One thing I was pretty certain of when starting Hatch was that it was going to be DCC. I chose after much reading of reviews an NCE Powercab as a starter system that could be expanded later, possibly somewhere down the line in the future computer controlled. So I knew that I was going to use DCC to control points as well, but I was equally against having to remember accessory codes for all points. So I wanted to have the best of both worlds I had already chosen Tillig track which does not have sprung blades and is quite delicate. So solenoid points motors were out of the question. Tortoise was an obvious choice. But I came across DCC concepts point motors that seemed to have everything I wanted to control live fog points and panel lights, these combined with their dcc accessory units which allow for operation either by DCC or by push button switches offer maximum flexibility, even though as a down side it means you seem to have double as much wiring for both DCC and DC operation + live fogs and LEDs on a control panel. I seem to have worked it out 12 wires per point! My control panel is connected to the layout by 2 36 pin parallel printer cables. Wiring under the boards is a mess to be honest. It’s not complicated, there is just a lot of it!

My Anyrail software was used to produce a control panel track plan. I found a print shop that would print on to white Perspex. Ii looked lovely and I then mucked it up by screwing hinges to the bottom edge. What was I thinking?!

Next time I will also use bezel mounted LEDs rather than just trying to glue normal 3mm leds in 3mm holes. I got my one of my boys to do all the soldering and then switched it all on, changed the first point and everything overloaded because of a short! Just one place on the entire layout I had forgotten to put an insulator on the inner rail of a vee of a point, and that was the point I tried first. I ended up just slitting the rail.

Next time I’ll use power districts and separate power supplies to the point motors. Now that it all works, it is great, and I love the fact that you can also see the LEDS change when using the DCC accessory address to change points. But 90% of the time it is quicker to push buttons. Another thing I will do I the future is attach point motors to the sticking out side of the tie bar rather than between the rails. I have now destroyed two tie bars when cleaning track either the track rubber or cloth snags on the wire sticking up between the rails, and the tillig points do have a very delicate tie bar.

This one is in a fiddle yard hence the green trackbed. I will look into the possibility of reinforcing then with a thin slither of metal glued to the underside of the tirebare.

I have not mentioned rolling stock, I have tied to keep things reasonably true to what would have been running on the line in the late 50’s, early 60’s So I have A Bachmann 45XX and 8750, and a collet goods, a Dapol 14xx and for some reason lost in the past a Bachmann class 40 which I suspect is not totally prototypical, although it is still more relevant than the Rapido APT-e which is on order. (I might drop that one) When I get enough time I do want to have a go at weathering stock, but have never tried it yet.

Things to do on Hatch are signals ( Dapol?) point rodding and build the signal box. But I am feeling the urge to push on with phase2. Which brings this blog up to date. Next time I’ll reveal my plans for the next major development,