2013 November 1

2013 November 1  And so the balmy days of Spring have finally arrived.

Just a brief update. Spent a lot of time in the shed, mostly playing with sound and upgrading locomotives and rolling stock.
My latest acquisition was a repainted BG SOP set from Nathan Peters. Thank you Nathan :D

 

 Since I last posted we have started to rebuild the boards and lay some track.  It really is nice to work with a flat deck :)  Allan Jeeves again was extremely helpful, keeping me company and whose good advice and labours are much appreciated. However the tyranny of distance and Oil Company profiteering are having their effect. It costs Allan over $25 a trip to come and help, and it all adds up, doesn't it :(

So here is the first 2400 mm section added to the Helix. This time I am not in such a hurry to get something running, and so it was decided to make it a bit easy on the poor old back. All the track is laid in place, including the grain Silo. All droppers are placed and each point is set up for a motor.  (I just placed another order for 30 motors from my favourite E-Bay supplier)

 Just before moving on, I set this up to prove it would work. The rear of the train has been left on the Main, and the engine has crossed the SG and entered the Silo Yard where it uses the now vacant empty arrival sidings to access the loaded siding. It hooks on and places the loads out on the MAIN, before returning for the second sidings loads. Once all out on the Main it proceeds on to the next Station and eventually the Docks (off the layout)

 

So all I have to do now is connect up all the wires and fit overload bulbs, then connect to the DCC Bus. I have two double slips, one ordinary point in the Silo, as well  the points off the MAIN into the Silo to power as well

Well I am wasting time on this bloody thing again, and the soldering iron is still hot...

Cheers

Rod