as a template to cut out the roadway.

I will still need to cut some strips to make the raised pavement that runs alongside the edge of the platform wall/fence.

Goods Platform

Tim Pearson — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Although I have sort of constructed the rather difficult main platforms (which are tricky as they curve, and I have made even trickier by wanting to have lighting on all of them). I put off the goods platform that runs down the west of the station.

It is also tricky as it is level but the roadway next to it descends so the boundary wall gradually increases in visibility. It also has curves, pavements and lighting.

There were lines on each side of it - now gone. And the goods loadding platform itself is overgrown today.

Here is a current satellite view and hand sketch of the layout.

I have built the framework and then sanded a curved edge and then fitted the lighting connectors. In order to get the platforms to sit nicely I have used bolts to the underside of the baseboard with keyhole shaped holes in the platform so when the surface is glued on the bolts can still be removed to work on the platform itself.

Installing more platform wiring

Tim Pearson — Sun, 29 Jan 2023 12:00:00 GMT

I have been busy fitting the wiring to each of the platforms and testing them. I have built a little test unit comprising a 9V battery and ribbon cable to save me connecting each unit to the PiZero controller to test.

Platform Lighting Tests

Tim Pearson — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 12:00:00 GMT

I am now ready to start testing the station lighting system - fistly by just checking the system works at all by using cheap green leds inserted into the screwless spring lever terminal blocks prior to gluing in place the platform top.

Then I have tested with one completed lamppost and one of the station signs I have built.

I am quite pleased with the result.

Installing the lighting controllers

Tim Pearson — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMT

The main lighting controller boards are now ready to be fitted to the Raspbery Pi 2 Zeros and installed under the baseborads.

Each of the four headers will allow 8 pairs of LEDs to operate.

Connecting via 10 way ribbon cable with keyed connectors means as long as you put the connectors on the right way around when you make up the cables you can't get the wrong polarities at the business end.

A Fourth Control Panel

Tim Pearson — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 12:00:00 GMT

I have stupidly been working on what has become a large piece of software for automatically controlling the signals in the layout - possible because I know which sections are occupied and can track point state changes. Automatic signalling is not trivial as the code needs to understand the complete connectivity in the layout.

One problem I have is that the dapol semaphore signals seem to 'forget' their polarity from time to time so I have to have an easy method of working around that - so I am building a control panel to have a set of switches which can be used to alter the polarity (and one switch to turn all signals to danger to see if any need altering).

I also want to be able to control the lighting system so have put in some WiFi (UDP) control of the PiZeros that run that - so also have some push buttons for controlling the scenic lighting

Station Lighting System -PCBs

Tim Pearson — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 12:00:00 GMT

I need to get a lot of lighting onto the station building and platforms - each lamppost that I have made requires two miniature LEDs and the building itself will probably need several score. I'd also like for each scenic component to be removable e.g. the platforms. Without a mess of wiring.

Ideally I'd also like the LEDs to be programmable so I can e.g. simulate flickering fluorescent tubes and coz I am a geek.

I settled on using Raspberry Pi 2 ZeroW as the controller device - cheap and with programmable outputs. But each output is very low current maximum and would only drive a couple of LEDs.

So I need some driver circuitry that can be controlled from the Pis - I have chosen a ULN2003A Integrated circuit where each Darlington pair can give 0.5A which is enough to power more leds that you will ever need on one output.

Then I would like to power the Pi from the same power supply as the LED power supply so I will use a little step down DC-DC converter that takes 9V and gives 5V (TSR 1-2450). I want to use 9v so each lamppost pair of lamps can be controlled on a single circuit.

So I have designed three relatively simple PCBs

A Controller 'hat' for the PiZero with four 10 way ribbon cable connectors and one 2 way PCB terminal block for power input.
A 10 way break out PCB particularly for use under the platforms so can have a maximum width of around 16mm.
A terminal block and resistor PCB that will connect two LEDs via lever connectors and have a location for the resistor

I have designed these in Eagle (before I switched to the much preferable open source KiCad as Eagle has been destroyed by Autocad).

It is incredibly cheap to have PCBs made these days each one is under a pound for production and shipping.

So I mount the PiZero with the hat under the circuit with a single 9v feed then a 10 way ribbon cable runs to the underside of the platform that then feeds the individual terminal blocks which can connect one or two LEDs each on their own circuit.

My intention then is to have wireless control of the LEDs from a single master Pi or similar.