A last push today to get my lower level oval of track completed before Christmas
Track laying has been quite slow (not that I mind!) what with fitting point motors and doing all the wiring (DCC bus droppers, frog switching and connecting the point motors themselves)
IMG_2403 by
PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr
Anyway, I finally got the lower level circuit completed this afternoon with 5 point motors working and wired up to the control panel. Unfortunately 2 more point motors were faulty

- but luckily Cobalt point motors are guaranteed for life (!), so Hattons gave me no problems accepting them back and promising to send me replacements

. One just didn't do anything and the other I could hear the cog wheels slipping and jumping inside so thought I would not accept it. They cost enough so should have a guarantee

. Anyway, the two I couldn't fit are for my reverse loop which I have not laid yet (also need to get a Dual Frog Juicer to wire it up!).
Top side view:
IMG_2421 by
PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr
Under side view:
IMG_2424 by
PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr
So, for the first time since about 1981 I was able to play trains
IMG_2418 by
PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr
IMG_2407 by
PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr
IMG_2419 by
PinkNosedPenguin, on Flickr
Question: How much fun can you have with two locos, 5 trucks, 2 coaches, an oval of track and 5 working points?
Answer Quite a lot actually! Had a great hour or so with my kids (12 and 16) playing trains!!! Of course they wanted them to go 'fast' and 'crash' but I was having none of that
The trains ran pretty well for their first time - I've got one point where the J39 derails occasionally in a certain direction so will need to check that. The Dapol easi-shunt couplings, while a definite improvement on the standard Rapido ones, are not perfect (see my other thread on that). Many successful uncouplings and recouplings, but also problems doing either on a tight curve (and my layout has a lot of these

). Plus also a couple of unintentional uncouplings when running over a magnet on the 'main line'

I'll have to adjust the couplers to stop that. Gave the track a good old clean beforehand with some Woodland Scenics solution and a cotton bud - I think I'm going to have to keep it very clean to get reliable running.
Anyway, I'm now swapping back to the table football for Christmas, and we're away for New Year, so a rest from the railway for a week or so . . .
MERRY CHRSITMAS EVERYONE!!! - and may the New Year bring us all new modelling challenges and successes! (not to mention Santa bringing us a little something too

)
ttfn, PnP