How will you maintain contiguity across the bridge, Gav? Pigtails on the hinge end?
A single source for DCC should sufice, shouldn't it?
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How will you maintain contiguity across the bridge, Gav? Pigtails on the hinge end?
A single source for DCC should sufice, shouldn't it?
Yep, spot on Ian, just some wires running from the hinged end, but they’ll also be some switching involved so I can’t accidentally run a train off the end or into the raised section. This will just entail some contacts that will isolate the last section before the bridge, so when broken, any train running into the last 1/2 meter or so will just stop dead. DCC makes life very easy for things like this, 2 wires and I have the 3 tracks sorted. 👍
Each section of track - even on the bridge will have its own set of droppers running to a main bus, but at the end of the day, it’s just those 2 wires that are needed. Points get trickier as you have to switch the frog power when the switch changes so there’s 5 wires involved for each point, with 2 running back to the switch from each - they’ll be around 30 odd points on the layout all up, so it will still be a jumble of wiring, but I’ll show all that later.
Not doing any PC sectional control or anything, so it will be fairly simple electrically. (To start with) 😇
No pic today, but a quick update. The baseboards are 100% finished as far as woodwork goes now, including the bridge section. Still waiting on the XPS foam which should be here mid week and some magnets to latch the bridge section in the down position to make absolutely sure it stays flat over the transition. Have also ordered some spring contacts for the switching of the track either side of the bridge.
As the bridge doesn’t have foam going on it, I could actually start laying the track on it - given its only going to be 2 tracks straight across it at the moment (a third may be added later) then there’s no reason I couldn’t do this.
Will see what tomorrow brings.
So tomorrow is now today and I spent the day laying out an overview of the track on the boards and laid the track across the bridge. This took a long time as I’m doing things different on this - all corners will have correct easements leading into and out of them. This means a bit of math and some extra time but you end up with curves that look like the real thing - using the same guidelines Engineers use to design real railways. Basically the first 30% of the curve ‘eases’ into the corner at a diminishing radius.
This guy explains it well if you have the time - his how to’s are very good and easy to understand.
https://youtu.be/Nu9qlIckU7Q
Anyway, got the cork laid for the 2 mainline tracks across the bridge and one track glued down too, but this is now drying so no more to do today.
A couple of pics -
One side of the cork glued down and drying
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6d88b4c_4k.jpgUntitled by Gavin Gregory, on Flickr
A shot from above -
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...437dff1_4k.jpgUntitled by Gavin Gregory, on Flickr
Both sides of the cork glued down. This gives a good view of how gentle the curves start at -
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...4af9475_4k.jpgUntitled by Gavin Gregory, on Flickr
For the eagle eyed, no, this isn’t a prototypical width for track spacing for 00 - I might tighten this up a bit on the main boards depending on rolling stock clearances - 00 gauge is a bit of a compromise when it comes to this. I’m running 55mm here between track centres whereas it should be 45mm. I think my curves will allow closer spacing, my minimum radius on the mainline is 600mm - slightly over a third radius bend, which I’m pretty happy with.
Looking fan-bloody-tastic Gav! [thumbsupbig]
Some people used to do it solely for the glass of beer but that got knocked on the head for various reasons. Mind you, not for me Gunga Din.
I suppose it was ok for the old blokes that went, in days of yore, all they had to do was let the horse find it's way home.[smilebigeye]
Gav, I hope you are going to install buffer stops at the end otherwise the locos will finish up on the lawn.[biggrin][wink11]
Ron seems to have omitted a transition on both ends of the curve.
Neat little telegraph poles Gav. Just needs wire.[smilebigeye]
Luke will tell him how...Quote:
Originally Posted by 4bee
So track dried overnight so here’s a pic of the first bit. Can’t lay any more until I get the foam, so now it’s back to planning.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...1b1fc195_k.jpg197A1269-7087-48A4-BCBD-6E904800475B by Gavin Gregory, on Flickr
Below shows the LH side of the layout as planned - it may change slightly but it will be close. Only 2 points here, so these will be controlled manually by a linkage to the side of the baseboard. You can see the mainline running around - this drops level 30mm to go under the branch line at a grade of 2% and the branch line goes up and over at a very unrealistic 6% but for the small goods trains that will be fine - I’m not trying to be prototypical here and when I laid out that grade to check it, it didn’t look too bad to the eye. The branch line will continue up then run across the back of the layout at a higher level with a large hill in the corner. It will then come back down and loop around the back RHS and come back down to the main level there.
There will be a flint mill or something similar between the branch line and the canal with it servicing both forms of transport. As I’m modelling this in the early 50’s it was the end of the canals but they were still being used commercially then.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...4728c792_k.jpgF76D60B4-1A59-45E7-B62B-8E0F654448CA by Gavin Gregory, on Flickr
The rest of this board will be rolling countryside, etc. At the top of the pic where the main board is, this will be the town and to the far right of that the main maintenance yard with turntable and roundhouse. Will hopefully start laying that out tomorrow night. The main fiddle yards will be opposite the canal near the window and will house all the rolling stock so this is where the majority of the points will be.