My layout in the making

[Guest]

Steven, you are going to have to explain what DCC is to us that have never heard of it!!!

[dynamite25]

In easy terms instead of controlling the power to the track to move the loco in DC,in DCC you control the loco as the track power stays the same voltage and enables you to have more than one loco on the same track at the same time.

In a way it's just like a Radio controlled model but with DCC the signal travels through the track to the loco to get it to move.

More info can be found here: http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums...ge=DCC-FAQ#1.1

I'm getting the mixed goods set to see what DCC is like and if i like it i will upgrade to some alittle better sometime next year.

[Guest]

That makes sense, clever stuff. So can you have different loco's going at different speeds on the same track?

It has come a long way since I last played with a railway layout!!

[dynamite25]

I think only if they are far apart from each other so you don't have one whacking the back end of the other one,but i think i would have them at the same speed on the same track to be safe.

[Guest]

I`m waiting to see the scenic work. What kind of countryside features ? The walls of the loft , are they going to be painted sky and fields etc ? I ask as I have spotted some photo-realistic backgrounds on ebay with Cotswold scenery, rolling hills,fields, hedges and an electricity power station. 10 feet lengths for OO guage. Not town scenes though. Seems like a good idea to save painting.

[Guest]

country station scenes are best!!!!!

[dynamite25]

One side will have the back scene with hills and farm land as it will be the countryside and the station side will have a town back scene.

Over the last few days i have been thinking whether or not to have my layout controlled by DCC for the second time as i will be buying the Hornby DCC mixed Goods set to try and if i liked it i would have my layout DCC but i have decided that the layout will be DCC next year,so the layout will be wired for DCC but not completely as i still want to run my layout under DC control till i can afford the DCC gear next year.

So all tracks will be wired but not connected to the DCC bus wire that way i can still use my DC controllers till i get my DCC gear,also i have made some changes to the track plan in two areas one is to one of the Fiddle yard entrances and the other is the second incline.

As you can see from this pic only one main line connects to the incline and the other is from the fiddle which isn't good really.



So the changes i have made is that both main lines now connect to the incline and the fiddle yard just connects to the main line.



And the incline i was never happy with as i wanted two lines but i took the extra space for a extra track line in the fiddle yard,so i have moved the incline onto the hinged board so i can have two lines to join to the lower main lines,and moved the start on the incline from where the first one ends to the two main lines from the station and the incline will sit above part of the lower main lines as can been seen from the pic and i extended the hinged board to 1ft 6" wide.

Before

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/dynamite26/NEWUPDATEDTRACKPLAN.png

After

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/dynamite26/Alteredtracksforinclinetomainlines.png

So seeing that hattons are selling the DCC mixed Goods set like fire i will get mine after Christmas and i will buy the track needed for the changes,also i will add some more peco point motors to the order on Saturday.

[dynamite25]

I won't be buying the Hornby DCC set now as a Lenz Set 100 will be bought in Feb.

Got my Goods that i order Friday night last week and comprises of:

1xHornby Class 52 'Western Invader'

2xR.614 Left-Hand Diamond Crossing

2xR.615 Right-Hand Diamond crossing

3xPL10 Point Motors

3xPL10E Extended Pin Point Motors

3xPL12 Adaptor Bases for PL10

1xPL9 5 Mounting Plates for PL10E



So come Sunday i will beable to work on the layout as Saturday i'm off out to Chester for the day Christmas Shopping.

[dynamite25]

Well work has restarted on the layout as i have finished the three crossings at the entrance to the Hidden sidings that join to the incline,and moved two upper supports to get another in so all are now 12 inches apart just need to fit a piece in the middle of them to stop any sagging that might accrue.

The hinged section has been bugging me for two months now as to how to hinge it but i have settled on hinging it to drop down than to hinge up,and i hope to start it tomorrow afternoon and get the boards fitted by Wednesday afternoon.

Also i will have a scenic board in front of the incline to break the layout up with a tunnel opening to make it more interesting so trains don't seem to just go in circles all the time,also my second incline will be made longer from 8ft to 16ft long and will come off the upper main lines further around the layout on the other side.

[dynamite25]

Here's some pics of the work i have done upto now on the layout.

First are of the crossing that joint the hidden siding to he mainlines and to the incline to the upper level.





These pics are of the mainlines that will go across the hinged section that will have the second incline to the upper level.

[dynamite25]

Well i have manged to get off my backside and start the hinged section which i have got the bit that hinges to the main layout i just need to finish off the frame of that part and then i will move onto the other bit that hinges to that,and once that is done i will build the end section that joins to the main layout that will carry the mainlines to the hinged section but that section has to be removable so i can get to the end of the layout with having to crawl under under it.

Pics to follow and i will take photos as i build it.

[dynamite25]

Here are the photos as promised.

The first ones are of just the hinged bit without the rest of the framework.







And these are with the rest of the framework attached.









I just need to make the second bit that will hinge off that for the incline and make the frame that goes at the other end to carry the tracks from the hinged section onto the main layout,and i hope to have all that done by the weekend and trains running on the mainline on the hinged section and the incline will be done when i start to lay track on the upper level.

[Guest]

that is gonna be 1 hell of a incline

[dynamite25]

I have the end framework built now i just need to cut the boards to fit them then the mainlines can be laid down and pinned in place but waiting for a dry day to cut them,and once that is done then i can run trains properly around the layout and at the weekend i will make the last part of the hinged section for the incline and fit in place using more hinges.

[dynamite25]

Managed to get the boards cut this afternoon and fitted to the framework just need to trim the end board to fit the framework,then I can start laying the rest of the mainlines on the hinged section and get trains running again.

Photo's of the boards fitted.