The Changes They Are a Coming

On Saturday afternoon I had Darren and Anthony come over and we were discussing various aspects of my layout, the shed, and ways to improve the feeling when running trains in an operations schedule.  After their arrival, I shut the side gate, shut the shed door (the aircon was already on) and we enjoyed a beverage.  We got down to work.  Discussing various topics and I took copious notes and started to implement some of these as soon as they left about 3 hours later.  Some suggestions are very easy to do, other suggestions are much harder.  I had thought about some of these myself, but didn’t know where to start, or thought no I don’t want to do that.  However, after hearing it from these two well respected modeller mates, I didn’t need much more persuasion to implement some of these suggestions.  I asked the guys for their opinion on things that I thought should occur, so now they will.  I now have a list of items in a long To Do List.

So as of Saturday afternoon, I have relocated my DC transformer for the test track from in front of the loops at Grafton Yard, to below the yard – providing more room and less clutter.

The timetable diagram was removed from hanging on the Acacia Ridge layout fascia, to the shed door.  This will remove people from this central point, to a point where there is a bit more room for people to study the graphs if they so desire.

I removed the headshunt at Grafton Yard and that allowed me to extend the first three return loops in Grafton Loops by about 30cm each. 

The 240V power lead to the DCC system was relocated from just hanging down from the wall over the front of three levels of layout.  It now runs down over the pelmet and down an access hole and under the layout.  I never thought about this.  So simple, but very effective.

I removed a whole lot of clutter from near the Grafton Loops.  Track joiners, some old Fast Track point attempts that might not have passed muster, old rail offcuts, screws, pieces of paper etc.  There will be a small enhancement to the scenery on the edge of the Rocla Sleeper Siding.

Discussion turned to working on the trackwork at Grafton Loco.  I heard what they both said and I may well implement their suggestion.  But I need a set of RH points first.  I may re-align the Loco tracks at that location.  While we certainly have not used those tracks while doing an Operations Session as yet, there are two trains that actually do use those tracks.  I have train A and B in the long distance passenger trains, and the B versions do get some wagons from the loco sidings before their runs commence.  So far I have not yet included those cards in an Operations Session.  But maybe soon.  These sidings also hold some special wagons.  A dynamometer wagon, a heavy lift wagon, some spare locos and my steam fleet.  

I re-laid the loops in Grafton Yard today and removed some of the junk off the top deck around Acacia Ridge Yard.  I also attached two photos to the wall above The Risk Loop.  I also got some more black paint that I use for my fascias and did a couple of touches up today.  i also painted some structures that hold up the pelmet around Running Creek.  I also installed some new fascia in front of Acacia Ridge Yard and painted it.  I need to relocate the Staff machines panel and the points control panel onto the new fascia.  My only issue is that none of the wires are long enough to reach the new panel location so I need to splice some new wire extensions in.  A few more small tasks also got completed.

The layout might look quite different next time some of the guys visit.

I'm still waiting for some deliveries.  Some SPST switches from last year, a box of NOBX wagons and of course a few 44 Class locos, which the AMRM seems to say that they are in the country.  However I did receive some more LEDs (0603) and a stay alive for my Auscision Paybus.  PK might get a tap on the shoulder on Tuesday night to see if he can install it.