Adamphillip Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 Looking forwards to this taking shape Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted February 6, 2022 Author Share Posted February 6, 2022 I’m hoping to finish the track later this week, and so my thoughts are turning back to the wiring. I’ve ordered some connector blocks with jumpers, some SPST switches, and some jack plugs, so next I need to source the wire itself, and possibly invest in a new soldering iron and wire strippers. The price of laying track and wiring it all up certainly amounts to a big chunk of the cost of a layout! What is startling me in preparing my wiring diagram is how complex just this seemingly simple track plan actually is. With 16 switches to control the isolating sections, I’ve calculated there are 142 separate lengths of wire involved across the two boards. I’m not exactly a novice layout builder, but I have to say I’m not entirely looking forward to this - how anyone new to the hobby gets their head around it is beyond me. Lots of soldering and cursing ahead! David 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted February 8, 2022 Author Share Posted February 8, 2022 (edited) Track on both boards is now complete, so next step wiring…or so I thought until I realised the main baseboard ply is too thick to put the switches through, so now they are moving up to the fascia covering the return loops on either end…which means making these out of 5mm ply first…except the front panel has to follow the profile of the bridge and landscape, so the bridge needs designing first… Seems a little like every step is linked to ten more at the moment! David Edited February 8, 2022 by bmthtrains - David 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham108 Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 On 25/01/2022 at 11:06, bmthtrains - David said: That’s really helpful - having a block that connects across the ports is what I need, standard terminal blocks just connect one side to the other, not across so I definitely need something more like this. Something like this could be what you need - but they're not cheap - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/372799960195?hash=item56cc9bf483:g:IpoAAOSw8Mxb~jPI Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted February 12, 2022 Author Share Posted February 12, 2022 Today I have added the plywood backscene and fascia panels, ready for the isolating switches to go on before I can start wiring. The left board is complete and I’ll make a start on the right hand one tomorrow. First coats of paint have been applied. Not entirely sure about the blue so far but I want a plainer backscene than the usual photo printed ones I’ve created before. David 10 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted February 12, 2022 Share Posted February 12, 2022 Hi I David, The layout is already looking excellent without a a drop of scenery! Graham 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted February 12, 2022 Author Share Posted February 12, 2022 Thanks Graham, I keep having to stop myself from starting on the scenery - I don’t really enjoy laying the track and doing the electrics but I want it to run reliably so got to resist the temptation to make a bridge or start on some landscaping… David 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bmthtrains - David Posted February 13, 2022 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 13, 2022 (edited) While waiting for the second coats to dry I’ve set up a few scenic items to get a feel of how this end of the layout will look. Definitely getting the sense of the WCML that I wanted to capture. David Edited February 13, 2022 by bmthtrains - David 22 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonas Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 I’ve a feeling this is going to be a bit special… Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share Posted February 14, 2022 Waiting for glue to dry now… David 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted February 15, 2022 Author Share Posted February 15, 2022 Although I said I really mustn’t start on scenery yet, it has been too tempting not to start laying a few things out to work out building masses and road layouts. As I am basing the scenery on two separate real locations - Nuneaton and Rugby minus the stations - getting them to merge effectively does take a lot of planning. David 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_C Posted February 15, 2022 Share Posted February 15, 2022 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076CGFXCX/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_PZNES0C55S48RJW9DH7W?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Regarding connectors, have you seen these? I spotted these via YouTube, and like the link facility? I spotted your layout and am watching with interest. Thanks for sharing. As a matter of interest, what point motors will you be using with the Code 55? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted February 15, 2022 Author Share Posted February 15, 2022 Hi Andy, funnily enough I’ve got some of those already to experiment with. Problem is I assumed each side was separate but the connections are linked as pairs as in a normal terminal block. Means I may need more of them but if they work well it’s not too much of an issue. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted February 19, 2022 Author Share Posted February 19, 2022 I couldn’t resist a little bit of scenery modelling today - the wiring mood hadn’t caught me so I made a start on the right hand bridge. Just the front elevation so far, the rear and hopefully deck and side walls tomorrow. David 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackB95 Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Just discovered, and in turn caught up with all 7 pages, this thread. Absolutely gorgeous layout you're building. And that ROC is simply beautiful! Credit where credit's due mate. Beautiful work. Following with great interest! On a side-note, I noticed the links in your signature to Modern Image Models. Neither links seem to work? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted February 20, 2022 Author Share Posted February 20, 2022 Thanks Jack, I need to remove those links, not thought about them in a long time. The rest of the bridge structure is now there, needing a bit of filler in places though. It’s a big bridge, as the road layout shows. The gap between the bridge and the backscene will eventually be covered by a sky coloured panel. David 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackB95 Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 That bridge looks fantastic! Just out of curiosity, how tall is the ROC building? At a guess, about 100mm high? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted February 20, 2022 Author Share Posted February 20, 2022 About that I think, and around 400mm long. Vastly smaller than the actual building would be in N Gauge though! David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted February 20, 2022 Author Share Posted February 20, 2022 Another tedious job started - painting the visible track pin heads and the point sleepers concrete colour. I am expecting lots of paint scraping and swearing when it plays havoc with the switchblades but it looks vastly improved than when left as the wooden sleeper black plastic. David 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted February 21, 2022 Author Share Posted February 21, 2022 A couple of embankment abutments have now appeared. David 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted March 31, 2022 Author Share Posted March 31, 2022 Lovely to have RMWeb back, just in time as next week I plan to get all the wiring done, so will need a platform to rant and moan about soldering on! A shame photos from the past year haven’t been recovered, but thankfully nothing too important from my thread as the layout is only in its early stages. I have painted the bridge this week, so a celebratory photo to welcome the forum back. David 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted April 3, 2022 Author Share Posted April 3, 2022 Right then, the railway room/guest bedroom has been decorated this weekend, so for the first time Hunters Lane has been set up on its trestles ready for work! Tomorrow the long and annoying process of wiring the layout up begins. David 16 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold AndrueC Posted April 3, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 3, 2022 (edited) Oh I know how that goes. I distinctly remember telling myself that I was going to run the bus first... What makes it worse is that in the distance you can see that I haven't even connected all the droppers for the board where I have run the bus. Edited April 3, 2022 by AndrueC 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted April 5, 2022 Author Share Posted April 5, 2022 Progress so far, 3 lines of 4 on board 1 are wired, save for a dodgy switch that needs replacing. I’m hoping my soldering skills improve before I get onto the scenic section - soldering wire neatly to code 55 rails is not easy! David 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted April 7, 2022 Author Share Posted April 7, 2022 A lot of work later and the left hand board is fully wired. Once the second board is complete I will go through a period of extensive testing before moving on to painting rails and ballasting just to make sure all the soldered connections are good enough. There surely has to be a better way to control model railways now - the level of skill required just to wire this fairly simple layout is mind boggling. DCC just adds more complexity if you ask me, and what I’d really like is battery powered stock controlled wirelessly. Then the track literally just sends the trains in the right direction with no wiring needed at all. David 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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