... using the signal box diagram. Deceptively simple ideas are often the inspired ones, and your idea seems to come very much in that category. You're right of course about the signals which aren't on that plan but need to be included and although I've allowed for them electronically I've not yet given them sufficient thought physically in either location or construction method. As a result of a comment of Howard Bolton's that I came across the other day I've been following Steve Hewitt's authoritative thread in RM Web on signal construction which is both fascinating and instructive. Now your thoughts on fault finding have set me thinking as to whether I've got enough places to "break" wires for fault finding. That'll require a bit more thinking I think, so for the moment I'll conclude by thanking you for your comments on on your connection with Yeovil and the compliment of it being "in safe hands". I was really quite touched by your words. Kind regards Andrew posted: 7 Nov 2017 22:37 from: Tony W Hi Andrew. One other thing. You may ...

... I not only went through the process many, many times, but also had to write out in long hand each and every thing that was required. In doing this, I now realise that I have produced another document that may be of use to others regarding this topic, so have decided to post it, in the hope that it is of some help. (see attachéd PDF file below) Please note, there are not so many screenshots as Richard's original, but my document covers every move (in words and instructions) that is required to complete an irregular diamond crossing from start to finish. I would be most grateful for any feedback on this document, just to see if it is of help and if it requires further explanations and modifying. All the best, Brian Nicholls. Attachment: attach_1037_1451_How_to_Construct _an_Irregular_Diamond_Crossing_v1 .pdf 351 posted: 11 Apr 2011 16:02 from: Raymond That looks most interesting Brian. I shall use the pdf, have a go at an irregular diamond and reports back in due course. Regards Raymond posted: 11 ...

... right. In this context, a track plan is not the same thing as a layout design- I do the latter in the Iain Rice/Barry Norman style- with pencil and paper. If I was in your position, I think now would be a good time to stop development work and sort out the help notes and tutorials. As I said before, Templot is not intuitive to use and needs effort from the user to get the best from it. That's hard to do when users can't find up to date instructions on how to do things. I wonder what percentage of Templot users use this forum? I bet it's very low. I suspect that what might happen, especially as it's now free, is that people will download it, struggle, then complain on other forums that Templot is rubbish. I would really hate to see that, as I'm sure you would. But the main thing is, thanks for Templot! Cheers posted: 31 May 2012 23:48 from: Nigel Brown Martin I think Templot2 is all good ...

... . Put that particular switch to the control. 2. Set the peg onto the datum point of the switch( this is most important). 3. Right click either the half diamond template or it's label. When the drop down menu appears, select< P peg/ alignment tools>< K align the control template over, and snake onto>< T facing- trailing> The slip switch should then move to the centre crossing point of the half diamond, aligned with the centre-line. 4. Repeat instruction No 3 above, this is necessary because when you use the facing- trailing selection, it changes the hand of the switch, and repeating the overall instruction, returns to the correct handing. 5. Now use CNTL+ F6 (snake through peg) adjust the position of the switch until you have the desired position, then cancel this operation. 4. Resave the switch to the background. OR, alternately before you save the switch template, 5. Select on the top menu bar< tools>< make ...

... learn by reading, I have to see it". That was one of the reasons I changed to creating the videos instead of producing more static tutorials. Well, I'll stick my hand up and say that I don't learn best by reading but by doing. Probably why I was crap at school in theoretical subjects but did well in practical subjects, and why I'm working in the "doing" part of engineering! A very recent example- I've just bought the Turner jig for making Alex Jackson couplings. I read the instructions before it arrived on how to make the jig, and on how to make the couplings. I couldn't make head nor tail of it all. The jig arrived, I built it and could then see how it works and was turning out AJ hooks in the blink of an eye- I filed the instructions But that message is excellently written and perfectly clear. Far better in fact than the many garbled posted messages I see on some forums. I'm really puzzled how someone who says he can't understand the written word can ...

... I've not figured that out. Eventually looking at these boring track design programs not being able to figure out anything or get it to do what I want makes my brain melt and give me a headache so I turn back to paper. One other program called Templot is supposed to be quite good but this is probably the worst of all of them, I just found myself looking at the same point on the screen for at least an hour trying to figure out how to use it despite constantly looking through forums, pages and instructions I still failed to figure it out. I'm sure it would be a good tool to use since you can apparently print out full layout plans and build your track work on top. But yeh, and I'm 19 so I consider myself to be the younger generation and I've been to college, got a certificate in Engineering, used sophisticated CAD/CAM programs and CNC programs and I still failed to figure out how to use it. But never mind....... posted: 17 Jan 2014 07 ...

... set the width at each end so that they overlap all along somewhere down the middle, then switch off the rear and/or end edges so that when output they appear to be a single platform, like this: 2_131219_160000000.png 2_131219_370000000.png The platform colour can be changed to whatever you want. The dotted lines show which edges have been switched off and won't print, the solid lines show the final visible outline of the platform: 2_131240_290000000.png I need to make a video about all this. And the sketchboard is still waiting for some instructions... Thanks for the .box file. I will have a look and see what it might look like on a mimic panel. cheers, Martin. posted: 13 May 2020 18:51 from: Gordon S Thanks for taking the time, Ian, to show me your mimic panel. I will take a look at a straight line diagram, as in one piece rather than the two on the ECoS it will be easier to read. There will be four lines coming in, that widen to seven in ...

... plans on web sites and forums such as Templot Club, or loaded back into the sketchboard as a stand-alone alternative to the integrated trackplan items. The exported files can be to a higher resolution than simple screenshots from the workpad, and with more control over colours and styles. regards, Martin. posted: 1 Dec 2010 14:21 from: Mike Clifford I am using Templot V 0.91c and trying to construct an irregular Diamond Crossing using the Irregular Diamond Crossing V2 demonstration. Everything goes smoothly until Page 8 and the instruction: Left click on the Guide #1 template and select delete to the control from the popup menu. Use action mouse actions: geometry move peg (8) to align this templates peg over the peg for 4.27 Main stock. There is no such option in the drop down menu 'action mouse actions: geometry' CTRL F8 is available but does not work. Can anyone advise what I am doing wrong. Thanks, Mike Clifford posted: 1 Dec 2010 15:52 from: Martin Wynne Mike Clifford wrote: Use ...

... a reminder of where and on which tab various menu items are, the video is usually quickly navigated to the relavent section. Given the choice I think I would prefer silent movies. As an aside, I do prefer the videos to the written tutorials. Just my thoughts. Regards, Peter posted: 27 Nov 2007 17:45 from: Alan Turner Martin Wynne wrote: The best option on file size for background music would be a midi file, You can't use a midi file because that type of file only contains instructions to play an instrument. If you don't have the instrument it doesn't work. style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffee"Alan posted: 27 Nov 2007 17:53 from: Andy B For my 2p-worth of opinion- leave out the music. Instructional films of all kinds tend to be littered with 'music', and either it is really 'cheesy' muzak which is inane and just about ignorable but not enjoyable, or it is 'good' music of a specific genre (classical, rock, jazz ...

... and does everything so it seems! But, for numpties like me, it can, a bit like windows, seem over-complicated. Has any thought been given to doing some wizards? ISTr seeing something about that when I was on hereb a while ago. Meanwhile, I'll watch the video again and try what you say above. One other thing I can't get my head round is the number of what appears to be random templates that appear on the main track plan. Agian, it's ptobably me not reading the instructions properly. Will let you know how I get on. posted: 13 Aug 2010 07:39 from: Alan Turner roythebus wrote: One other thing I can't get my head round is the number of what appears to be random templates that appear on the main track plan. Again, it's probably me not reading the instructions properly. Will let you know how I get on. They are not random templates. Occasionally when you have stored the control template (and hence no control template is showing) you will do ...