All Ready for Next Running Session

This weekend was spent putting the finishing touches on the layout and shed before the next running session scheduled for next weekend.  I had Friday off so I could go to lunch with the boss as Saturday was our Wedding Anniversary.  After lunch I put the last triangle up in the shed.

 

This shot shows the triangle adhered to roof bracing.

 

In the afternoon, we picked up my son and one of his mates from the primary school cross country carnival just down the road and of course had to show off the layout.  Soon after my son's mate's mother, brother and another friend of my son came over and also came down to the shed for a tour.  I think they were suitably impressed with the sheer size of the layout.

With that out of the way, I wired up the Murwillumbah loco siding to the power district bus.  I then test ran the last train to setup #18 container from the helix where it has been resting for the last week or so to Clapham Yard.  I then ran the locos around the train and then ran #17 container from Clapham Yard to Grafton Yard.

That night I cut up all the timetable cards for next weekend.  I still need to remove the B timetable option cards for the ballast train, and some various light engine moves and a few shunts from the timetable.

Yesterday I spent some time soldering the third rail onto three lengths of Peco flex to make dual gauge flex for the layout.  Some is going to Fisherman Islands and some if for Clapham Yard.  Today I completed another two lengths.  I then cut these lengths of the rail and installed them into the third road at Clapham Yard. 

A piece of flex track with a third rail added.

 

This is Clapham Yard with track one against the wall.  My rail train is in track two.  I'm working on laying track three, with four already complete.

 

After discussing with the boss what swatch colour sample best matched the shed ceiling colour, I went to Bunnings and purchased a sample pot of that colour.  I then painted the white triangles in the shed ceiling and the colour matches quite nicely.  But what would I know, my eyesight is failing and it is only a shed.

The first painted triangle.

 

A view back down the shed showing three ceiling mounted triangles - all painted.

 

This view shows Acacia Ridge Yard with some of my excess wagons sitting in the dead end yard.  At the back can be seen the dual gauge track rising up the grade as it heads towards Clapham Yard.  Just underneath that is my steel train sitting in track one.

The front end of track one shows the 80 + 48 combination on the steel train, and the track continuing to rise as it heads towards Clapham Yard.  In the foreground are a number of locos that do not get a run as they are not needed for the running session.  They are located on track 4.

 

Directly below the above photo is Grafton Yard with all the trains sitting there ready for the running session. However, upon closer inspection, I see NL1 has the sleepers at the wrong end of the train.

 

There is also a train sitting at South Brisbane Interstate Yard on the right above, two locos in the locos siding and in the distance the paper train can be seen sitting at Park Road Siding.

Everything is ready for the running session.  Beer and soft drink in the fridge, full gas bottle on the BBQ, trains all set, tea towels washed.  I just need the attendees to show up.