phase one - check...
Happy New Year all,
Quick update on progress and perhaps the point to draw a line underneath it...for the moment.
To recap, following my track building incapabilities on Thurso, I decided to build the track for Meeth to act as a test bed for a way forward. After experiments I decided I would return to build turnouts in PCB and use easitrac for the plain track areas. The goal was to try and have the layout wired by 2018
After a flurry of activity in the last few days, I am pleased to have hit my target. It might be a simple layout to wire, but wiring comes a close second to my track building abilities
This time I have tried to use bus wires as the underside of Kyle is not too dissimilar to that well known road junction outside Birmingham
I have probably introduced more feeds than required and also wired the working catch point so as not to rely on blade contact alone. The main turnout is controlled by my usual low tech wire in tube and a dpdt slide switch. I was trying to link it with the catch point so one throw did both...but having two omega loops gave problems so I will introduce a separate switch for that one.
My latest thoughts are to not have enclosed Fiddleyards as at 600mm long each, it will be a bit overkill for the layout - a 66.6 v 33.3 % ratio of non scenic to scenic on display For testing purposes I have made a 450mm long stick which can be offered up as required whilst I ponder this one some more.
I have run it with DC using one of those battery controllers and yesterday connected it to the Daisy DCC. Some minor fettling of the turnout is required but locos seem to run through ok...in reality probably only a 25 and 31 will be used.
Of more concern is the wagons as they suffer from being too light to propel. This will be one of the main movements of the layout so I think I will have to address this when I build the clay wagons by stuffing some lead beneath the flat tarps.
Here’s a few pics of what has been described above:
Temporary 450mm stick cassette...
Wire in tube for turnout operation...
Looking towards the shed end...apertures will be cut once shed is built...
Other end mainly for run off and run around...
Class 25 needs its wheels turned down...but it already looks the part on the layout...
And that’s about it for the moment on this project. I might spray the track brown and pick out the chairs ready for ballasting but I do need to get back on Thurso as that is now behind programme. The slight excursion to get this to a state where I can restart straight on the scenics has not been regretted though and hopefully I can launch into rebuilding the Thurso track ready for say Easter.
As always, comments welcomed,
Pete
- 10
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