Harbledown Railroad Heritage Line (Wisconsin Central)

[Chris116]

3 hours ago, long island jack said:

i'm sorry to say, you've got to change that "in your face" blue paint you've used for your sky, pick one of the lighter colours of the photo and re-paint, your making a feature of it, where it should just blend into the background.

I totally agree with you which is one reason for the photo backscene being used in front of the fiddle yard. The rest will be repainted as soon as I get some suitable paint. I bought a "tester" pot of paint that in the shop looked like a nice pale colour but it has proved not to be!

[rodshaw]

Or you could mix your own using cheap blue and white poster paint. You don't need much blue at all.

[Chris116]

The blue will soon be gone. Another Gaugemaster backscene has been purchased ((Valley GM751) which will be joined with two sheets of Countryside (GM752) to make a backscene for the complete length of the back of the layout. Doing the section in the fiddle yard means that if I extend to a third baseboard for a new fiddle yard I will not have to do any work on the backscene and also makes the current fiddle look more like a set of nearly out of view sidings.

[Chris116]

Well a couple of hours work and the overpowering blue background is gone and replaced by a photo backscene. I have never had a layout where I had a backscene so I need to get used to the idea. I just hope that in a months time I like it and don't want to do something different! 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Chris116
Failed to add the photos

[Chris116]

Having had a little time to think about the backscene I am pleased with it and by taking a photo from an angle that does not show the lack of ground cover I have convinced myself that I have the basis of an interesting layout that will be good visually and operationally. 

[DelawareAndHudson]

The new backscenes look really good!  

 

Jason C

Indiana

[Chris116]

I have been working on the UK station over the last few days and attach three photos of the new building which along with the others is fixed to the platform base. 

 

While I have been pleased with the way the Metcalfe buildings have gone together, I am less than happy with their self adhesive paving stones which seem to have very little stick on them so I think I will have to lift them and use some uhu on them to ensure they don't fall off the area they are supposed to be covering. 

[Chris116]

Both stations (US & UK) are currently off the layout as I have been busy drilling holes in the baseboards and soldering the wiring to the track. Wiring is not a job I enjoy but it has to be done. Saved having to arrange cross baseboard power supply by making the joint where the sections end. The switches I am using are from a layout I failed to finish before I moved to my flat nine years ago! The track diagram with the switches fitted for a control panel was the only bit I still had and that is now dismantled with five of the switches being used on the new panel and the other seven being saved for future empire building. 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Chris116
Spelling

[Chris116]

The control panel now just needs the switches wiring up and a simple method of attaching it to the layout at the front for home operation and at the back in case I ever exhibit the layout at a local exhibition. 

 

The four sections will be wired up to be down to make them live. I am using centre off switches simply because I already have them but never intend to have them wired up for two controllers on this layout. The 3a/3b will select which fiddle yard road is live but only if 3 is live. This means I can run round a train but keep both fiddle yard roads off. 

[Chris116]

Another plea for HELP!

 

Over the last 60 years all my layouts have been permanent so the control panel was part of the baseboard. This layout is my first portable one with two 4ft by 1ft boards and a control panel that is separate. The two baseboards do not need to join electrically but both need to be easy to connect to the control panel and the connection will be needed at the front, for home use, and back, for possible exhibition use. So now the big question is what are the best/cheapest ways of doing this and yes I am well aware that best and cheapest can be two very different things or sometimes are the same solution. 

 

The baseboard with the fiddle yard will need eight wires and the platform baseboard will need four wires for power supply and it would probably be sensible to allow for the use of electric Point motors and there are three points on both boards which with two wires for each plus a common return I make to be seven wires unless I have missed something. With space for the electric points that means one board will need a 15 way connection and the other 11. Suggestions please. 

[Chris116]

Further to the above I have just looked on the Eileen's Emporium website and they have 15 and 25 way D plug and socket connectors for £1 each.

 

I think having different sizes for the two boards means I can't plug them into the wrong board.

 

Do you think this is a good solution to the problem?

 

EDIT:- Just thinking about things is it wise to have both 16v AC (for point motors) and 12v DC (for track power) on the same D plug?

Edited April 11, 2021 by Chris116

[NickBrad]

I can't help with the wiring conundrum, (going dead rail with manually operated points,) but having caught up with this layout, I love it. W&U coupled with US shortline are exactly my own interests reflected back at me.

[Chris116]

As no one has given any better solutions or told me that I have got it totally wrong I have ordered the items mentioned above and now await the fun of fitting and soldering the wires. I will let you all know how I get on once I have got the job done. 

[Chris116]

A productive evening replacing various couplings with Kadees on the two steam locos I have plus an AHM diesel and a number of box cars. Those items all were sorted with my rapidly vanishing supply of #5 Kadees. I still have four LifeLike box cars to do which need #27 or #28 Kadees according to the replacement list that Kadee issued 24th March 2021. So an order will be going in for them plus three more #505 for the Rivarossi Old Time cars that still need sorting out. 

 

EDIT:- Upon checking the LifeLike box cars I have found that a #148 fits nicely and so have ordered some of them instead of the #27/#28 originally planned. 

Edited April 29, 2021 by Chris116
More information.

[Chris116]

The Kadee couplings I ordered from Gaugemaster arrived today and this evening has been spent fitting them to four LifeLike Box Cars plus a Rivarossi Caboose. I now have just three Rivarossi passenger cars to sort out and that should be all the coupling fitting until I buy something else with non Kadee compatible fittings.

 

The next job will be painting the baseboard with an earth colour so that if any of the flock grass goes AWOL there is not a bare patch. Just need a tester pot of paint to cover all the area needed.

[Chris116]

Sorted out the couplings and then bought another Rivarossi coach and a Bachmann 250 ton crane and boom car. None of them have Kadee couplings but as the coach will run in a set all I need to do is swap one bogie on the new coach with one that I have fitted with Kadees and run the pair using the Rivarossi couplings to connect them with Kadees on the outer ends to connect to other stock. The Bachmann crane and boom car will always run together so the same trick will work with them. All of which means only two Kadees need fitting and I have plenty in stock. 

 

The painting of the baseboards has been on hold due to my wife having a knee replacement and therefore needing a lot of help and attention. I should be able within the next two weeks to start work as my wife is doing well with her recovery from the operation. Both the painting and completion of the wiring so I can actually run some trains need to be done sooner rather than later in my book but her recovery has to be my first priority at the moment. 

[Cheshire001]

On 11/04/2021 at 13:45, Chris116 said:

The baseboard with the fiddle yard will need eight wires and the platform baseboard will need four wires for power supply and it would probably be sensible to allow for the use of electric Point motors and there are three points on both boards which with two wires for each plus a common return I make to be seven wires unless I have missed something. With space for the electric points that means one board will need a 15 way connection and the other 11. Suggestions please. 

 

I have only just found your thread, so you may have already found a solution.   If not try searching for "Sub-miniature D-plug".   These used to be common for computer printer leads etc. and came with between 9 and 25 pins.   I used to get them from Maplins and buy the plastic covers which screwed/clipped on.   You have to be quite good with a soldering iron as there are so many pins in close proximity.   Alternatively you might be able to buy a ready made male-female cable and cut it in two - strip the severed ends and attach to your switches etc on each board or control panel.   Be careful as some cables reversed the wires attached between the plugs.

 

I started WC modelling just like you.   The WC diesel was the cheapest on the stall and the unlikely collection of freight cars was what the local model shop happened to have (pre-Ebay!).   The WC color scheme being the same as our EWS was a good talking point at exhibitions.   

[Chris116]

5 hours ago, Cheshire001 said:

 

I have only just found your thread, so you may have already found a solution.   If not try searching for "Sub-miniature D-plug".   These used to be common for computer printer leads etc. and came with between 9 and 25 pins.   I used to get them from Maplins and buy the plastic covers which screwed/clipped on.   You have to be quite good with a soldering iron as there are so many pins in close proximity.   Alternatively you might be able to buy a ready made male-female cable and cut it in two - strip the severed ends and attach to your switches etc on each board or control panel.   Be careful as some cables reversed the wires attached between the plugs.

 

I started WC modelling just like you.   The WC diesel was the cheapest on the stall and the unlikely collection of freight cars was what the local model shop happened to have (pre-Ebay!).   The WC color scheme being the same as our EWS was a good talking point at exhibitions.   

Thank you for your helpful comments. I am pleased to say that I found the D plugs you mention at Eileen's Emporium who in spite of postal service problems were very helpful. I regret I have not done a lot of work on the layout since my last post. I need to give myself a swift kick in the pants to get something done. 

[Chris116]

Spent last evening trying to get my two Steam tank locos couplings to work in both directions. Both only had a coupling on the rear end. I have fitted a coupling on the front of both locos but I am not happy with how they look or work. Going to either have to do some more work on the front couplings or make the layout diesel only. One way makes for more work and the other means that loco and stock wise I am ready to go once the wiring is done.

[Chris116]

I regret that for the time being I will not be adding to this thread due to the massive increase in the number of adverts that block the screen on both my phone and my laptop. I fully understand that adverts are needed to pay for the costs of this wonderful site but when I spend more time trying to get around the adverts than reading the site it is time to call game over.

 

I may at some point in the future move to RM Gold and cancel the printed version of BRM but at present I do not like the idea of not having the printed magazine. 

 

Thank you for all the support I have had from many different people and thank you to Andy, Phil and the rest of the team for all they do for all of us.

 

Chris

[Chris116]

Well the advert situation seems to have settled down and that means I can happily live with them while reading RMweb.

 

While I have been away I obtained a new diesel locomotive. It is in Union Pacific livery but does not have a number and I do not know exactly what class of locomotive it is. If anyone can help me with a suitable number(s) and what class it is part of then I  would be very grateful.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

Hi Chris, as a four-axle diesel it looks a good choice for your layout.  The ‘horn hook’ couplers suggest it’s an older model, but in my experience these can be great runners (esp. when compared to equivalent UK models from the same era).

 

As for the prototype for this particular one, I’m not an expert and don’t have the relevant reference book to hand, but I’ll have a guess that this Loco is one that was mass produced to sell in large numbers in the popular road names, such as UP, which means there may be some compromises on roof / vent details etc. to keep the price down (as opposed to today where higher prices come with an expectation of bespoke detailing).  I’d therefore go for an early Phase 2 EMD GP9 with a number in the range 220 to 230 as probably a safe bet - it doesn’t have the dynamic brake system ‘pods’ that stick out of the sides of the long hood.  Others will know more and can no doubt correct me if this is way out - please do.  Keith.

[Chris116]

Thank you Keith. It was sold as AHM? but having gone through all the lists I can find I can't find one that looks like it. If no one else can come up with any better explanation then it will become 221.

 

On the subject of a four axle locomotive being right for my layout I took a decision some time ago that no six axle machines would work on the layout.

Edited November 17, 2021 by Chris116
Spelling

[Chris116]

Just been having another look at information and it appears from one source that it may be a GP18. Can anyone shed more light on this?

[F-UnitMad]

The fan arrangement on the roof would suggest GP18, yes. I also found the model itself listed under Mehano.