Still Tinkering Around Rocklea Sidings and Acacia Ridge Yard

I was able to have Friday off work so I could pick my son up from school camp just after lunch time.  He spent 4 days hiking around Mount Barney.  So in the morning before I went to pick him up at school, I started working on the replacement of the point motor base/actuator for the standard gauge entry to Rocklea Sidings.  I replaced my Peco point motor base with a sprung loaded version (Peco PL-12) which I obtained from Shelton – thanks mate.  I installed this and then fired up the DCC system and I ran my NR class loco through the point in both directions.  There seemed to be no issues.  When I tried to run the NR class loco into the sidings, the point would not throw to the siding.  I decided to leave this until Sunday.

So today I worked out the DCC accessory address for that particular point - 1142, as I cannot reach the control panel when I’m working on the point on the layout, as I have to crawl under the layout and stand on an old stool in an access hatch, so I have to use my throttle to call up the DCC accessory address of the point motor and throw it that way.  My idea was that I screwed the Peco PL-12 down to tightly and the point motor will not throw the point in one direction.  So I released the screws slightly and gave it another go while I monitored it in both directions.  Well it takes 2 and sometimes three throws to push it over fully for Rocklea Sidings.  For the mainline, it throws first time.  I think there is some binding somewhere in the setup.  I also ran a narrow gauge loco through the point on the mainline and this is also good.

On Saturday I worked on getting everything ready for next weekend as I will be working on a stand doing some modelling at the RMCQ’s Strathpine Exhibition next weekend.  This is at the Strathpine Community Centre off Mecklem Street at Strathpine.  It is open 9-4 both days.

Today I did some more pottering around as well.  While I was working on the Rocklea Standard gauge point, I decided to re-visit the point from the dual gauge in Acacia Ridge Yard that allows a train to come in off the mainline from the south from track 1 inbound to travel to the dual gauge siding.  So this has now been much improved with no shorts now with wheels touching dual gauge trackage of opposite polarity.  

I also did some work on the workbench.  I spent some time adjusting the tarped loads on my four QR narrow gauge grain wagons.  So I’m happy that these are now fitting the wagon.  I also made some steel H beam loads for various steels trains, standard and narrow gauge.  I also made up another 20 bee hives for next weekend.  I also made up 10 pallets with 44 gallon drums on them also for next weekend.  I also made up another three 20’ container flats for generator sets.  I think I also potted around on a couple of other activities while at the workbench but cannot remember what I did.

Say hello to me next weekend at the Strathpine Model Railway Exhibition.

This is one of the two dual gauge points that I installed recently.  This one is actuated via the DPDT switch in the baseboard with an omega spring to ensure it does not over throw.  The frog is electrically switched via one pair of contacts on the switch.

The same point but now in the opposite position.

This is the standard gauge point into Rocklea Sidings.  The point motor in the bottom of the photo sits upon a Peco PL-12.  I was hoping that the PL-12 would provide an over centre spring effect to the dual gauge point.  But there is binding.  I will spend some more time on this in the future.

This dual gauge point is located on the Acacia Ridge Yard dual gauge track, just left of the standard gauge track 1.  It now appears to work quite well.  But I will super glue some extended check rails into this point when next get a chance to climb under the layout.

This view is of the narrow gauge end of Acacia Ridge Yard.  The track where the standard gauge wagons are is the extension of the dual gauge track in Acacia Ridge Yard from the photo above.  To the left of that track is the standard gauge mainline into Acacia Ridge from Glenapp Loop, which brings trains to and from Grafton.  Above that is the trackage towards Clapham Yard which is reached by exiting the other end of Acacia Ridge Yard and travelling around an 180 degree curve, thus gaining the relevant height.