Katzhagen - Archive - September 2013
Work entails further work...
Just after having installed the sound module for the sawmill which has been waiting for its assignment in the basement since weeks, that lawn calls for its next cut. A short moment of nonattention ... and a sign gets caught which needs a repair then. When putting it out again one realizes the edges would look better after a cut. Given the calisthenics for your back caused by cutting the edges, your eyes are catching the layout's details and ....
At the level crossing near Susch
At Katzhagen station
Evening ambiance in Katzhagen
... you get aware of
Indefensible conditions...
... like weeds at the platform, exfoliating road markings, little holes in the gravel bed, defective illuminations, fading paint of the Preisers and so on and so forth. In short, the optical and technical maintenance requires a lot of timely efforts which removes the idea of any extensions from your sparetime activities schedule as soon as the layout will have reached a certain size and grade of detail.
So it was decided to direct the focus onto operations during this summer. Click onto the pictures from the garden and get a glimpse of the magic !
Indefensible conditions...
... like weeds at the platform, exfoliating road markings, little holes in the gravel bed, defective illuminations, fading paint of the Preisers and so on and so forth. In short, the optical and technical maintenance requires a lot of timely efforts which removes the idea of any extensions from your sparetime activities schedule as soon as the layout will have reached a certain size and grade of detail.
So it was decided to direct the focus onto operations during this summer. Click onto the pictures from the garden and get a glimpse of the magic !
Apropos indefensible conditions...
and their remedy ...
Multiple socket outlet featuring a network interface and the video gear
When the sawmill was put into operations back in 2005, I started to search for a suitable remote control of the pond's pump and of the water course along the mill respectively. Say such a control had to be integrated into my browser based control system.
The solution (finally!) was found in form of a multiple socket outlet featuring a network interface. Since the multiple socket outlet's webserver also allows for controlling every single socket by submitting CGI-commands via HTTP, it was simple to integrate this beast into my browser based control system.
Katzhagen...
(translates to something like Cats Grove)
No comment...
... just click an enjoy !
Reports about cats running riot or leaving their residues on garden railway layouts are popping up many a time but can't be confirmed here. All of our cats and those of the neighbours belong to the peaceful scenario we are accustomed to since years which probably is due to the effectual size of the animals terretories.
Accoustic upgrade for the sawmill
After an externally triggerable MP3 player turned out to be a perfect solution for the level crossing's bells, further MP3 players of the same type were acquired for implementing soundscapes at the stations and the sawmill. First the sawmill was equipped with a weatherproof speaker and such a din generator. The process of integrating this device into the existing setup is roughly outlined by the pictures.
Fetching all the tools, drilling a hole into the junction box and placing a screwed cable gland into the latter and wiring the mess as well as restoring the whole place did take barely an hour.
Integrating the MP3 player into the existing setup
No time-consuming effort ...
... done after barely an hour !
