Operations Session Preparation

The clock is ticking and the upcoming operations sessions are getting closer.  A huge amount of work has been completed and much more still needs to occur.  A control panel for Cassino for the eventual automation of the Main to Back Platform Road point was installed and connected up to Loco Pilly NCE Mini Panel.  That will be coded up tomorrow.  Future plans for 2025 is to install CTC from Grafton Yard to the southern end of Cassino, just like was installed in the real Cassino in 1991.  That will mean that North Coast Control will then have control of all the points in that section and he will also be able to see where the trains are.  The staff machines for these sections will then be withdrawn.

The panel for Yeerongpilly narrow gauge loop was installed, tested and is working.  This included running wires from Yeerongpilly to Dutton Park, and then along the Fisherman Island branch as that was the nearest NCE Mini Panel with spare slots for automation of the panel push buttons.  The Fisherman Islands NCE Mini Panel was coded up with the new commands.  A Panel for Park Road’s narrow gauge loop was also installed, wired run to the South Brisbane Mini Panel and that was coded up.  The various panels for the Dutton Park panels at the three side of the Wye, (angle in QR parlance) still need to be thought through.

The narrow gauge trackwork at South Brisbane was finalised, and nailed down.  Power was also added to the end of the tracks, at the far end after the points and all trackwork is now live and runnable.  This track was all tested.  I also tested the running of trains through the Dutton Park junction, with both narrow gauge and standard gauge all working.  I had a cold solder joint that caused the dual gauge crossing to not work for standard gauge trains.  The power feed to my manual reversing switch was fixed and it all works like a bought one now.  Ideally I will eventually have an auto-reverser for this task. 

I have started track cleaning with the section from Grafton Yard through to Hotham Street level crossing at Cassino completed.  It look me about 5 minutes of searching around the layout to find the track cleaning train.  But it was sitting at Grafton Loco in a track there hidden.

I have written up my Train Notices for the next Ops Session and it also gives some background information as to what has changed since the last Ops Session whenever that was.  Maybe last December.  I sent a new copy of my Operations Manual to a couple of new attendees.  All other attendees will geta copy this week.  I’ll have to issue a test to ensure that they actually read the instructions.

On Saturday the Tuesday Nighters ventured over to the northside of Brisbane and PK’s place to check out his airconditioned shed and drink his coffee and eat his biscuits and chips.  During the week, I also placed an order for some more 12mm bogies, which I am hopeful will be posted from oversea tomorrow.  That means potentially a delivery just before or after New Year’s Day.

I’m also looking at doing a bit more work on my double doors in the Cassino Refreshment Room.  It looks like I have 5 doors which are the exact size of the required doors.  That saves me making them.