With the continuous run (Circuits) panel made and the route selectors for the hidden loops fitted and working, attention has turned to wiring in the changeover sections in the loops and the cab control switches on the Circuits Panel.

I started out with a simple break in both rails towards the end of each storage loop so the locos would be driven in on the down controller and stop as they passed over the break. Then I put in a single break at the far end of the points ladder beyond the loco so I could use a single 'push to make' switch to add power to the loco from the up controller so that the train wouldn't start off when the up controller was being used for another train going round the circuits. When desired, the button could be pressed the up controller would connect to the final part of the storage loop and drive the train out, round the dumbell and back onto the circuit, but in the up direction.

So much for theory! In practice it turns out I have a number of locos with pickups split diagonally across the driving wheels on one side and the tender wheels for the other. I don't understand why this arrangement was ever devised because it confers no benefit that I can see. If the pickups were on both sides of the drivers and both sides of the tender then it would significantly improve electrical pick up over points and crossings. However, (rant over) the upshot is that these locos stop as the drivers cross the double break, but won't start on the up controller (with the feed button pressed) because the tender pick ups are still on the down side of the breaks!

Plan B. By adding another double break near the entrance to each loop, most of each loop is now switchable to either up or down controller via a sprung (momentary) centre off dpdt switch. So I now hold the switch over to the Down side whilst the train enters the loop. It then stops either half over or fully over the original double breaks, and then by holding the switch over to the up side, the loop and starting section are energised by the up controller and I can drive the train out. There's always a way!!

The control panel for the continuous run/circuits only has one controller: down. The layout is designed to use cab control: switching control of station sections by pulling off the requisite starting signals. The destination controller drives the train the whole journey. The circuits' controller will be used to drive down trains from Newton Purcell (junction) if it stopped there, or from Buckingham West (if it were a through train), all the way to the continuous run and into the hidden storage loops.

Up trains will be controlled from either Newton Purcell or Buckingham West (depending whether a stopper or through) and therefore a selector switch exists on the circuit panel to select which station will have control of the up trains as they leave the loops and run round the circuits before being signalled up the incline to Newton Purcell.

All of this will be done by block bells (when there is more than 1 operator). Down trains are standard in their signalling, but up trains are a little more complicated because the destination controller has to start the train out of the hidden loops and run it a few times round the circuit before it heads off up the incline to Newton Purcell and as I said, that could be operated by Newton Purcell or Buckingham West.

For example, if it's an up through train, the circuit man starts by doing the unusual thing of offering the train to Buckingham with a separate bell that misses out Newton Purcell, but still using the normal exchange of bell codes. When the circuit man gives 'train on line' he should already have selected the correct route out of the loops (so it's the correct train), selected Buckingham West as the up controller and be holding the loops' sprung switch to exit/up. Buckingham then turns his controller and drives the train out onto the circuit. After a few laps the circuit man then offers the train to Newton Purcell in the normal manner by bell code. He will offer the train along to Buckingham West by bell and when he receives the 'line clear' from Buckingham, will pull off his signals, but most importantly his starter signal. This hands control of Newton Purcell's up line to Buckingham. Newton Purcell in turn gives the 'line clear' to the circuit man, who changes the points and signals over (these will be linked) and sends 'train on line' to Newton Purcell who sends it to Buckingham West. Buckingham then continues to drive the train all the way to his own station. "Simples" as certain meerkats say!

Now to find a few old bike bells and cheap solenoids. Oh yes, and to sort out those servos, build the incline and the small job of building Newton Purcell, Buckingham West.............

Rich