Ruritanian Railways - 2012

garrymartin said:
In the first night picture it looks as if your DMU has been fitted with one of those UV things for killing insects, a bit like a chip shop :rolf: Still at that price the experiment was worth it for the benefit of us all.:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
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We aim to please in Ruritania. :bigsmile:
It's hard to tell from photographs, especially with Zenda depot's Instamatic, but the Massoth kit is really far too bright for any realism, even with the yellow film applied. Ruritanian Railways is highly unlikely to buy any more examples.
On the other hand the Chinese example is a bit too cool (blue) a white. The intensity is a bit low, but far more realistic. We'll trial a 12 volt input in due course and have a couple of other suppliers ready to provide samples. Part of the problem is that "white" covers such a wide spectrum of tone and intensity. Much is in the eyes of the beholder, or indeed his bodyguard's.
 
Thanks for the link Peter.
The led colour to go for, if it is available in the strips, is 'warm white'. These leds are less intense and have a more 'realistic colour for simulating tungsten lighting. The cooler 'bright white' is better for simulating flourescent lighting. The blue white is better for simulating the UV light in lap dancing institutions.....I am told...

To bring the luminousity down on the massoth ones you could put a resistor in series with the light strip or even a potentiometer to vary the lighting to the Ruritanian sensibilities.

this strip is a bit longer at 15" 37.5cm and also rigid but it is warm white:
http://www.bestofferbuy.com/3W-48LE...ce=gbase&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=gbase_uk < Link To http://www.bestofferbuy.c...;utm_campaign=gbase_uk

It is good to see that the management of the Ruritanian railways board has decided to investigate new technologies...have they discovered the benefits of wireless yet?
 
Signs of an early spring today in Ruritania! "Kaiser Otto" has arrived back in Zenda from the UK and posed looking sleek and elegant in Zenda depot....
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....prior to working a special "welcome home" train to the border and back.
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Over the years, trains in Ruritania have got longer, but the main station at has remained in the form established over 10 years ago. Today, a new stations has arisen, based on a stunning new instant platform solution developed by Ruritanian Railways.

Pictures show Zenda station's old main platform. Uneven, obviously laid in individual slabs and barely long enough for 4 coaches. On the right are the two brand new platforms, still covered in protective film.
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The "after" photograph shows the new main platform at Zenda, ready for use. Wider, much longer and as smooth as Prince Rudolf's conversation with a lovely lady. Tidying up of rough edges needs to be completed and an awful lot of platform lights may be required, though there is no budget for that at present!
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In other activity, a new platform was also installed today at the border station where passengers previously had to pick their way across the ballast. An artist's impression provides a glimpse of how things may look if the redundant lights from Zenda are installed here:
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Nice. Further lights are essential for safety reasons- I have no doubt the Finance Minister will understand and make sacrifices in other areas.
 
CoggesRailway said:
Nice. Further lights are essential for safety reasons- I have no doubt the Finance Minister will understand and make sacrifices in other areas.
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I'll let you negotiate the deal. I need 18 lights for full coverage. At £20-£30 each, that's....... painful! :nail:

By the way, here's the technical stuff behind the platforms: http://www.gscalecentral.net/fb.ashx?m=195716
 
Those platforms look really great! Since I don't live anywhere near Ruritania, I'll have to see what we have that's similar here in the Colonies.
 
Having got some platforms organised, the Executive Committee of Ruritanian Railways has been pondering what to do about lighting. The main platform at Zenda is nice and wide (175mm), so that's no real issue. The new island platforms there and at the border are something else though. Tests on a hastily built section of platform at Zenda depot have not been encouraging. As the pictures show, lights from German suppliers Marklin and POLA have been trialled.
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The LGB light has far too broad a base for safe passage by persons full of joy after an evening in a tavern watching the Ruritanian Premier League.
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The POLA offering is much neater, but the Procurement Director nearly had a fit at the projected cost. Operations Department staff were also concerned about the possibility of breakage from local wildlife (those Tiggers can be aggressive if roused).

Overhead lighting strung from poles would seem an obvious answer, but again the possibility of breakage is there, plus there may be operational difficulties with cleaning the area of leaves and uncoupling.

Ruritanian Railways would welcome suggestions. Cost, robustness and appearance are the main considerations.
 
A suitable telegraph has been sent to the Prince himself, with tender to supply suitable lighting:bigsmile::bigsmile:
 
3Valve said:
How about these offerings from Andel?

http://andelmodels.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=83
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Your esteemed Highness, the ones specified above by Dave are in use on the WGLR and very nice they are too (available in either black or green). They come supplied with a bulb, but conversion to LEDs would be the work of but a moment for the Zenda Depot's talented CMO. They are also available for export to your wonderful country by Mr Clifford Barker of Saaaarfend.

Best wishes from the land of the bard and decent rugby teams and may the great She Elephant of peace and love fly up your left nostril.

Sincerely, Y. Bodda, dogsbody / sweeper upper, WGLR.
 
Ruritania thanks all the gentlemen who have responded and provided enlightenment (a small imperial joke there...). The products of Messrs AnDel/Andrex will be tested at the border station. Mr Parberry has come up with an alternative for Zenda which is also worth a punt, as we understand you say in Great Brittany.
 
Stainzmeister said:
Your near neighbours in Austria are expressing admiration of Otto. :bigsmile:
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An honour indeed! Now that the former Austro-Hungarian empire is free from internal borders, possibly there should be a Stainz family reunion? :thumbup:
 
Ruritanian Railways is pleased to announce that the annual spring clean of the system has started. Today a test train of "Nostalgie Dampf" stock operated on our unique battery-generated steam system to check point and reversing loop operation. The train included a new 4-wheel coach to complement that in use already for some years. It seems overseas railway enthusiasts just can't get enough of the Pootank Pass experience!
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Checks showed that all point motors had survived the winter, but a couple of reed switches used for automatic operation had succumbed to frost. One has already been repaired by our busy maintenance staff! Next up is getting the lineside vegetation cut back and performing the spring track clean. It can't be long before the Zenda Times reports the first Mallet of spring! :thumbup:

Platform and lighting experiments continue. More news of those in due course!
 
I'm not sure which reed switches you use, but I have found these to be very reliable and durable http://www.rapidonline.com/Electron...46/?sid=945f8196-86c5-4a87-9031-c1ac9cee0019 < Link To http://www.rapidonline.co...031-c1ac9cee0019
Sometimes you may be lucky to find some on ebay, I was able to get a pack of 30 for £10 a while ago. I drill 2 holes in the top of a sleeper (usually an old one taken that can be slid between a the fixed sleepers), poke the wires through and solder the reed to them. Then I use a hot glue gun to 'stick' and seal the reed to the top of the sleeper and then fill the underside of the sleeper with hot glue to encase the solder joints too. I have had no issues with this method for at least a year of [strike]playing[/strike] testing now (touch wood).
 
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