Just a short note to vent my new frustration. After an exchange of comments and receiving good advice from fellow members concerning DCC track wiring and a few trials, I came to the conclusion that my wiring, albeit not perfect, was not bad and that certain anomalies observed with certain vehicles were due to the vehicles and not to the track wiring. Then, when one problem seemed solved, a new one arose. My whole point activation system (analogue) went dead. In view of the way the system is wired, it was obvious that the fault could only lie in the very last stretch up to the switch bank, but one thing misled me. The street and station lighting that is combined with the points was working, so I started dismantling things which were unnecessary. After testing contacts and on the way blowing two point motors (one with a false contact and the other after having finally located the fault, by accident -I accidently flicked one of the switch levers with a finger tip-) I located the fault. It was in the input to the switch bank which made a false contact. I now have to discover why the lighting worked and replace the point motors, having recently received the new ones.

I did seriously contemplate rewiring the whole layout but, as previously advised by another member, I decided to leave well alone and just correct one or two anomalies and add a couple more power feeds. I am also contemplating buying another, more sophisticated control system but this presents physical problems. My current system works with a hand set and the point switches are located conveniently at one corner, but it might not be convenient to locate a new knob-operated controller in the same corner as the present system (which is different from the switch bank) and this would require relocating the switch bank so that one person could both control the trains and move the points without having to move about too much, plus the installation of a programming track track. For this I could adapt one of the sidings, but I have been advised that this is not to be recommended and the programming track should be fully independent. The more time passes, the more complicated things seem to come. I shall have to do some hard thinking.

Anyway, since the financial crisis (as at least one other member will corroborate) is squeezing harder and harder in Spain, any substantial purchase will have to go on hold and also I am having eyesight problems which are making things a little more difficult. So modelling will have to go in abeyance for the time being.