Productive day today, got the new track configuration in for the Shippensburg East - Yard Lead.
As an added benefit it allowed the Harrisburg East Lead to be straightened out too, I also connected the yard lead to the Harrisburg East main.
Much happier with the flow with the new design, and operations will benefit greatly from the changes too.
Next phase is to wire it all in to the blocks, and then install the Tortoise Motors...
So today is another one of those days that highlight the constant changes that can be, and that are often made to a model railroad as they are being built.
It's often the case of a fresh set of eyes can change things, and the below case is just another example. The yard lead into the Shippensburg Yard will undergo yet another change that will make operations much better & smoother too.
The old version only allowed switching to occur from the centre of the yard, via the yard ladders in the middle. I wasn't able to do any classification/blocking via the yard lead that has been added from Harrisburg East. I'm not sure why I didn't pick it up, but whilst playing around with the AnyRail file last night it dawned upon me that I had it wrong...
The new version is a simple design but one which now also allows trains to be classified & blocked from both ends of the yard, and also can utilise the new longer yard lead from Harrisburg East.
It also allows trains to exit the yard into the staging deck (via the helix) and back onto the layout via Harrisburg.
The point is, don't be afraid to make changes as you go, sometimes the first idea is not the best, but if you're willing to change and adapt ultimately your layout and operations will benefit from it...
Jas...
Today centred around getting the turnout installed from the Harrisburg East - Mainline.
This turnout is the start of the new yard lead for the Shippensburg Classification Yard, it runs from the south side of the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg East, over the double track truss bridge and joins up at the classification yard entrance at Carlisle Junction.
I also installed the Micro - Engineering bridge track to the double track - truss bridge too.
Jas...
