Castell Mawr - A joint GWR/LMS route

[Dad-1]

More delay than I expected, and with Winter here progress will be slower.

Been repairing resin buildings and built 2 x Metcalfe viaducts for the re-built MKMRS shuttle layout.

However I'm at last adding point motors to the first 'sidings' board and have dug out the 3 x R8247
accessory decoders hidden away under a bed !! We've already tested out that these decoders work
fine with the Bachmann Dynamis, but have yet to see how they operate with NCE equipment. The plan
is still to have this suitable for use with all the team members equipment, Hornby, Bachmann, NCE.

Turnout motors mounted on small blocks of wood working through minimum size slots through to points. The
6 mm ply base is too thin to screw mount without some additional packing.

I have another set of PL10E motors, switches and mounting plates due in this week to build up the
almost mirror image for the other end of the sidings boards.

Moving slowly, but I'm in no hurry - also time to press one team member to buy the wood for the Station
side for which we already have most of the required turnouts .....



Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Ahch ........ DCCing these points has been a right headache !!



The late issue medium points worked fine as they had the tail wire protruding for frog polarity switching. The three small points
were not modified at the frog and I did what I thought was correct ..... big error. I cut the fine peco wire and eased out as it
seemed to me that as this was still spot welded into both the frog and wing rails so my feed would supply power everywhere it
as needed. Proof testing them was a disaster all had slightly different problems. I'd been so confident all the points and track in
this area had been pinned down and after many hours of head scratching I decided there was a fault with the frog wiring I'd done
and had to lift the entire section..

I soldered a fine wire back joining all the original peco connections, leaving a tail to drop through the base boards for connection
to the polarity switches. Then tested one by one and found that although the wiring was now working the polarity switches didn't
work reliably, particularly when moving the tie bar above the board by hand. It seems there is barely enough sideways movement
when throwing a '00' streamline point and while they were better using the motors it was far from 100%. I then spent ages trying to
very slightly re-align the point motor/switch assemblies. No doubt re-laying had moved track components an odd half mm or there-
abouts which was enough to cause non-switching problems.
Rather than throw things against a wall I just relaxed for the odd day before coming back to fully solve, which hopefully is the current
situation.

As a result I'm now laying tracks along the next two boards and with a couple of circuit testing shunters I'm starting get the full size
impression.



In the background there's a Bachmann Coaling Tower that was in need of serious repair, one of the little side tasks that I so
frequently let slow me down. It's not for this layout.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

I'd better prove this is still alive, and rescue from the forum depths.

I suppose I'm very slow at the present time because I refuse to work in a cold garage.
What has been achieved since the last post is adding droppers to all 6 lines from what
will be the sidings river end. Although it was intended these would be long straights
somehow I've wandered out from the edge by over 1/8 ".
The river end points are all pinned down with point decoders now fully working.



Yes it's a long set of sidings, boringly straight, but room for long trains to be held



As suggested by our 'readers' there will be Station Terrace down the operators well side
and where the road vanishes off the board edge will be the rear of a few houses and
allotments. By doing that it is hoped this non-viewing side will retain some interest.



The final work along this the back straight and sidings are the end points. Laying 7 points
with live frog wiring, my soldering Iron doing overtime ! As they all tie together in such a
short length extreme care is being taken to keep all track alignments correct.



I suppose this now means it's about 15% done - A long, long way still to go.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Mild weather allowed me to spend a little time in the garage.
Wiring under 3 boards tidied up and brought live, including taking power between boards by the latches.
It all seems to work O.K including powering the point decoder which has been changed to a 100% working
part.
Tested out the goods sidings (outer most lines) and can get a 24 wagon train comfortably in the space
pushing an Iron Ore train in using the 04.



When I say EVERY piece of track has it's own droppers I do mean it ! The shortest length so far, and I hope the shortest needed.



I still have to finish wiring in all the points and track on the sidings North-End, but called it a day now. Just hope it
stays mild enough to finish this by the end of this week.



Next up will be the carry & storage cage for these 4 boards. Will probably start the oposite 'station' side after that as I'll be
able to store protected.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

I tend not to put pictures of my fleet on, but the 8F arrived today !!

While preparing to paint more track I decided to put all my tender type
freight locomotives out. Not bad for someone who was going to strictly
stick to BR blue diesels ........ what went wrong with that plan ??



All good fun .....

O.K a day early, but wishing everyone on NRM a happy and trainful 2012.

Right, back to stir the paint - going to be a long evening.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

At last I have all the track along the rear sidings/fiddle yard laid and live.
Even troublesome locos work so much better over fully converted Electrofrog
points.
I will admit to one silly mistake, all the droppers, frog switching was done 100%
yet once connected I had an instant short !! Found I'd put the main bus leads
in the wrong way around on this board. Each worked 100% on the table, but not
together !! A quick exchange and away we go ........

A video of that horrid Hornby 0-4-0 class 06 shunter proving that they can run
slowly and that the Hornby decoder ain't that bad either !!

https://youtu.be/Be1lxl6OurU

Also those latches that hold boards together carry all the current for track and
point decoders without any problem ..... game on !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

A few stills ....
Flash over lighting the subjects ...... and oh dear, I MUST get around to fitting loco crews !!



Looking up from the South end ...... How many tons of ballast will be needed here ?



A lot of points in a very restricted space, but they all work fine !! .... big sigh of relief.



Geoff T.

[StevieDay]

That's an impressive stretch of track Geoff.

The houses sited along the back board, already give the impression of the impressivie scenic work to come.

[Dad-1]

Is Winter over ? - I hope so.
Ventured out in the garage a couple of times recently and have now done some work
on the first of 4 corners. This one to have the curved lines in a cutting, hence the high
side walls on the section.
One track wired and fixed, the other ready for wiring and dropper holes drilling. I hope
to have this board live by this evening.



I hope it stays warmer now - I want to get on !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

The Good & The Bad .......
The first 'corner' became live all present and correct. Ran the Collett Goods loco around the curve and it stopped on the board junction.
Why ?
Ahh, I'd not connected one wire, fiddle around & join up just in time to see the Collett Goods start moving again, but out of reach !!!!
It went over the edge a metre above the garage floor ...... although I have a carpet. Loco seems O.K, but it snapped off a Tender wheel
stub that goes into the plastic muff. To make things even more difficult all the tender brake rodding has been superglued in place.
Bachmann spares needed ....... again !!

On Sunday I decided to do the one last track job on this side by adding a point and tracks into the small two lane Metcalfe engine shed.
This has all gone to plan so far, but I'm not going to add another point decoder for 1 point. I'm wondering if I can make a siding type point
lever to mount on the board alongside. If I don't do that it'll be a fixed rod change from the board side as when anything is coming in or out
of the shed someone will be there 'fiddling' stock.

Here 'tis with the engine shed in place. Great to be working out doors again !!



Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

The weathers changed so I'm allowed out to play !!
Looking a the scenic backdrop for the fiddleyard/sidings boards.



Mostly Metcalfe



Nice to get going again and heading towards scenic work.



Still about 9 months (Min) work left although woodwork started on the Station side so hope to have trains running around by the end of may.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

That's it for today !
Stripwood wall core glued on and a 20 mm wide plasticard pavement tried for size.



So far so good, should I now score in paving slabs, or stick on Metcalfe slabs ? Also left road colour grey test paint to dry.

Geoff T.

[MrH]

Looking nice Geoff

[Dad-1]

Thanks for the comment MrH,

Currently preparing the two station throats, each has 3 points and a double slip on the main lines.
Then additional points and sidings behind the island platform.
All these points now need fully DCCing, some being older Peco points don't have the cut rail, these will
have to be cut using a slitting disc. 19 points to add now, 13 already done on the siding/fiddle yard side.



This is planned as an exhibition layout where we can run and stop 6-7 coach trains in the station. Cutting
down on scenics in preference for movements. Certainly this would appear to be what the show punter
wants. two trains always in motion ? + one shunting ?? Only time will tell !!!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Slowish progress, but this is an expensive part.
Track for one station throat laid with the exception of a single track siding, pinned and droppers soldered in place.



5 points and a double slip need DCC connections. That means 2 point decoders, plus 7 point motors with frog switching another
similar board to operate the other station throat yet to be sorted.



Next for this board the legs need to go on, track bus wired in and all motors plus polarity switches wired up. Then onwards to
the adjoining board which thankfully only has one crossover pair of points.

Should be ready to start platform construction by ....... May ? perhaps ?

Geoff T.