The very last signal to be installed...

This week marks the end of the detection & signalling journey on the layout.

I have this final staggered signal mast to be installed and I have completed the signal portion of the layout build.

I still have to install detection on the staging deck which will begin when the signals are all installed.  But this mast will be the last one required on the layout, and will be the conclusion to four years of work installing it all.

Jas...

MRH - Detection & Signalling Article - Part 2...

Yesterday Part 2 of my three part article series was released in Model Railroad Hobbyist - Magazine (MRH).

https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh2018-11/electrical-impulses

Part 2 follows the installation side of the two systems on my layout.

Jas...

Last couple of dwarf signals...

Over the past week I have been making the last few single & double head dwarf signals to be placed onto the layout.

I also had to re-position the Shippensburg signal bridge to be in a more prototypical position after I installed the new Peco - Unifrog - Double Slip Switch.

The re-positioning has allowed for an extra 8-10" of mainline track to be gained between the previous block boundary/signal mast.

Jas...

Western Maryland on the Operating Roster...

Today I took delivery of the latest editions to the layout fleet.  I've been wanting to expand the Operating Railroads on the layout to those that interchanged with the Reading Lines.

The best part about the WM was that it lived on in it's Circus Color Scheme into the Conrail merger era.  I'll be able to shift the layout to after April 1976 with multi-road lash-ups.

The SD40 & GP35 are both Athearn RTR models that have been out of production for sometime.  

The caboose is an Atlas.  Next stage will be to add LokSound - Select Direct decoders to both the SD40 & GP35 with sugar cube speakers.

Jas...

Latest locomotive to join the roster...

This week the latest locomotive has joined the Reading roster on the layout.

This is a HO - Kato Reading Lines GP35.  It was the original #3647 Kato OEM model that has been re-numbered to #3642 and weathered by Chris Thompson.

The GP35 will get a LokSound - Select Direct with sugar cube speaker and LED lights shortly before joining operations.

Jas...

MRH Signal Article Series...

My next article for MRH has been published in the October issues.  The three part series running through October, November & December is on the installation of the detection & signaling system on my layout.

The first part is on the planning and considerations required when considering signalling.

https://model-railroad-hobbyisut.com/magazine/mrh2018-10/electrical-impulses

Jas...

Changing Signal Types...

Whilst installing the last couple of dwarf signals onto the layout, I was pondering the issue with sight lines for operators with dwarf signals being behind rolling stock.

So realising that I had several Tomar single head masts that I hadn't used yet I decided to convert a couple with the RRCirKits - Tri Coloured LED's.  The choice has fixed the issue as the signal head can be seen from above the rolling stock.

Clearance has worked out perfectly too,  they also add a nice change visually to the layout signal system too.

Jas...

Back into the layout again today...

After a few weeks off I am back into the layout again, installed a few more dwarf signals.

And also did some modifications to the Panel Pro - Panel.  The layout actually is designated as the Harrisburg & Shippensburg Division - 1975.
Below is the entire panel as it looks on both of my dual monitors at the dispatchers desk.

Jas...

September Layout Update...

Been a little quiet over the past two months on the signals and the layout progression...

One reason was my recent vacation to San Diego, CA to visit friends and do the whole Legoland adventure with Toby my youngest son.

I've also been busily preparing my next article.  Which is a three part series on the complete Layout Signal Install which will start in October's issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist (MRH), with Part 2 & 3 following in November & December's Issues.

Major effort getting all this together and into a format for the online magazine.  Hopefully it is well received and helps out those wanting to go down the path of installing detection and signals on their layouts.

Jas...

Installing the last of the dwarf signals on the layout...

Over the past week I have been working on the last set of dwarf signals for the layout.  
These are again the Tomar brand that I have converted to include the RR Cirkits - Tri Coloured LED's.

The making and installation of these now goes very quick.  I have the process down to about 30 mins to make up the LED including soldering all four 36 Awg wires, glue in the LED, and paint the casing silver.

Next step will be to install the Digitrax Terminal Strip Mounting Kits (TSMK) and wire them up to the SE8C boards.

This is the final lot of signals for the signalling system on the layout.  Once these are installed and operational it will be the final stage of the detection and signalling completed.

Jas...

Switching with the ProtoThrottle...

A quick video of some switching today with the ProtoThrottle and a LokSound - Select Direct equipped Athearn - RDG SW1500 switcher.

The CV's in the Select Direct have been changed as per Joe Atkinson's post on MRH to take full advantage of the ProtoThrottle features.

The ProtoThrottle connects to my NCE system via the CabBus via a wireless XBEE receiver.  Setup was completed in about 5 minutes.

It has arrived Downunder...

Suddenly I'm just a little distracted...!

More posts to come...!

Fascia Control Panels...

For something a little different today I decided to work on finalising the Fascia Control Panels that control the switch machines, and adding the signals on them too.

Now that the signals & logic are all added to JMRI & Panel Pro I am now able to add these onto the Fascia Control Panels.

The below Fascia Control Panel is located at Manheim Junction the busiest area on the layout and a major Junction for movement around the layout.

As can be seen, it is a major interlocking on the layout...

Jas.

Programming of the last Signal Mast Logic...

School Holiday's currently here, so limited layout time.  Being Winter too doesn't make the layout a warm place to be in.
But it does allow me to get the remaining Signal Mast Logic (SML) programmed into JMRI & PanelPro.

The brilliant part about the JMRI and having the layout running on a laptop is that I can do all the programming whilst running the LocoNet Simulator to check the logic.

The last remaining SML is associated with the last few dwarf signals are installed.  Be under no allusion if you plan on having signals & detection on your layout the programming of signal heads, signal masts, blocks, turnouts & SML is just as big of an undertaking as what it is to install them too.

 

And the trick is to document everything as you go, I cannot overstate this enough...

Hopefully within the next month I will have all of the logic programmed and the layout will be ready for operating sessions via dispatcher to see if any changes are needed.

Jas...

Final Signal Bridge in place...

The final Signal Bridge is now in place on the layout and ready to be wired into the Digitrax TSMK & SE8C and then programmed into JMRI...

Once this is installed it will be onto building the last lot of dwarf signals and then the signal install will be finished.

Jas...