Track has gone down on the new S&NE

 Some negotiation has taken place with the Estate Manager (SWMBO) about how the new layout was going to work. I built it so that it would sit on the desk when in place and would split into two when not in use. The layout turned out to be a bit bigger for some reason. It was supposed to be 1600 x 350mm but , somehow , it ended up 1700x350mm. This didn't matter but I can't work out how it happened as it was all designed in Anyrail so I must have made a stupid mistake there.

OK, so SWMBO decided that I would never use it if I had to put it up and take it down. Good thinking. One of my other hobbies is making patchwork but I never get to do any as the sewing machine is stored in a cupboard in the bedroom so it never comes out. Her plan was very good. Next to my desk are two glass cabinets that contain my scale models plus my Camberwick Green collection. Currently, there is nothing in front of them. She suggested that I make it permanent by siting along in front of these cabinets. I can easily make legs for the board. I have a special cutter for foam core that cuts a V in a line so that the board can fold into a 90 degree bend. This makes a very strong leg. 

So what does it look like now that it has track and has been fixed into one unit.

All of the track on the main board is now in place. The line in the middle - the short one with a white dash below it - is where the turntable is to go. I was wondering how I was going to get a stepper motor on to  the turntable when there was only 2" clearance, Now that the layout is to be on legs, it won't matter as there will be clear air under it.

The next steps with the layout itself are to wire it up both for DCC and for the point motors. For the point meters, I use ESU SwitchPilots (four outputs on each). The outputs all have one DCCConcepts  DCD-SDC6 which converts the three way output of a SwitchPilot into a two way suitable for Kato point motors.  I have ordered some 22gauge solid wire for the track feeds. That should be here tomorrow. However, my first job is to make the legs for the board. More on that next time.

I am back with foam core and Kato

 So I am back in harness and buzzing with ideas. I have been down to Hobbycraft to pick up four sheets of 5mm foam core - they always have a deal 4 sheets for £10 - which I use for making lightweight railway boards. I also dashed down to our storage room (at StorageMart - bit of a dig as my son-in-law-manages  the local branch). I retrieved all my track and my ECos DCC controller.

I have spent a couple of days working on a layout design. I have hovered between keeping the Kato track or going to Peco. Financially, there isn't much in it so long as I don't go the route I have always done in the past and used the DCC Concepts point motors. Finally, I decided that I would stay with Kato Unitrack.

First step was to make the boards. The tops are firstly supported by a double layer of foam core making it 10mm. Of course, the lengthwise strength of the boards is much greater than they are side ways.

I have built the base in two halves so the railway can be leant against the bookcase next to my desk when not in use. The two halves, when put together, are held by a couple of clips made, yet again, out of 5mm foam core.

Finally, with the board built, it sits nicely on the dining room table. 

This won't be its normal home. I am expecting to clear the front of my desk as this will support the boards completely. Next job is to lay some track. I have just placed an order with N Scale American Trains for the track that I don't have. Hopefully, that will come in the next couple of days and then I can get on with building the layout properly. Once I have the basic track laid, I will be able to build the storage road board. This will be 1000mm long and about 110mm wide and have a couple of yards of Peco track on it. Mixing Peco with Kato is not difficult. The reason for this is that I have about 4 yards of Peco already so that will save some of the expense.

This is the first plan. However, you know what Generals say about a battle plan? No battle plan ever get survives first contact with the enemy. Hence, I don't expect the following plan to end up the final version.

Am I back or am I dreaming?

 Well, its nearly two years since I last posted and all my model railroad stuff has been in our storage unit all that time. I have had a lot of fun building scale plastic models see Gentle Scale Models. I have also taught myself to play the Tin Whistle and am now struggling with a soprano saxophone! One thing we don't have under ordinary circumstances is a television. We are one of those strange couples who can live without one. We did succumb almost at the same time as the railroad went. We even took out a subscription to Sky satellite feed - for 18 months. Well, the 18 months was up about a month ago and guess what, we don't have a TV again!

Our evenings are nice and quiet or we are listening to our superb Naim Uniti-Atom hi-fi. Being old fashioned, I love paying vinyl records of the jazz I grew up with. However, reading from 7 pm to 10pm can get a bit boring and, at 77 years old, I get tired in the evenings. I get too tired to make scale models and no-one wants me playing a sax in the evenings. I got to thinking and realised that, if I had a model railroad, I could spend some evenings running trains. So, we are off again.

Here is my desk.

You might wonder how I can get a railroad on here. Well, you see, it just has to sit here when I am using it. I make my railroad benchwork from 5mm foam core, which, when properly structured, is plenty strong for an N scale pike (to use an old expression). The plan is to build a base that is 1600mm long and 350mm wide.  When not it use, it will stand vertically next to the desk - when we move the bookcase that is just 400mm across. Fortunately, there is sufficient space. This will be the main board. In addition there will be a dismountable storage yard of about 800mm x 80mm coming off to provide a destination. This is the first pass.

The plan is supposed to represent a branch line terminus with a small freight yard and an engine facility. I have a whole pile of Kato Unitrack left over from my previous desktop layout so that is what this is using. I like Unitrack because I don't have to ballast the track (OK maybe I should but...). Also, I like the way that the points (switches) are all set up with motors and only require a two wire connection to work with my ECoS 50210 DCC controller. It is a bit of a fiddle getting all the track lengths correct so that it goes together properly. I have to admit that there are a couple of tiny gaps that will probably be OK with little bit of fettling.

Back to the layout. Well, there is a lot wrong with this. Firstly, a small terminus in the USA wouldn't require double track.  It is there because I have a Unitrack double crossover which I would like to use. I did think of making it a through station but then a small engine terminal wouldn't look right. I would like a turntable as I dislike having low hood locos running in "reverse". I know that they do but... As it happens, the turntable is very expensive - circa £270 - so I may have to forego that and put a bit more yard and industry track work in. We shall see.

The river is there because, from my last layout, I have both a single and a double track girder bridge and it seems silly not to use them. This is as far as I have got. I am hoping that a regular annual payment from the USA will be agreed in December - I do some programming work for them and this is an annual retainer. If that is agreed, the turntable will not be an issue but we are waiting.