Track Work and Station Progress

Earlier this week I decided to take the XPT for another run.  This time from Cassino platform to as far north as I could go without running into something blocking a crossing loop.  So I went north from Cassino and had an issue inside the helix between Cassino Meatworks and Fairy Hill Loop.  So I went inside the helix and watched what was happening.  I just needed to add some card under the outer rail and the XPT no longer derails inside the helix.  At another point inside the helix, another loop further along inside the helix I did the same fix.  All good now.  The XPT ran well until it went over the bridge over Fawcett’s Creek just north of Kyogle.  I rail joiner had moved between two rails and it was not holding one rail, so there was a height mis match between the two rails.  So I adjusted it and the XPT then ran over that joint very smoothly.  The XPT hit a signal that had fallen across the track just outside the tunnel into Border Loop crossing loop.  So I fixed that and it continued running north.  It got to Acacia Ridge and there was a dead spot in the point work from the single track into the yard fan out.  I changed the points back and forth a couple of times and that came good, and the XPT continued further north.  When inside the Acacia Ridge Yard, I got smart.  It ran via a newish cross over from track no. 1 to the dual gauge track and then run onto the dual gauge mainline and got to the Rocklea Siding standard gauge points and then it had its next issue.  The point actuator wire has too far through the point and every bogie had an issue going through there.  I will make a mental note to use the Dremel to reduce the height of that throw bar and re-run the train.  The train could only get to half-way into the Clapham Yard tracks, as they are all blocked with various trains on the standard gauge.  The train then rack back to Acacia Ridge Yard.  It had issues taking that newly laid turnout in the yard in the opposite direction, so we backed it back up and tried going through the normal track no 1 all the way and everything was smooth as a baby’s bottom.

The standard gauge crossover on dual gauge track where the XPT had issues.

Later in the week, I was able to spend some more time on working on the Cassino Station Building.  I took 5mm off each side of the Cassino Station Platform Building roof.  I then made some decisions about the Cassino Refreshment Rooms.  I adjusted the overhang on the main platform side of the roof, by the same 5 mm as the station building.  But what I actually did was move the back platform side 5mm further towards the platform edge.  Given the required width of the platform overhang on the mainline side, I had to adjust the width of the refreshment room back wall so it had the same overhang as the front of the building.  So that was done, and the measurements all seem to make the platform buildings look good.

The layout of the Refreshment Rooms section of the station building on the Cassino Platform.

The layout of the Cassino Station building at the southern end of the platform.

This view up the platform shows what the platform will look like when complete.  The roof line will need to be constructed separately.

On Wednesday, I finally started to paint up the signal frame that will go inside the Kyogle signal box.  I think it has come up reasonably well. 

The Signal levers that will eventually go into the signal box above.

On Saturday morning I went to Modellers Warehouse to ask if he had some N Scale street lights, as I had purchased some off him previously (years ago).  There is nothing on his website, but he had a look out the back in the warehouse and he have about 6 packets.  I only needed a single packet of 4 lights.  So I purchased them and started planning where they were going to go on the layout on Kyogle Platform. 

I also bit the bullet and gathered up all my old cheap HO street lights that had a grain of wheat bulb and removed them, and then fed an 0402 LED with attached wires, down through the street light post.  I completed 4 and found that I have another 4 lights with grain of wheel bulbs on the layout, that will be swapped over with these LED ones, and then those ones will have their grain of wheat bulb swapped for an LED.

I then realised that I could not find any of the components that I use to create my layout power supplies, (rectified DCC power), so I made out a shopping list for Sunday’s trip to Jaycar.  I went there today and picked them up and purchased enough bridge rectifiers for 10 power supplies and 7 capacitors.  That was all they had of that component.  I have started working out where these will be deployed.  Today I tinned all the electrical components ready for use.