sjrixon

Looks like she could do with some coal in the back..

Oh, that's going to transform the place! I've cut the grass, taken the kids out and run the hover round. No trains for me today then

The last track finally went in yesterday! It felt like it took a long time to get this far, but done! Not a great picture, but this is my control panel Currently I've just sat it in the gap in the middle of the layout. Using the table and the mobile phone works really well with some light shunting. I love the fact with dcc the loco nicely accelerates and decelerates Just drop an uncoupler under the coupling and then one tap on the screen and the loco backs away

Thanks.. That's some cracking info!

Not much going on really.. Going to be a busy week, so the layout will take a back step The cork is now down for the last 2 sidings, so I can try and get the track down soon! ... I'm starting to think about the setup with dairy, but I've not found too much online yet. Does anyone know would they load the milk tankers?

Thanks for confirming what I thought.. I'm not going that on my layout.. Looks quite smart though!

Parcels and deliveries to the factory at the back. Current plan is to fence it off to the platform in the front and have a loading dock at the back to connect to the factory.

That's pretty impressive work! The sign does look really smart there too.. I love the shelves with all the stock, but I think I'd worry about them falling off too much.

Ah, the old RIMFORSA... Nice idea, I think I'll just build something like that once I've finalised the front of the layout.. This was the shot that I tried with google, that failed dismally as google still won't let you embed in a post. Oh well, back to photobucket Work and a little person being ill looked to delay my next plans of getting the last point in. But, not one to miss an opportunity, I did some work inside. So the platform has been started, the frame work as you can see here is all done and the front side already has the brick paper on. I've a guillotine type device that will cut through 2mm card with ease, makes things like this easier than just a knife and rule. When I played with the layout I decide to go for the full length, this gave me a nice curve to the platform and I'm quite pleased with it. I also made the bay just slightly longer as the two vans didn't quite fit and I didn't want the 2nd one to sit on the curve. The track will need a quick extension piece, but that's not exactly a big job.

I've lost my rag with photobucket.. So I'm trying to link to google photos... Here goes... <a href='https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOXqdYUL0UhvMs9hkMGxMnSmxxq-uWbAJUh9trvjNqPxxi_KDm1qXFF5qk3LVDYDQ?key=b21KeTBsTF9BMkQxS0NwVERmR1VzZ081RGJsNEVn&source=ctrlq.org'><imgsrc='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_wwvMezrWsfVrGMRuKiZGnGGTi8Ot0YLLNN2S7Ae-SZMtAZRlbm9db8dgs2HBuRF2NKMkyLEKTWOGoehkuNa3bkgzGJthlvV3-h8vu_b7en_4gR0IbZIKaFwYaZGrw38zpqpoKY' /></a> As you can see, I've mocked up a goods shed, this will help me in the positioning of the two yard tracks. I've also got the backboards and fixed the bridge in place. I've been collecting polystyrene for ages and now it finally has a use! Or no you can't

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.

That looks like a lot of work to me! To pull up the platform and rebuilt it, I'd of really struggled. But, looks good, a much nicer sweep there now. Makes me wish I'd not gone the other way a little and straighten mine out... (a little)

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!

Can you not put a join in the signal wires? I'd install, test and then remove them to a box.

I agree with the missing trap point. With the box on the station, isn't most of it going to be tucked next to the platform and almost hidden? I'd thought about it on my layout, but 100% would be going over a baseboard joint, I'm also thinking I'll spend the money elsewhere!

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..