Signal installation

 Signals

The next step to getting the layout back to how it was in the old shed is to reinstall the signals.

I have reconfigured some of the driver boards and will use both TC64 and SE8C as I had before and eliminate the use of the LocoHDL and SRC16 boards for signals.

With this change, I had to build a few extra termination boards for the SE8C and TC64's

Then I was able to install the signals.

Due to changes in the layout, I need to make a few more double mast canterleaver signals.

All signals installed and working nicely.

Here are 2 wide shots of the isles. 

I dont have airconditioning in the shed and it has been a fairly hot summer. The layout has suffered a bit with some track warping. All is fixed now but the AC is now really needed as summer is not done yet.

Next step is to reinstall the skirts.

Lower staging installed

 Lower staging

I have now completed the addition to the lower staging by adding 6 extra tracks under Plattsburgh.

Here is the new staging

Here is the old staging

Next step is signal install.

Lower staging expansion

 Need more staging.

After completing the track work and the track power wiring, I set up a few trains and loaded the 5 tracks in lower staging.

As I realaistically have only list 1 town and I had a total of 10 staging tracks, I am / was concerned that I will need more than 5 staging tracks.

Looking at space and as the town of Plattsburgh sits at the highest point on the railroad with 200mm clearance between the lower staging and the deck of Plattsburgh, I looked at the timber work and space and figure I can realativly easily install more staging, all be it dead end tracks. I am looking at keeping it at 5 tracks so this will give me a total of 10 tracks.

Here is a picture of the staging as it stands (all be it with the additional turnout drawn).

Here is the additional staging v2.0

It will go under Plattsburgh here.

Construction pics to follow.

769 days is all it took

 The D&H is back in business.

After 769 days since the layout was started to be disassembled, it is now up and running again!

The fascia is not back on yet nor are the signals. There is JMRI work to be done to update the panel so not back to 100% where it was, but at least I can now run a train around the layout.

After a finding my mojo again and few nights and a busy weekend, I ran a train around the layout.

Here are a few quick pics to mark the occasion.

This is the new transition from Fairhaven, up and over staging to Plattsburgh.

Train arriving in the paper town of Plattsburgh.

Train exiting the North Creek branch (that connects to Fairhaven to enable a loop around the room and not go via Pt Henry and Plattsburgh. Will be mainly used to stage a train for an ops session.

More turnout maintenace and some wiring bugs to fix.

Plus need to add the fascias and update the town control panels. Plus a whole lot of track cleaning.

Stay tuned.

New track work complete

 New shed, slightly new design, track work done.

With all the timber work complete. I then set out to reconnect all the main bus wires and DC power feeds. Job done.!

Next step was get the track gang out and install he new cork road bed and track. This task is all complete.

The drop down bridge at the door way now has through tracks and extensions to the main yard. Time will tell if I keep the extensions or just remove them later.

Old view

New view

The new return loop and set of turnouts was installed.

Old view.

New view

Then I installed the new track work from Plattsburgh to Fairhaven.

This is where the old layout when up the spiral.

Old view.

New view

Old view

New view.

The new section also includes a shorter around the room continuous run. The old layout did go through the backdrop at this point but was a dead end branch. Now it continues on.

Old View

New View

Now to get stuck into the hidden stuff.. The wiring!.

Timber work complete

 Timber work including back boards complete

Over the last few days I have managed to cut the ply for the 2 new sections of the layout and paint them before they were installed. This included setting the grade for the new return section above staging from the peninsula to the side wall.

I then completed installing the final few back boards in the centre section. A few of the back board joins need to be glued to keep them together but they fit fairly snugly. The backboards are attached to the layout and not the shed walls. The layout is not fixed to the walls. Only a few select legs are screwed to the floor.

Here are a few pics of the final install

The last remaining task from a timber point of view is to open up the portal on 2 tunels that run through the back board and to build the drop bridge across the doorway.

There are 2 more sections of the old layout being the old helix and upper staging that need to be diassembled and the track recovered from.