Board one is now ready for scenics, the wiring and back boards are all in place and tested. The first engine has been run and all works very well. The next task I hope to do is to move to the second board and bring that up to the standard of the first board.
Between showers today I managed to continue with work on the Stabling Point – board one. I have drilled the hole in the On/Off switch Box, added another scenic back board and started on the bridge that is the start of the fiddle yard/sector plate.
I have designed the fiddle yard so that as well as storing/switching on the sector plate, I can also store two Locos on tracks one and four inside the fiddle yard.
I have been very busy on the new layout – it is the work that makes the layout reliable, but not a lot of visual activity. I have cut the track and made 19 isolating sections, the through wiring to both boards is complete and the power feeds are all done and just need adding to the controller.
Both baseboard sections have had the on/off isolating boxes made and the board one box has been added to the backscene board. This saves a lot of through wiring between the two baseboards and makes an easier conversion to DCC if I win the lottery and can fund some more sound fitting.
At last I have finished 50008 into its 2021 running condition. The Hanson and Hall transfers are from Railtec and very nice they are. I will eventually give it a light weathering, but that will have to wait a while. Maybe not for the purist but it gives me a chance to run a 50 in my 2018-2022 era.
It was a really nice day today, so I test fitted the two parts of the boards together after fitting the joiners. Thankfully only a few slight track alignments were needed and was then test run with a few wagons. I am now happy to work on the boards separately.
All track has been laid on the new O Gauge Stabling Point. The layout will stable up to 15 Mainline Loco’s and 3 Shunters. It will be DC as I cannot afford doing all my Locos DCC, let alone sound. Besides I already have a small Fuelling Point that is DCC and holds 6 Locos. The overall size of the new layout is 12′ x 18″. The main running period will be 1960 – 1970.
Today I sorted the track going into the sector plate. I always spend a lot of time on this ensuring everything lines up and the rail height is level on each section.
You can see how adding the extra strip of soft wood on the front of the layout ensures that four tracks fit comfortably. The four sidings in the stabling point will end in different lengths to allow a car park, huts etc.
Spent most of the day working on the Baseboards for the new O Gauge Layout. I have added an extra 30mm to the front edges of the laser cut boards . This does three things, obviously it makes the layout bigger, but it makes it just large enough to have four tracks, thirdly it allows for curtain attachment.
I have extended the sector plate by 150mm, it was originally going to be a OO layout.
The first piece of track has been stuck down on the sector plate and some calculations made for other track laying.
As on previous posts, the next layout was to be my Sons new N Gauge Layout, with boards already made. Well, we decided to enlarge the project to 12′ x 3′ from 8′ x 3′. The new board kits have been ordered but they are not due to be delivered until late May, six weeks away.
I have therefore made a decision on my remaining made up baseboards – they will become another O Gauge layout approx 12′ x 18″. I intend to try and make this layout as a bit of a ‘design clever’ with removable items so that a variety of running eras and locations can be used. For example I intend to have removable buffer stops on a bolt on system, one set of traditional stops and another the up to date RAWIE style. Other changes will be different buildings, yard lights and railway staff to enable quick changes to run different eras.
The layout will be a Diesel stabling point as small fuel points to the traditional style have dwindled over the last thirty years or so. I intend to leave room for Loco fuel tank filling from road transport as used nowadays, but no fueling point or its sundry items will be added.
The layout will be DC as I already have a Diesel DCC fueling point in O Gauge, Merlins Lane. The Sector plate will be extended by about four inches and will probably be ‘pointless’
This Loco is now finished as it was running in the mid 80’s. Overall this is a light to medium application and it certainly makes the loco more realistic.
