Bellevue

[Gypsy]

Having had my first attempt at a small layout stolen by the kids (at least it gets them off the Playstation occasionally). I thought I'd start again with something I can work on in stages in my home office until they're old enough that I can steal the playroom back again and put it all together...

 

The concept is a single narrow gauge track built pre-WWII to service a mountainside lodge/hotel. Not too much grot or grime then.

 

Board #1 will be the terminus. Its not based on any one location or even country but will be built in that deco/moderne style seen on bits of the SR and London Underground but with slightly more rustic touch to fit the location - think Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater rather than Arnos Grove or St Johns Wood...

 

Anyway here's the initial track plan - any thoughts or comments appreciated. I'm torn between the Y and the RH point for the siding. There's no run around deliberately as it will be served by railcars having found the little oo9 version sitting on the track on Shapeways (though I may go for the longer version if I can work out what chassis it fits on).

 

 

[Gypsy]

A further thought. At the moment I only have a DC controller but (If I can get over my fear of soldering) I would like to try DCC for better slow running. Am I right in thinking that I need isolating fishplates after each point blade? Also, do I REALLY need droppers soldered on each point or can I get away with having them after the point - for example using a 'stay alive'?!

[Gypsy]

Work moves on slowly!

 

I've bought five sheets of XPS foam which I will glue/laminate to make the baseboard before wrapping them in MDF to protect the edges.

 

I've also bought an SAS2-IR Shuttle from BLOCKsignalling. My plan is to wire up the bottom line and into the station (on the right) so I can leave it running on its own and have a separate loom to power things if I want to play...

 

Next job is to cut and glue down the cork trackbed - any suggestions on which is the best glue - I was wondering if using Copydex might give a bit of flex and so cut noise both for the cork and the trackwork - as it's on foam I'm hoping that don't need to worry about it fouling a drill Also in the process of mocking up the planned buildings in foamboard.

 

I'd also still like to be able to retrofit it for DCC so still need to work out where I need isolating fishplates... Any thoughts on that would be gratefully received.

[60012 Commonwealth of Australia]

Just come across this thread, looks quite interesting.

 

For DCC, you'll need 6 isolating rail joiners at the points marked below by the red lines, basically at every joint coming off a turnout frog.

 

Good luck with the project!

 

Peter