I haven’t posted in over a month so I thought I’d post a short update on the layout progress.\u00a0 As I mentioned last month, I had slowed a bit to take a breather from the intensity of benchwork construction.\u00a0 Doing so gave me the opportunity to step back and think though the next steps.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 As I evaluated the design, I came to realize that from a track plotting perspective, this was going to be a complicated lay out.\u00a0 I have several tracks in the area all going into curves at various points and also starting down grades, again, at various points.\u00a0 I finally decided that this area may work best using the “cookie cutter” method of sub-roadbed construction.\u00a0 I’ve plotted and cut out some of the plywood sub-base.\u00a0 Next, I’ll use that as a template to mark and cut out the Homasote for the sub-roadbed topping.\u00a0 I still have to build and install all the risers for this sub-roadbed (about 22′ so far).<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0 The layout will be powered and controlled with a Lenz DCC system.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 My wiring diagram will show these components with associated wiring, as well as tie points for the wiring.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Man!, prices have soared since the last time I bought any of this stuff.\u00a0 I’ve checked the prices at Mouser, Newark and All Electronics.\u00a0 Anyone have a favorite supplier that they recommend?<\/p>\n
So that’s about it for now.\u00a0 I’ll likely try to get some risers done this coming weekend.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n
-Jack<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I haven’t posted in over a month so I thought I’d post a short update on the layout progress.\u00a0 As I mentioned last month, I had slowed a bit to take a breather from the intensity of benchwork construction.\u00a0 Doing … Continue reading