Dongits Model Railway -- Three layers around the Study

[Bloodnok]

Now with added roadbed:

 

A wider view of what went in yesterday/today:

Edited April 13, 2022 by Bloodnok
Picture Fixin'

[Bloodnok]

Track is now laid around the corner, and up to the start of the triangle.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Bloodnok
Picture Fixin'

[Bloodnok]

 

And the track has now arrived at this point. These are the first Code 75 points on the layout. I chose to make the jump to Code 75 here as Peco don't make an Electrofrog Code 100 diamond and I didn't want to have to rescue stuck trains right at the back here.
 didn't go to Bullhead (yet) as this is still in tunnel and not visible track. But I'm getting real close to visible track now, and I have some complex decisions to make.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Bloodnok
Picture Fixin'

[Bloodnok]

Grrr.

I did some wiring today.
I wired the two outer lines up the hill. One was wired to the concentration point under the corner in the middle of the ramp, where a spare channel on an ABC-4 and two spare DTC-8 channels were available.
The other runs to the DTC-8 inside the bottom-of-the-grade loop.
There was no ABC modules there, so I built a new CANVOUT, and installed it (and an ABC-4) in that concentration point.

I then went to configure the layout. I hit the power button on the layout PC and ... nothing happened.

I think the PSU has died.

Naturally, I don't have a spare at the moment. So it's a case of either raiding one from another machine, or ordering a new one.

At approximately the price of a Bachmann Mk2f TSO. Ouch.

Edited November 14, 2021 by Bloodnok

[Bloodnok]

Editing videos takes longer than anticipated.
 

Part 2 to follow soon ... when I finish editing it.

[Bloodnok]

On 22/11/2021 at 00:49, Bloodnok said:

Editing videos takes longer than anticipated.

Part 2 to follow soon ... when I finish editing it.

Editing videos does indeed take ages.
 

This covers how I configure the hardware in FLiMConfig, and how I control the layout with JMRI. Plus a demonstration of it in action at the end.

[Bloodnok]

Third track up the hill is now working.

This is bi-directional, with ABC in both directions (and needing to pick which direction, because if you try to apply ABC to both rails at once, it's just low-voltage DCC and the decoders don't pick it up properly).

This is also a DCC reversing section. I'm driving the reverser from the NX routing data, not using short detection.
 

[ITG]

Very impressive progress. I’d kinda lost touch with this thread but of particular interest as I’m pondering a degree of automation with block detection on a future layout, which for various reasons is still both timing and location tbc. Although I’ve virtually decided I’ll use iTrain. I’ve dabbled with JMRI for on-screen turnout switching, but I don’t find it very intuitive. Plus there looks to be some comprehensive training videos on iTrain on YouTube.

I really like the creative nature of your track plan. The level of storage capacity, and deceptive train routing options are what I’ll be bearing in mind. I don’t think you’ve ever quoted the dimensions of this layout - can you share that secret please?

Ian

[Bloodnok]

1 minute ago, ITG said:

I really like the creative nature of your track plan. The level of storage capacity, and deceptive train routing options are what I’ll be bearing in mind. I don’t think you’ve ever quoted the dimensions of this layout - can you share that secret please?

It's 4.05m long (x axis), and 2.93m wide (y axis). It's designed around a train length of about 3m max to and from storage, a bit shorter (more like 2.5m) to terminate in the terminus station. These are not full length trains, but they are long enough that they don't obviously look too short either.

Beware that there's a lot of track and not a lot of scenery in this plan. That's the way I do things, concentrating on operations and things inside the railway boundary. I'm aware that's not everyone's preference :-)

[ITG]

Just now, Bloodnok said:

It's 4.05m long (x axis), and 2.93m wide (y axis). It's designed around a train length of about 3m max to and from storage, a bit shorter (more like 2.5m) to terminate in the terminus station. These are not full length trains, but they are long enough that they don't obviously look too short either.

Beware that there's a lot of track and not a lot of scenery in this plan. That's the way I do things, concentrating on operations and things inside the railway boundary. I'm aware that's not everyone's preference :-)

Wow. Very imaginative use of space. I had to check that this is 00, but it must be (?) because you mention code 75 and 100 at different times. I’m currently virtually filling a 3.5m x 2m room; doesn’t sound much different to your space but the extra 0.5m one way and 0.9m the other make a lot of difference as to what’s possible.

[Bloodnok]

38 minutes ago, ITG said:

Wow. Very imaginative use of space. I had to check that this is 00, but it must be (?) because you mention code 75 and 100 at different times.

 

Yes, it's OO gauge. Some of the curves are down to 2nd radius, although I've kept that to only the (mostly) hidden balloon loops, and anything with a rising gradient is minimum 3rd radius.

 

38 minutes ago, ITG said:

I’m currently virtually filling a 3.5m x 2m room; doesn’t sound much different to your space but the extra 0.5m one way and 0.9m the other make a lot of difference as to what’s possible.

 

My room is a bit bigger lengthwise -- it's around 5.3m long, but I need to fit my desk in at the other end. I can't have the whole thing for trains!

[ITG]

 Can you clarify what happens to the original track plan in your first post, at the far right lower level? Does the single through track from the storage yard pass over the top of the Y loop, and then join the far right U turn curve?  Can’t quite make it out.

thanks

Ian

[Bloodnok]

25 minutes ago, ITG said:

 Can you clarify what happens to the original track plan in your first post, at the far right lower level? Does the single through track from the storage yard pass over the top of the Y loop, and then join the far right U turn curve?  Can’t quite make it out.

It's all underneath.
Aside from eliminating one pointless dogleg curve, the storage area has been built exactly as the original plan.

[Bloodnok]

Things are happening.

I started by clearing out some space. No more noisy old server, now replaced by a newer, quieter version on the other side of the room. What to do with the open space though? Horatio decided it looked comfortable.

That wasn't my plan though. I built some more baseboard instead.

Here I am checking for a consistent gradient across the bridge:

 

Next job is to cut a ply panel for that lower shelf, which is to be the permanent home of the layout power supplies, command station and booster.

[Bloodnok]

I've gone back and fixed (most of) the images in this thread. One or two I don't seem to have a copy of. I might go back later on and try to work out what they were of.

For now though ... more building.

[Bloodnok]

Proper frame for the lift-out bridge with locating pins and hold-down clamps.
 

The two runners are right in the 6ft of each double track bridge for maximum support with minimum visibility.

I'll add a couple of little notches to the runners at some point so the droppers from the outer tracks can get to the centre, and all the wiring can run in the centre void. There will be a plug both ends.

I'm also planning to run an extra wire circuit through both plugs purely so I can tell in software if the bridge is in or not, and prevent train routing across the bridge if it isn't there.

[Bloodnok]

It's amazing how much difference a few bits of wood makes. All of a sudden that "hidden storage" actually ... looks hidden.



Having said that, the bits above the table aren't fixed in yet. I ... kinda need to remove the table before doing that.

 

The plan is to put a retractable workbench under the layout in that space mounted on drawer runners. I would be able to pull it out to work on stuff, and slide it away when I don't need it.

To get the drawer runners to work, everything needs to be dead square. I've carefully made sure all the new bits are square to each other. The front and back of the board under the window are exactly the same length, and the diagonals measure the same to the millimetre. So far so good. I even made sure the upper RHS started at the same point on the wall that the storage level baseboard does, so I can use that edge to support the sliding workbench.

However ... the edge of the storage level baseboard is parallel to the far wall, not perpendicular to the wall with the window in it. This adds up to a 10mm difference over the distance the board slides -- meaning the drawer runners won't work at that angle. And naturally it comes *in* rather than going *out*, which means I can't just add a quick spacer to the bottom front corner when I mount the edge sheet and drawer runner on that side.

Currently trying to figure out what to do about this problem.

[Bloodnok]

The bridge has over-centre clips to hold it down:

 

On this side there is a shelf with a new power board and some electronics. Here we see the DCC command station, booster, and USB interface. More will join these as the track is laid in this area.


 

On this side I have more of the frame in place, and I've solved the issue with the drawer runner needing to be parallel to the other side. I've put a thin wedge under the bottom to make it parallel, and spaced the top out to keep it vertical.

 

Here are the bridges in place. The bits of MDF before and after the bridge are to create a solid and flat approach to put PCB sleepers on. If they sit on the foam there is still some give and the alignment might not be perfect.

 

 

And here's the onward trackbed as it curves around:

 

[Bloodnok]

I made a video talking through some of the construction, and showing some more of the baseboard and viaduct. I'm particularly happy with how the frame for the lift-out section isn't visually dominant, like it would have been if I'd have made this section with a conventional frame.

I'm planning to use Exactoscale FastTrack concrete sleeper bases with Code 83 rail on the plain line sections. Thinking about track across the viaduct though, I don't think that's appropriate.

Looking at this photo: https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6794657, I think I'm coming up with a plan.

Code 83 flatbottom rail in Peco individual Pandrol clips, on baulk road timbers.

Only thing I'm not sure of so far is where to get the baulk timbers from. Would the sleeper strip sold for building points (with the intention you cut to length yourself) be wildly inappropriate, or would that work?

The metal tie rods look easy to make from single core wire...

[Bloodnok]

I can't remember just how many times I've heard people say "I use N gauge ballast, OO gauge ballast looks too coarse for me". I never understood why.

I think I am beginning to understand why:


The space between the sleepers in the Peco Code 100 in the background is about half what the more accurately proportioned track in the foreground has. Hence the visual appearance of an inter-sleeper gap being "wrong" with 4mm/ft ballast, but closer to reasonable with 2mm/ft ballast.

The proper fix, of course, is not to use underscale ballast; but to stop using under-scale sleeper spacing...

[Bloodnok]

Stuff happened.

I am now in the "Have ply, need 2" x 1" side of the baseboard construction problem.

[Bloodnok]

... And that's where the station is going. Temporarily there for the moment because I haven't laid the track underneath yet.

[Bloodnok]

I've used CAD to design things for this before. Now I'm using the *other* CAD. Cardboard Aided Design.

Cardboard template:

End result:

 

All these newly hidden spaces are attracting attention...

 

[lmsforever]

Like the way its coming together  when I last had cats they always found somewhere on the layout to sleep !   

[Bloodnok]

17 hours ago, lmsforever said:

when I last had cats they always found somewhere on the layout to sleep !   

Up until now they've been mostly staying on the floor, sitting on chairs, or occasionally going to/from the window via that part of the layout. But it's now becoming a bit of a warren and they are starting to see it as a space to explore. I might have to do something about that...