Construction Log
- Construction Notes - December 31, 2008
- Looking from the west end of the yard and enginehouse towards the station
- Looking at the yard
- Looking from the east end of the yard
- Looking from the yard towards the station
- Another view of the station
- Looking from the north end of the switchbacks toward the station
- Looking at the north end of the switchbacks
- Looking at the switchbacks
- Looking at the south end of the switchbacks
- Looking at Hucks Pass towards the north
- Notes
- More benchwork has been added - now through module F. The yard interchange tracks are installed
and the mainline extends from east staging (lower level of module F to module A2 (3 feet beyond interchange).
- Branchline is installed from Hucks Pass (module F) into the yard interchange tracks.
- Construction Notes - April 18, 2008
- Looking from the yard towards the station
- Looking from the yard towards the resort modules K-N
- Looking from the resot modules over the switchbacks
- Looking at the yard fron the turntable
- Looking at the yard tracks
- Looking at the switchback modules
- Looking at the station modules
- Looking at the station and freighthouse corner
- Underneath the layout
- Reverse look at the switchbacks
- Looking from the switchbacks towards the resort mountain
- Looking at the station from the side
- Looking at the yard from the station
- Note
- As all the modules with existing track has been rewired and are operational (some turnouts need adjusting),
I have bolted all the modules from A-N together. The optional modules S1 and S2 also have been built and legs
have been built. I have all the track and switch templates located, waiting for wire to be run. Added pics to
construction page. Started building switches using FastTracks products.
- After locating all the switch templates and drilling wire acess holes, I moved a few in the yard areas.
One area is the yard entrance from the right - I used the curved turnouts and almost doubled the yard
track lengths. Another location is the switch to the storage modules, where I moved the switch back to right
and allows a better entrance to the engine facilities. I had to relocate the coal tresle and the
turntable entry-exit tracks to make room for everything. I guess the storage tracks are no longer
optional.
- As the saying goes "The least accessible track wil give you the most problems"! The staging track is
doing that in droves! I decided to use removeable track sections in the areas where the staging track
is most inaccessible (tunnel of modules F-G-H and under the resort modules L-M-N-O). I used some old
10Base2 cable I had lying araound as guides. Works quite well as the flex track snaps right in.
It has helped some but I still have some problems. At least that track is only for trains in-out of
staging, and is not critical to getting the layout running. Also I have decided to use the bluepoint
switch machines for the yard area as I need access from both sides of the yards.
- Construction Notes - February 22, 2008
- Construction of Yard-Entrance and Station Location
- Construction of Yard and Turntable Location
- Note
- I have gotten all the constructed modules(A-M) downstairs. I have rewired almost all the modules, those with
existing track. Modules F-K have been connected and are effectively operational (I still need to connect fascia switches
to the turnouts). I have all the track and switch templates located, waiting for wire to be run. My plan is to have
modules A-E, L-O wired and ready for track and switches by the end of next month. Then I can work on purchasing the FastTracks
switch components, Tortoise motors, flextrack, etc.
- The track connections between modules concerned me, until I decided to just use rail joiners. I removed the molded-on spikes on the last
tie, which allows the rail joiner to slide on until I get the modules bolted together. The rail joiners keep the rail in-line even
on weird angles. While wiring all the power switches and taillight bulbs, I have the inclination to install these into the fascia.
I haven't decided what I will do, but I also may just move the switch, which would be more convenient