sjrixon

Well Liam, that's basically what I need to build on the front of the layout! But that will need to wait as I don't want to do the fascia yet. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pN0MuzWToy1Pzj64Qe_VhqEg0tnmVpcrEXsEsfA5gStNpjnEzczJaKWXOpHCrAOz1KWJxBxZKi3kFpoxaOMg0yy_fgas-DiDyW2n0milrzWEuWiEaOvzMMIVv3amoDH9iwlIUwaYG_maGtoEAWHjeQ9zzmcfAl3v19cJvmFgxK7JoFwK20ajT-J1fgfl1Zw_C9TgGwK3XDfngMpRlVyd4nyEruS3V_FUFNo1n7a0DnYTLf6K6vThvL_3dxy3xbssIA90HBQItEuD3dnPhnO14hWPgGkwTZ_xRBFP7MKyS4-ttYYicxO4eh1gjde5YD_Ti96MR9CxWxbJJUUL0h-u5uaLWwtQuDhIsYANL2Ia-pf0r62XPiE7TPfedEHd-7BvBN-jWdsC44uCF_vjYExV7fxMVG-pwe1L1OBZ80cNg98w4lGjdn316FLB6KTSLCkRTqg3i4p1uu4vFFpCZgMVgopS5eCR9l9JBCbFxWWLssgy2eTKEN4RsKKpkwiEZrq4-05tNb-BVql5p5KuVFL79GLG83VOlClGoC6ex52CeBuUIo84dGtQEXGKZ1trQx8fImmHJFHtyMPNDe5IsMgricH6W-MEELONvFZ63P3dsO3r4gVMyzjEGiBtHXpcsIRMHHUrocW6hk1vkFPYuVyg9qpxKns21YgOOLQ6kHfDQ8A=w2736-h1540-no

Rob, very well done! I need to take more time and really pat the ballast down, you have got clear space between the top of the ballast and the sleeper, much better. Might need another test! With the first 3 sidings properly completed I had a little play. I use engine driver on an Android phone to control the locos, you can swipe the screen to get access to the routes or points. This has been working quite well when I just had the fiddle yard, flick, select line 1, flick drive train. But shunting trucks in and out of siding's I found restrictive. I didn't like the swipe to have to change the points. I've now dug out an old Android tablet that I can use as a control panel. However, setting up panel pro isn't quite as easy as I thought it might be! I've now got a rough placement of points on a background of the layout diagram. It needs a lot of work, but, I can now use the touch screen of the tablet to change points while holding the phone to drive the train. Ultimately it needs some kind of 'holder' to sit on the front of the layout.

Liam. No, this layout wont go anywhere. But I built it in sections so I can move it, should we move house etc. It has also enabled me to get behind to install the backboards and I flipped each board to tidy the wiring and install a couple of motors that were a bit tight. Neal, I like the tape idea, that makes a lot of sense. The hopper looks interesting, but for such a small layout I'm not sure I can justify more expense! I've already spent so much, so quickly! Small pot, couple of brushes. I've also bought some ballast magic, that should make life easier.

Some more progress on the track laying.. They bay has been installed, which was another baseboard joint so took a long while to all get lined up. Then a little bit of card and tape I've mocked up what could be a dairy for the siding. There is a low relief building at the end, with another build and roof for the actual siding. This means the other siding is also in, the cattle trucks shows where the dock would be. All this is wired and tested, so actually quite a lot of progress! I've just the one point into the main yard to complete now, then I think I need to get my panel working and play trains for a bit.

Going DCC would give you so many options, and tidy up the wiring. I've a lot of wire under my small baseboard for 11 motors. But they are mostly going to the same 2 places, each side of the bus wire. Again, I'm not having to troubleshoot long runs into individual switches. I'm going to use Panel Pro with an old Android Tablet. (Well that's the plan). I love the route setting, initially I though it was going to be too much of a cheat, you should be changing points properly. But in the fiddle yard it's great. I just select road one and three points throw together, this makes operation quite simple. Should you want to have physical buttons or levers for some sections, there things like the Cobalt Alpha. https://www.dccconcepts.com/product-category/the-cobalt-collection/cobalt-alpha/ I've not used it, but a cracking idea. Physical switches that can be connected to the DCC bus. This could easily be added later.

Having wired my points with dcc, I'd never go back. Just the simple fact of not having to wire all the way to a switch, you keep everything contained around the motor.

Some feedback please... I've obviously put this on cork to get a nice edge to it.. But, I think it's too wide? It took a lot of ballast to get over the edge and down. I also think I may have gone too heigh with the ballast, it wants so show more of the gap to the rail? (You might not be able to see that in this picture. But this one is better.. (Not a lot and still wet)

Something else I've never really done properly is painting the track. I painted the side of the rails, but not the whole track. So as test I've put some track on some OSB with cork and given it a quick spray. The unpainted track is there for comparison. I now need to paint up the rails, clean it up and it's ready for some test ballasting.

She is only 3, so will be a while! The point was from www.track-shack.com, great service, good postage costs.. Just ordered a few bags of ballast from them.. That's the electrofrog version, don't forget if you go that way it needs two switches too.

Thanks for all the likes and comments... I went to the Basingstoke show at the weekend, came back all fired up to do some more on the Layout, but I have kids I have to say what a great show, about the right size for a couple of hours entertainment. They loaned me a step for my daughter and all the layouts had good barriers to keep little fingers away. Well done! On the layout I sorted the fiddle yard surround and this means I could add the sockets for the baseboard joints. I'm about to start on the backboard so I needed to separate each baseboard to attach them, and before this my bus wire was still a solid length! So under I had to go to cut it and add the connectors. Added some foam for any runaways!

That's a good price, I wonder how much will change with the chassis? They can't still have the traction tires on the middle set? My airfix body is half way though conversion, so I'd buy it just to donate the chassis. Those new coffee pots are brilliant! I've been collecting them and they've all got loads of handy bits in, mostly grass and scatter. That one had just made it out of the kitchen and was destined to hold some tools.

Loop re-laid, with wire! Having never had, used, or played with a slip before I was worried about connecting it up. Then even more so when I realised there was 4 wires coming off it! No need to be worried, 2 feed wires, 2 frog wires. Straight into the Cobalt, simple. As before was motor was reversed, so I had to switch the input. Still REALLY loving wiring for DCC, so simple! And that's something off the bucket list, I have a slip on my layout So the Mogul idles on the platform road while waiting for the morning goods to enter the loop. The Brewery location at the back gives good access to the loading dock, giving me reason for open wagons of sacks, barrels etc. I think next I need to sort the boards for the back scene, then I can see where things need to sit before laying the rest of the track..

Mine actually runs quite well, considering. But that doesn't mean I want to run it.. Maybe it's time to have a clear out.

Come on then, let's have a full layout video ☺️

Alan, not even sure where the roads are yet!! Well, apart from the one over the bridge to the fiddle yard. Once I've got the track set, I'll start marking them up, I've a few ideas.. You mean a 48xx.. They didn't renumber the 14xx until 1946 (I think) so too post war for me. I'd like one of the new ones, but the budget won't reach that far at the moment. I've an Airfix one that's had some 'upgrades' but it's not DCC and I'm not sure I can be bothered to convert it.

Managed to get the loop in place late yesterday. Neither the slip of the point is wired, I wanted to get this section all in place before I committed to point motors. With the baseboard joint it looks a little fussy at the moment, I hope with some cosmetic sleepers slid in, painting and ballasted it will tidy up nicely.. Now I can wire up this section and be able to run round my trains. I've also started the build of the station building, but I'm now thinking I should have started with the goods shed as it might effect the shape of the siding!

That's really good. Now I've also got a great view over the whole layout!

That prairie looks good! I've an old Airfix one in a box, it doesn't see much action these days as it makes a real grinding noise going backwards..

I've been playing around to make sure everything will work before I start on the loop and yard track work. I keep changing my mind about the dairy, but I think it just adds a nice bit of interest, so right now, it stays. You can see the milk tanks bottom right (Butter tub as the building). There has been a drop off of some other odds and end that they need and one cattle truck is next to the dock (The lurpak tub). A small freight has arrived in the loop, a passenger trains is about to depart and the Siphon is sat in the parcels bay. It's a busy morning. Following the departure of the passenger train the pannier runs round and pushes the trucks out of the way to release the brake van. That is then pushed to the headshut. It then pulls the trucks back out, and runs round again, as this train didn't have any trucks for the dairy or other siding. It's then free to shunt into the shed and other road. The yard area.. And Tunnel for the scenic break. I think there is plenty of space. I was worried that as the two main siding are now on the reverse that it wouldn't work.

That's why I ended up building a full brake! Too many trains that should have guards on the back.

Speechless.. I need to see this layout in the flesh again. That 14xx is quite smart, as is your autocoach. I'd be tempted by a 48xx if I hadn't just already spent too much!

I've got the first two points down on the scenic section. I've been cleaning up the Peco points, removing the large clips for the peco motors and the spring section in the middle. I've then slotted a sleeper into the gap that's been created. I think it's looks much better and helps it blending into the bullhead rail.

A week in June with the house to yourself! Now that is an amazing prospect.

A messy layout is a happy layout.. Please don't tidy, as you say, as waste of time. I'm much like you in that I get very small pockets of time. If I tidied each time I'd get 10mins instead of a massive 30!

Certainly making good progress there! You always appear to have lots of stock in all your shots! That last one someone has stolen the chassis from a loco and the storm has blown the roof off a coach!