So why so long? Well I have some restrictions.
First I want 42 inch or more radius. Most main line is 46 or 44 inch. Unfortunately most of my problems are to do with points where I am forced to use No6 which makes long coaches look stupid and close coupling almost impossible.
Then I want to guarantee electrical contact. So every point is rewired with droppers from frog outer rails linked to inner rails and droppers attached and point blades have droppers. Eliminates requirement for blades touching to carry power.
Next is every length of track is either soldered to next track or has dropper s soldered on. And so fish plates only hold the rail, and are not relied on to carry power.
So with two of us working, one soldering and the other getting correct readii insulating where necessary and tacking it all down on underlay.
We are both fully occupied for the day.
So some pictures. Strangely enough I actually did not see the first train operate on line. We had some short circuits and it turned out that I had not removed the shorting wires on one point. Fortunately it was a point easily removed and fixed. But it did take an hour out of our day searching for it.
The reversing AR1 was removed and replaced with a Tam Valley duo frog juicer. But I guess it was an unnecessary change and the AR1 can be used on the bottom of the helix reversing Albury trains.
Almost all 36" but does open out to 42" in places.
The NSW goods was stalled on the first points which were laying to run anti clockwise down the back wall. When I cleared the fault it started to move slowly into the new track work. As I was under the layout it was out of view, but only moving slowly.
I was connecting up all the droppers I had pulled apart chasing the fault. And as each track section got power the little train continued on its way. When I finally crawled out from underneath, I had enough time to slow the train and bring it to a stand short of the points.
I did actually see the second train derail its way around the track. It was an Auscision 8 car Daylight set, which looked tight on the curves but derailed in the large radius curved points.
ah well I found a few places where this happened at Trentham and Bullarto as well as other places.
Have to spend a day sorting all that out, I guess.
Little train fitted nicely into No2 road
Al and Rod
