I haven’t posted in over a month so I thought I’d post a short update on the layout progress. As I mentioned last month, I had slowed a bit to take a breather from the intensity of benchwork construction. Doing so gave me the opportunity to step back and think though the next steps. As I started looking carefully at where to start roadbed and track, it became obvious that I needed to begin at the point in Willis where the Louisiana Central and Illinois Central tracks leave the layout and go into hidden staging. As I evaluated the design, I came to realize that from a track plotting perspective, this was going to be a complicated lay out. I have several tracks in the area all going into curves at various points and also starting down grades, again, at various points. I finally decided that this area may work best using the “cookie cutter” method of sub-roadbed construction. I’ve plotted and cut out some of the plywood sub-base. Next, I’ll use that as a template to mark and cut out the Homasote for the sub-roadbed topping. I still have to build and install all the risers for this sub-roadbed (about 22′ so far).
It also occurred to me that if I want to install the wiring as I go along (which is what I planned to do), that I needed to start drawing up a wiring diagram. The layout will be powered and controlled with a Lenz DCC system. I will have three booster districts; each of those divided into two or three sub-districts; each of which will utilize a DCC Specialties PSX circuit breaker for protection. My wiring diagram will show these components with associated wiring, as well as tie points for the wiring. Actual connections will be a mixture of direct wire-to-wire soldered joints, and screw type terminal (barrier) strips, the latter being to aid diagnostics when it becomes necessary to troubleshoot things. The single most important thing I want to do as I lay track is to solder the feeders to the track and drop them through the roadbed as I progress. I want to connect the track to the electrical bus as soon as each small section is done so it can be verified and debugged if necessary.
Anyway, I’ve spent a good bit of time working through the electrical aspects of the project, at the same time compiling a list of the supplies that I’ll be needing. I need to order my terminal strips and a few other things, and admit that I had a case of “sticker shock” when I started pricing things. Man!, prices have soared since the last time I bought any of this stuff. I’ve checked the prices at Mouser, Newark and All Electronics. Anyone have a favorite supplier that they recommend?
So that’s about it for now. I’ll likely try to get some risers done this coming weekend. I haven’t taken any photos since the basic benchwork was put up . . . I’m waiting until I actually spike down some track, even if it’s just a few feet. I’m excited about the next few months because I have several weeks of vacation time coming, and I hope to utilize a good chunk of it for layout construction.
-Jack
Jack
Good planning on using track feeders like that. Lou depends too much on rail joiners. Also, even if the rail joiners don’t fail (and at least one always will) the resistance of the rail will produce a drop in voltage at the end of a long section with no feeders.
I would highly recommend the “suitcase connectors” by 3M. They work great and are a lot easier to work with than soldering, especially under the layout connected feeders to busses. One drop of hot solder on bare skin should convince anybody. I’m really glad Andy Sperandeo put me on to them.
Also great thinking about having small blocks so that one shorting engine won’t take out a bunch more in the same area. Lou needs to divide his layout up more and I think he is thinking about that.
I have been happy with Mouser, but sometimes, if I’m in a hurry for a few things I’ll go with Micro-mark, trading speed for low cost.
Finally, why did you go for the Lenz system? How is it better, for you, than the NCE system Lou, Mike, Johnny and I use?
keep going. Your layout seems like one I would like to operate on, especially if we can elect the American this time so we can afford gas again.
Bill
Hi Bill,
I have thought about the suitcase connectors, but somehow I tend to see them as I would rail joiners. Why wouldn’t they oxidize over time as rail joiners do? On the other hand, 3M has been making them for years, and from what I’ve read, they’re very dependable when used correctly.
I guess I just decided to solder connections because I have been soldering for over 50 years and it’s just second nature to me. But hey, I suppose there might be places where the SC connectors would be handy.
Re: Lenz DCC system. About 8 or 10 years ago, I became interested in DCC and started studying the systems. Perhaps the biggest selling point for me was a new throttle that Lenz was developing; a wireless throttle using a large knob for speed control (it looked identical to the present LH90 throttle). Well, less than a year after I decided on and purchased the Lenz system, Mr. Lenz announced that he was abandoning the radio throttle because he determined that it was going to be too expensive to manufacture. The single biggest thing causing the high cost was building a single model throttle that he could get certified to operate both in Europe, USA and Australia – essentially everywhere he has market. Personally, I would have designed something with interchangeable modules for the radio portion of the unit, and slipped in the appropriate module for shipment to whatever locale, but he wouldn’t listen to me 🙂
At any rate, I was extremely disappointed in that turn of events. Lenz did come out with a plug-in that allows you to use a wireless telephone as a throttle, that I understand works well. But somehow, that just strikes me as a kludge and I can’t warm up to it. If I were to go wireless, I’d have to use the CVP throttles which plug into the Lenz system and work quite well.
If I were to buy a system today, I’d probably go NCE only for reason of having more throttles to use at Lou’s and vice-versa. Also, the Lenz system has increased dramatically in price since I bought mine.
-Jack