Completely on a whim, hence the title, I bought a small shunting layout in 00 from Ebay. It is a "work in progress" the seller assuredly said and needed some tidying up. Well you know what "they" say, a fool and his money..... First a photo I down loaded from the ebay posting. This is how it looks now after I ripped up all the points and track. The point in the photo has been sort of converted to electrofrog, it isn't like the real one as it still has the awful lump of turd brown plastic for a frog, but it does work and better than I expected. A how I did it to follow. The points and track for the most part are Hornby set track, there is one Peco point which I've converted also. This is when a cunning plan started forming! I wonder if I can get it working and exhibitable with just the stuff that came with it and with what I still have in stock???? So I now have a plan. Re-lay all the track and points. Wire it up so it can be run as either DC or DCC. I have some buildings and accessories I can use, mostly Railway Modellers freebies, a Metcalfe shed I can re-cover in Scalescenes brick paper as Gormo has successfully done. Pete. Oh, I will do a show and tell on my workshop page on the points conversion.
Basically yes mate, though I hope to make it more flowing. The only problem with using the Hornby set track is its rigidity. Luckily I have some Peco flexitrack from earlier layouts in stock, not a lot but hopefully sufficient. I'm going for wire in tube point operation as I have some copper tube and (somewhere) some Mig welding wire plus some switches, I'm going to have to be a bit creative on mounting the switches as they will be very close to the edge of the board. Maybe some ally angle screwed to the side of the board..... Cheers, Pete.
Pete, if you need to use slide switches for changing polarity on your psuedo frogs, this is how I solved the problem using wire in tube and switches... Hope the photo and diagram explains what I have done on Waspen Street layout. Cheers, Gary.
Interesting little layout Pete, I see work is in progress already. Look forward to seeing this develope.
Thanks Gary. It is very similar to the method I've used on my 00 Lazarus layout. The problem I've got is I got a bit giddy and I didn't put the tube in place before re-laying the track . Anyway the switches will still be used but I will change over the points by hand. What could possibly go wrong ............. Pete.
Now I've a bit of time to play I made a start on relaying the track and points. The points are totally isolated and given their own power supply that will be on at all times, the rest of the trackwork power is via switches on a control panel I still have to make. The ally angle for the point polarity switches is in place though without the wire in tube. I'm just going to be careful that I have the switch in the correct position or there could be sparks Thats it for now, cheers, Pete.
Well as I have to self isolate for the near future I thought, right get some modelling in! SWMBO had other ideas . The garden has had some attention, housework/spring cleaning etc but I have managed to to sneak in for an hour or two over the last week or so and finished the wiring and making a control panel. The wiring was a PITA as it is wired DC as well as DCC so isolating switches fitted and controller socket installed and all switched on! No power to the points! I forgot to wire in the supply underneath, I won't show the rats nest of wiring under there suffice to say its not my best work. Anyway here are a few photos of progress today. I've tested the trackwork and points (read played with) and all runs fine. Next job hopefully is to paint the track. I've had some ideas from Gary on the scenicifying so I'm going to do some measuring and drawing to see what will fit and where. I just hope it doesn't take me as long as my other layouts are! Cheers for now, Pete.
Thanks Mark, it took a while as it is mostly glued together. I like to leave the parts for at least 24 hours to fully dry before moving to the next bit. Pete.
Looks good Pete and like yourself I'm having a great catch up time in the workshop ... I almost feel I could retire. The shunting scene is coming together now you have power on.
Oo-la la..., an EMD GP9 !! Is this just the test mule or are you thinking of a North American/Canadian theme for the layout ?? Cheers, Gary.
Neither mate, I bought it a while ago as the basis for an O16.5 narrow gauge diesel similar to the Ffestiniog railways one. It just happened to be handy! Cheer's, Pete.
Last night I gave the track work a quick spray of Railmatch sleeper grime to pull it altogether. I've left part of it for a hard standing to go down for tanker loading. Today I cracked on with making a fiddle yard. It was going to be a simple fiddle stick but I thought it would help to have some storage for a couple of cassettes. Thats it for today. Hopefully tomorrow I can get the fiddle connected to the main board. Cheers, Pete.
I haven't done any updates for a few days but I have been busy. The fiddle yard is coupled up to the rest of the layout, connecting track laid and wired and the fiddle cassette made. Hopefully to be followed by a couple more when I get round to it! Not particularly tidy but it works. I'm hoping that most of the worst of the wiring will be fastened down and buried under the ground cover. Thats it for now. If I can sneak in the shed over the weekend I'll make a start on the ground work. Fingers crossed! Cheers, Pete.
Thanks Gary, I am definitely in need as mine has gone missing . I have had a look through my books and magazines for inspiration this morning and have a germ of an idea for the type of layout I want. As I spent 25 odd years in the chemical industry I'm going to use that experience to good effect. Watch this space............ Cheers, Pete.