Board by board
Entry posted by RobinofLoxley in Layout building
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So this is my first blog post. I returned to the hobby about 5 years ago and built a make-mistakes-and-learn DC layout using mostly the 25 year old track and rolling stock from when the kids and I put track together on the loft floor.
The first layout had highs and lows. I built the main station across the centre of the loft and carried the main running lines outside the further of the two A frame structures, both of which resulted in massive access problems and were the main reason I decided to dismantle and rebuild. So that was the lows; the highs were that I got 4 trains in motion at once, two main line and two yard and shunting activities. I had a lot of fun with the electrics.
I built up the track base and rolling stock mainly through auction purchases. Just a choice. So at dismantling time I had 12 BR steam locos, either ex GWR or LMS, running through my main station which I imagined as Wolverhampton High Level rebuilt in the 1950’s not the 60’s to justify both kinds of stock running through what would have been purely LMS infrastructure. There aren’t many public domain photos of the old station and from the ones that I could obtain, I had to do some guesswork; as far as I know there still isn’t a Signal Box plan of Wolverhampton published. So I had two island platforms and a through line between, so 5 tracks. Only later I found that actually there were three through platforms plus the through line, what I saw as a continuous run was actually 2 short platforms, probably goods and shed access. But you can’t actually see that from the photos.
So the same station plan was transferred to the new track plan mistake and all, and forms the central, through station of a Terminus to Terminus plan with the possibility to run past both, and back to the through station. So it’s a roundy with 2 Terminus stations or an end to end with a roundy bit. I designed it with automation in mind, yes I'm going DCC, based on a free track plan. I will post the layout next time.
Below are some general views of my baseboard building in the loft. You get used to all the timberwork in the way, after a while. What I have to do is prefabricate each board section, with several checks of fitting, a bit like a Tailor. Each baseboard sits on blocks screwed to the timberwork frame of the loft. There will be 23 individual sections plus two bridging sections at the chimney end that join the two sides together. I am at board 6 at the moment. I have prewired each board with two buses, and a distributor feed for connecting droppers to the power bus. They will form a daisy chain. I hope no soldering underneath!
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