Helix coming up from the ground...

So today I managed to get the first full ring of the helix completed. It’s now in place and again I have checked it’s location relative to the fascia edge, and checked it’s position & alignment with the existing entry point & new exit point to staging.

I’ve also added a work light for the area whilst constructing the helix, which will stay to light the inside of the helix when finished...

Next phase is to design the base frame work to allow the helix to rise up to its final position. The frame work once completed will have the legs removed so that I can then lower the first ring so I can add the track, and remaining 4.5 rings. Once the initial grade of 2.15% is set the remaining helix will use the usual block timber method for separation.

Jas...

More planning work on the helix for staging...

Today I continued on with some more planning for the helix. I settled on a method of securing the sections together that is both easy, quick, sturdy & cheap by using stitching plate & stitching screws.

I also checking the position of the helix in relation to the layout framing and also the radius again. The diameter of the helix fits within the confines of the bench work as can be seen by the black marker on the floor, this is the edge of the fascia above. The radius will stay at 28"R.

I have ordered a large sheet of 12mm (1/2") structural plywood and will begin cutting out the segments tomorrow.  Once I have one (1) full ring made and the sections joined together I will setting the initial grade and working out how much alterations will be required to one section of layout bench work supports.

Jas...

Peco SL-U8363 - Double Slip Switch - Video...

Here is a short video of the completed Peco SL-U8363 Unifrog Double Slip Switch.

I completed the installation of the four (4) turnouts that control the interlocking, there are two Tortoise Switch Machines that control the routes within the double slip, and a further two that control the approaches via the left hand turnouts on the approaches to the double switch.

The four turnouts are connected to a new Digitrax DS64, the DS64 allows computer control via JMRI & PanelPro of the interlocking, and also vioa push buttons on the fascia for local operator control.  Due to routes that can be chosen within the double slip, both Tortoise Motors require individual control, previously with a crossover I could have two turnouts controlled by one fascia push button.



Jas...

PECO SL-U8363 - Double Slip Switch...

So I have received my new Peco - Double Slip Switch, over the next two days I will be installing it into the mainline at Shippensburg and connecting it to the storage tracks (north & south) on the layout.

The installation instructions are pretty much the same for all of Peco's Insulfrog range of turnouts.  The only difference is that these "Unifrog" variants can be both "Insulfrog & Electrofrog" types by either leaving the frog dead or powering it via the attached frog wires.

The turnouts are what you would expect from Peco, well made, and great looking designed Code 83 switches with great detail as well.

I will do another post once it is installed and operating on the layout.

Jas...

New PECO - Double Slip Switch for track work...

Today I invested in a new Peco - Double Slip Switch for a section of the layout requiring two sets of storage tracks to be connected for operations.

The switch is Peco's new UniFrog design and is their first in the Code 83-American design turnouts.

The switch will connect the storage tracks that serve the Hershey Chocolate silos & main plant.  Previously these tracks were not connected to the tracks on the south side and it would have tied up the mainline switching cars with the existing setup.  The mainline is highlighted in blue, the new crossover incorporating the new double slip is in yellow, and the storage tracks that serve Hershey or are used to switch cars to Hershey are in white.

New setup will allow greater flexibility for operations and will allow the Hershey Plant to operate at its full potential.

Jas... 

Staging Deck Development has begun...

So given the cold & wet weather that has descended on Melbourne today I decided to finish off the day in the warmth of the house and begin designing the staging level for the layout.

One of the things that has been missing when we have run operating sessions has been a staging area to represent the "other" parts of the east coast and in particular the interchanges with the other railroads that are working on the layout too.

So in preparation for the end of the signal installation on the layout, I started today on the design of the staging area.  It will sit below the main deck and will be accessed by either a 26" Radius Helix, or a Nolix on grade running along the back wall.

The staging area will consist of six (6) tracks and one run-around track all connected to a reversing loop.  The reversing loop will allow for trains to enter staging and then run-around and enter the yard ladder closest to the loop, this will allow trains to be staged ready to head out on the next ops session.

The staging tracks will all be PECO Code 100 - Streamline.  The helix will be 26" Radius, 52" Diameter, 2.27% Grade, 4" height between each deck, 6 Rings in total and will be 24" in height.  The staging deck will be plywood top and simple L type legs supported onto the concrete floor and secured to the timber wall framing.  Underneath this will be storage.

Jas...

Scratch building signal masts...

Sometimes in the hobby necessity can often create a favourable outcome.  Today ended up being one of those great outcomes.

In the final push to install the last of the signals I realised I had ran out of triple head signal masts.  I normally use Tomar's triple head mast and replace the 1/8" bi-coloured LED's with the RRCirKits - tricoloured LED's with Bivar light pipe lenses.  The cost to buy the Tomar type is quite an outlay, and one that would see a two/three week wait for them to arrive from the USA too.

So looking at a surplus mast that I had lying around I decided to deconstruct it and reconfigure it to a triple head mast.  The process was pretty straight forward and I was also able to adapt the IHC plastic searchlight heads to fit the Tomar mast.

The next stage is to fit the RRCirKits LED's and place onto the layout, this mast will protect the east mainline into Harrisburg...

Signal mast installed on the layout & wired into JMRI & PanelPro...

Jas.

New method for Searchlight LED's

Over the last few days I have been refining the method I have previously used to install the RR CirKits Tri-Colored LED's into the layouts searchlight & dwarf signals.

The new version of the LED's come pre-wired with 36-Awg magnet wire.  And they are tiny!

Some would say that tiny can be a pain to work with, and that is certainly true if you had to solder the magnet wires on these.  But having them so small makes them much easier to attach to the Bivar light-tubes that I use for the searchlight lenses.

A small amount of CA glue on the LED and lense face and the LED is secured quickly.

The next step is to feed the magnet wires through the signal head and then push fit the light tube/lense into the signal head.

When completed these make fantastic and realistic railroad signal masts with prototypical aspect colours...

Jas...

IOWA Scaled Engineering - ProtoThrottle...

Well today I decided to give myself an early birthday present, I have pre-ordered a IOWA Scaled Engineering - ProtoThrottle.

IOWA Scaled Engineering - ProtoThrottle

This new model railroad throttle is a replica of an EMD locomotive stand with controls that mimic the real thing.  It features notched throttle handle, reverser handle, brake handle & spring loaded horn lever, and many other configurable variations.

Since changing the layout to predominately a switching layout I have slowed down much of my operations and speeds of locomotives.  But trying to use all the functions in the ESU - Select Direct decoders via buttons on my NCE throttle has been difficult.

But know the realism and ease of operation will be made some much better when the ProtoThrottle (PT) arrives towards the middle of the year.  The PT uses WiFi receivers to communicate with the NCE DCC Command Station.

The following videos show how the PT operates, along with some of the cool features...

Sinking Springs - Signal Bridge...

Another push this week to install one of the final signal bridges for the layout.

This signal bridge will be located at Sinking Springs on the layout, it is a major junction on the layout and connects the centre peninsula to the western and northern sections and northern and western sections to the southern portion too.

It is again a IHC plastic signal bridge kit that has two triple head masts installed.  The reason behind the two triple head masts is so that I can display a "slow clear" indication.

Both masts have the RRCirKits - Tri-colored LED's in them.  The newer version comes pre-wired with 24" of 36awg magnet wire, this has made the installation much easier and quicker.  As can be seen in the photo below the LED heads are tiny!  But installing them is a breeze and all it takes is a little dab of CA and they are secured easily to the 1/8" light pipes I install in each searchlight head.

(Photo directly from RRCirKits Website - Credit to photographer)

Although feeding the 24 wires (4 wires per LED, with 3 heads per mast, with two masts) still takes a considerable amount of time to feed through the bridge frame and secure.

Next phase is to connect the bridge and all 24 wires to the terminal strip mounting kits and program into JMRI & Panel Pro...

Jas.

More mainline signals...

So moving right along with the final installs of signals yesterday I installed a triple head mast to the mainline protecting the diamond at Carlislie Junction.

This is a Tomar H861 triple head mast, these come fitted with bi-colour LED's that I remove and replaced with RRCirKits - Tri-Coloured LED's, these provide the true railroad aspect colours of red, yellow & green.

The true aspect colours from the RRCirKits LED's can really be seen well in this photo, no more blowing signals with operators because they look similar now...

The the mainline ahead is routed into track 2 at Shippensburg hence the Approach Medium (Yellow, Green, Red - Aspect), the signal ahead is displaying Medium Approach Medium (Red, Yellow, Green - Aspect).

The addition of operating signals on your layout is a big undertaking, can be costly and time consuming.  But when operating and automated like this brings a whole new experience to operations on your layout...

Jas.

First of the final three signal bridges installed...

So today I finished the first of the final three signal bridges to be installed on the layout.

The new tri-coloured LED's with the pre-wired magnet wire has made the install and hiding all three sets of four wires (12 in total) much easier than the last batch.

The smaller magnet wire has allowed me to hide the 12 wires into a single piece of 1.5mm heat shrink tube.  This is then secured to the bridge via wrapping wire.

The bridge was installed and programmed into JMRI & Panel Pro and is working...

Again the greatest feature of the RRCirKits Tri - Coloured LED's are the best aspect colours I have seen anywhere, true Railroad Red, Yellow & Green.

Jas...

Into the home stretch for the signals install...

Today I started the building of the last three signal bridges for the layout.  This is the home stretch for the signal install, each of the IHC bridges has one - three head mast on each.

I'm also using RRCirKits - Tri Coloured LED's for these, this batch have the magnet wire pre-wired to the LED and and are not mounted to the old 3mm - 1/8" PCB like before.

These pre-wired versions make wiring extremely easy and have cut the build time per signal bridge in half.  Once completed they will be wired into the layout & programmed into JMRI - Panel Pro.

Jas...

Latest LokSound - Select Direct install...

Finished off my latest LokSound conversion today. A Select Direct decoder with a sugar cube speaker in a Proto 2000 RDG GP30, this is the newer version GP30.

Fairly straight forward install, the decoder fits into the space provided with the OEM light board which was completely removed, the speaker fit between the decoder and the housing for the speaker on the sound version.

All connections were hard-wired to the Select Direct.

The newer version GP30 has all LED’s including lit number boards. These were hard-wired to the aux function buttons and programmed via the LokProgrammer.

Jas...

Newest additions to the locomotive fleet...

In one of my previous posts I made mention about expanding the railroads that would be operating on the layout.

Today I unpacked some of my new additions...  Three Lehigh Valley locomotives.

Two are Proto2000 GP38-2's 320 & 323 and 310 is a Atlas Silver Series GP38-2.  These will all eventually get LokSound - Select Direct with Sound added to them.

Jas...

More Programming of JMRI - Signal Logic...

So for those wondering about what has been happening with the signal installation, not much actually...

Today is the first day in some months that I have done anything with the signals, I have begun hopefully the last push towards the end.  Programming today of the last of the logic and the last couple of signal bridges, masts & dwarfs onto the JMRI Panel that will run the layout.

For those wondering what it takes here are a couple of screen shots of the various windows open that I use when programming the logic...

JMRI Panel Pro - Edit Mode...

JMRI Panel Pro - Signal Logic Programming windows (Signal Mast Pairs)...

JMRI Panel Pro - Signal Masts Table window...

JMRI Panel Pro - Signal Heads

Excel Spreadsheets - Digitrax SE8C Board #'s, Drive #'s & LT #'s for Signal Heads...

Sometimes I will break out a spare monitor so that I can have the various screens spread over both.  It looks like a massive headache but in fact once you have done a few the process is quite easy as JMRI does all the work for you...

Jas.

Research costs you more money...

Whilst we are still in the midst of school holidays there hasn't been any time down in the layout to continue on with either the signal install and/or anything else on the layout.

So to get my fix and to keep the interest going I have been researching the Hershey Chocolate Factory, namely how it will operate and some of the inwards & outwards goods that can be generated.

One of the interesting things I found out was that the Hershey Factory had its own fleet of 50' Insulated box cars in the era that I am modelling.

So in order to represent these on the layout I had to find some suitable substitutes that would be close to the prototype and easy enough to adapt if needed.  My search started out with undecorated models, unfortunately most of these are non-existent and have been discontinued.

I did eventually find substitutes for both the riveted & outside braced NACC 50' box cars pictured above.

Atlas makes the riveted version in a BN/FGE version that once the decals are removed and sprayed would be a great substitute for the prototype.

And Athearn makes a version of the outside braced in JCL that again once the decals are removed and resprayed it will make a great substitute.

In the mean time until I can get to making the changes the cars will be used as is.

So the moral of the story is, when you research your layout more in-depth its quite possibly going to cost you more money...

New Railroad additions to the layout...

Over the last few months I have been researching the Reading's adjoining Railroads.

So after some careful consideration and looking at the addition of two more railroads to add to the operations of the layout, I have decided to add the following to the line-up:

The Lehigh Valley Railroad...

The Penn Central Railroad...

I have already purchased a fleet of GP38-2's & GP35's for both and am slowly building up a mix of rolling stock for both as well.

The two railroads were chosen to provide interchange operations to the Reading, and also the ability to mix up the locomotive consists as they were often shared with the Reading.

Jas...