Hi all, just a quick update on how the layout has evolved over the year! It has been hugely enjoyable, and I think that as a layout it is a bit different and works really well!
May 5th
So, here we are at the one month mark! I am happy to announce that I am now the proud owner of a fully working 'N' Gauge Layout!!!
This morning I VERY carefully whipped the tops off of those super-long point motor pins with the Dremel (note to future readers - NEXT time I will position the point motors, mark the cut off point with a thin marker pen, remove the motors from the layout THEN cut the pins down to size on a workbench and replace, the method I employed today was NOT
April 30th
Strewth! It took some doing, but one or two hours and a few minor injuries/profanities later......
The points all have their own allocated switches!!!!
I absolutely loathed the prospect of tackling the wiring and electrics on my layout, and my hesitance was not completely misplaced - despite doing my best to avoid the dreaded soldering and therefore buying myself the pre-soldered Peco wiring looms, I still had my work cut out for me.
I won't say it started well,
28th April
Today, I have fitted four Peco PL10e point motors - with no major incident! I think this was aided by the fact that I also purchased a pack of PL9 point motor mounting plates and some PL34 wiring looms - no need for soldering!! (Smiley face)
So, my own method was this: I turned the whole layout over on a table (on a towel, to protect the surface mounted motors and the track) with the section of track I was working on overhanging the table so as to access the points, and o
April 22nd
Just some things that have come up in the last few days, that can be added to : "Lessons Learned ...So Far"
1) Make holes for below-baseboard point motors as big as you like, this takes away the worry that they won't be big enough! I haven't fitted mine yet, but once they are and the movement they need is established - the surface hole can be hidden with card or plastic sheet and made just as small as the arm of the point motor needs to move sufficiently.
2) Don't forget
April 22nd
I have spent a couple of hours (at least!) trying to get a third Peco P11 surface mounted point motor to work on the layout! I should say, that the previous two I have used have worked without incident and I am very happy with them. But, as you can see from the images and the chunks missing from the corkboard - this most recent addition was a total flop! It just kept randomly jamming. Click, click -BUZZ! Click, click, click -BUZZ! BUZZ! Click, click etc... In fact I even went
21st April
The Peco Joiner Sleeper Sections (SL308F) arrived the other day, so this morning I had a fairly easy time of siting them on the scenic section of the layout, to hide the gaps mentioned in the previous post. I used the tried-and-trusted "bits of double sided tape" method to get them into the right positions (using tweezers) and I'm pleased with the results. In this case I will be leaving the tape where it is, as it will eventually be entombed in glue, ballast and / or scene sca
April 17th, Bank Holiday Monday
The long weekend is nearly over, work has come to a standstill due to my list of jobs being fulfilled, and those other things to be done can't be done until some bits arrive in the post.
I purchased an Archimedes Drill some days ago, when I realised that the flexi track and streamline points don't have pre-drilled holes in them for track pins. I got it at Maplins, I can't remember how much it was - around £5.00 I think. It is a very good product thoug
April 16th Happy Easter!
Not much to do today, so I thought I'd face the inevitable and tidy up the mass of tangled wires hidden, in shame, under the layout. If I were to tackle making a layout again (and I'm almost certain I will) I would take more time and care over the wiring. I feel that I planned out the actual technicalities of the task quite thoroughly - but the actual doing of the job was not my most methodical work! Basically, I was cutting the wire at completely arbitrary l
April 15th
I thought that somebody in the future endeavouring to do what i am doing might find this useful, it is a list of the track sections that have gone to make up this layout, so far.
Peco ST300 Starter Track Set.
Contents:
6 X ST1 standard straight 87mm 3 X ST11 double straight 174mm 5 X ST3 no. 1 radius curve 228mm radius 6 X ST12 no. 1 radius double curve 228mm radius 1 X ST5 no. 1 radius right-hand turnout 1 X ST6 no. 1 radius left-hand turnout 2 X ST8 buffer stop 2 X
April 15th
Ok so maybe not, but today's list of "jobs done" includes:
Cut sections of Flexi track to size for scenic area. Drilled holes for point motors to be fitted, under streamline points. Drilled holes for, and fitted power fishplates x 8 (one pair for power controller rail, three pairs for streamline points "drop wires")
The Flexi Track was cut as before, using a Dremel on low speed with the sanding disc attached, the same was used to square off the rail ends. Excess sleepers
I just wanted to assure anyone thinking of buying the Peco PL-11 point motors, despite what it says on the Hattons webpage:
"N gauge points will need to be raised by approx 2mm for the drivebar to engage correctly with the tiebar."
I can confirm that I have fixed the point motors on my 'N' gauge layout, minus the mounting plate or any other accerories and with absolutely no modifications - and they work great. No detriment to the folks at Hattons, just my experience today.
April 14th.
Today, in UNDER two hours - I fitted two peco PL-11 surface mounted point motors ....that might not sound much to you, but to me it's source of great pride! :-P
I went to Maplin first thing this morning, for more wire - not that I don't have enough wire but I didn't have any blue or any green. I purchased this for my own sanity as much as pragmatism, each wire serves a different purpose and goes from one "thing" to another "thing" and as you can probably tell, I know abs
April 13th
The 2 x point motors arrived today -thank you to the good people at Hattons- :-) I'll be fitting them this weekend, and then pressing on with track laying (I am planning to fix the track methodically, starting at one curved section and working my way round to the starting point). It seems like a good idea to me... I've just placed one motor where it will be sited and it looks fine, it doesn't even seem to need the digging into the cork underlay that was predicted. But there's
April 12th
Ok, so not much to do until the point motors arrive. So for the benefit of those reading this in the future and maybe undertaking their first layout, here is what I've personally learned so far:
1. Peco Flexi Track, it has a right way and a wrong way to curve it! It's pretty apparent when you are curving it the wrong way. When making a curve the rails need to be cut at different lengths (longest on the outside) sounds obvious but there was much head-scratching when I first
This is where the other two lengths of 19" 2" x 1" bracing will go, after all the wiring etc is done. As mentioned in the thread, the majority of track (first radius curves and points) are setrack, which will be non-scenic - the inner curve is flexi track made into an approx 15"(?) curve, which works fine with my class 08 and farish 16t mineral wagons in testing. :-) I'm pleased with that. The scenic area will be 3 x streamline points and flexi track sidings.
April 9th Posted a thread about the layout on RMweb. Noticed that holes made for point motors are far too close to the 2" x 1" bracing for under board point motors to be used! Images show first hole drilled and the next intended... No problem though, this has led to the discovery and purchase of 2 x peco PL11 surface mounted point motors (on the plus side : no soldering needed!) I may however, have to dig up some of the cork tile to mount them properly. Awaiting delivery of the motors....
Weds 5th April (or thereabouts) Got some materials from the local timber yard, 1 x 12mm ply 4' x 21", 2 x lengths of 2" x 1" @ 4', 5 x lengths of 2" x 1" and 4 x metal L brackets. £9.98.
From my local Model Shop I had already purchased the "peco starter pack" Gaugemaster controller plus fishplates and track pins and online, some flexi track and 3 x streamline points.
Finally, from eBay - a pack of 9 300 x 300mm unsealed cork tiles.
And I made this:
