Raising the Lights

So today I got out to shed for an hour before lunch and then for about 4 hours after lunch.  The work before lunch was all about just putting some finishing touches on my models for the Club Modelling competition in a few weeks time.  I won’t say what I did.

After lunch I continued working on the lights above Clapham Yard and the lead into the yard from Acacia Ridge.  Firstly I had to attach the last bracket to the shed wall to hold the light frame.  One that was done, I cut up my pelmet which is made from aluminium plasterers angle. I cut a small bend in one length and use a complete length directly above Clapham Yard.  I punch a nail through one of the side so my screws will hold the angle to the wood frame.  Once the holes were punched, I then spray the aluminium gloss white.  Once dry, the pelmets gets fitted to the wooden frame after the frame has been attached to the brackets.  I then unrolled a 5m length of LEDs and attached it to the aluminium.  I then affixed the power supply for this run to under the frame of the layout.  I just need a few more of the plugs to hook it all up.

This shot shows some of the brackets attached to the shed's wall frame, holding up the lights frame which supports the aluminium plasterer's angle which is my pelmet.  The LEDs are already attached.

The power cord from my 6 Amp power supply just needs to be attached to the end of the LED by a plug.  Hopefully I will get some this week.  I used a stationary binder to keep the wiring neat.  I have started to do this in a few places on the layout. 

Once that was complete I decided to cut up the aluminium pelmets for the frame above Cougal Spiral.  So the same process was followed and the painted pelmet has now been attached.  That is complete except for installing the string of LEDs which are already sitting on the layout at this location.  Again I need some more plugs to hook the many small runs of LEDs at this location up.  Maybe next weekend.

This is the frame to hold the LED lights above Cougal Spiral.  The LED string is sitting on the layout.  In the distance is the old light pelmet above The Risk, that I will replace with a similar light arrangement to the ones I just installed above Clapham Yard.

Attention then turned to where I intend to replace the LED run above The Risk.  I will build 5 new brackets that will come out from the wall.  This then brings me to my least favourite job in the world - finding the studs behind the plaster board.   It was then that I realised that I had some magnets stuck to the wall near the North Coast Control desk.  I grabbed them and moved then along the wall above The Risk to locate the studs and ‘Hey Presto’ I have a pretty good stud finder.  It is good that the magnets just stick to the wall where the metal stud frame is.  So I have identified the centre of the studs for the five brackets and next week, I will install the first one, then using my level, ensure that the other 4 brackets are all level.  The magnets were so much faster that using a stud finder or even banging on the wall trying to identify a hollow or solid sound.

Pretty happy with my progress, I decided to stain a length of lazer cut and engraved 3 Ply which had been laser cut by Tristan from Chilli Laser Engraving.  This will be used for another wooden road over rail bridge over the Clubroom HO Layout.  I then threw my attention to looking at what was needed to be done to lay the next two lengths of code 83 rail in Acacia Ridge Yard on the dual gauge track.  I think I have come up with a clever way to roughly lay the track.  Cut up a section of old plastic rail sleepers, cut them up individually and then cut then in half.  Use the plastic chairs to hold the third rail in place every three to four inches or so.  nail the sleeper to the baseboard at the required location.  Then use nails to hold the rail more securely in place at intermediate locations.  In this scenario, I am adding the standard gauge rail to lengths of narrow gauge track.  It is also possible for this to be used to adding the third rail to a length of standard gauge track.  Then after you have fitted the rail, run your vehicle over the track and check for under or over gauge locations.  Then make minor adjustments.  I use some Eureka wagons as my test vehicles as they have the narrowest wheels.