Sunday, May 27, 2012

Sorry for the lack of posts but here is another video

I haven't posted too often lately as I am otherwise occupied. My wife Chris has had a bad back for more than 10 years and it has now come to the point where she needs an operation. Currently she is off work and spends most of the day laying down and can only stand for 20 minutes or so at a time. As a consequence I am spending a lot of time being with her and generally assisting where I can.
The operation is scheduled for 19 June and it can't come soon enough for her.
Anyway, just to post something I give you another video of an Austrains C35 traversing part of the layout. Now this video has no sound so don't try turning the sound up. It is one of my early try outs of the Micro HD video camera and while it isn't that clear (disappointment here) it does give a nice low down next to the tracks view.

The view is often a bit crooked as the camera is so light that even static grass can throw it off level.
I will post something when I can but I may not be able to do much for obvious reasons.

Friday, May 4, 2012

A trip Along the BYLONG Main Line

Last week I was at the Model Railroad Craftsman shop at Blacktown to buy a small item from Gary's Grandt Line range of structure details and well, the usual happened! I walked out with a Soundtraxx Micro Tsunami EMD 567 sound decoder for my Austrains NSWGR 421. Now I didn't go there for that but you know how it goes, something happens and its done.
I fitted the decoder the same night still suffering from that disease I caught in the afternoon, I think they call it enthusiasm.
Here is a picture of the install, note that I trimmed back the metal chassis projection holding the rear headlight to make room for the speaker and tapped the decoder and wires to it. I installed the speaker on edge held by yellow 'Blu-Tack'? Also the speaker is facing forward and the sound actually sounds like it is coming from the middle to front instead of the rear which is good.


A while back I bought a tiny Full HD video camera fitted with a micro SD memory card and here is a video taken tonight of a run over the main line. The camera is in a K wagon in the train behind the 421. My apologies for the date in the corner, unfortunately there is no way to turn it off, the camera is a bit basic also it doesn't seem to have the clarity that I would have expected of Full HD but I suspect it is the low light conditions and perhaps the lens quality, a common problem with small cameras.

Click on the YouTube logo below to see the video larger and better on the YouTube site.