Acacia Ridge Yard

This weekend I was planning to install my lower level automatic reversing module (AR1) but it still has not arrived at the shop. I was told Saturday that it should be here next weekend. I was also planning on installing a DS64 - a 4 point controller fron digitrax. I went to the shed early saturday morning after an ephifany on Friday night and worked out that I needed 2 of them - Bugger. They were also not in the shop. So that put a kybosh on my weekend plans.

Just to recap - I have one track fanning out into 9 tracks into what is Acacia Ridge Yard. Four are for arrivals and four for departures. Each track can store at least 3 trains nose to tail. The 9th track is between the arrival and departure tracks and allows access to the single ended storage sidings. I may as yet install some sort of run around on these tracks but that is a fair way off. It will also allow access to what I will call Locopilly. The opposite of Grafton Loco where I will store spare motive power at this end of the layout.

So I then had to think about how I was to manually control the 2 x DS64's and also where was I going to locate the control panel. The panel will be operated either by the driver when we only have a few in attendance at a running session, or by the main signaller. This person will control the setting of points for arrival and departure of both Grafton Yard and Acacia Ridge Yard. These are located above one another, each point in different directions.

I think I will have to re-read the DS64 manual over the next week to make sure I understand these things before I install them next week.