Early on during the week I cut up some styrene 'I' beam that I use to simulate lengths of rail. I use this for fence posts made from rail. I painted a few lengths and also cut up some fence rails from styrene strip. This is ready for the next working bee on the Div 1 modules. I also found a sheet of some laser scribed wood planks. This was stained and is also ready to be taken to the next working bee.
Wednesday this week I again unrolled paper onto the floor in the kitchen/family room and threw down some track to continue the planning of the future exhibition layout. I am trying to confirm the size of each layout module and the exact location of various items (particularly track) within the module. This layout is then transcribed onto some small paper templates for each module. These templates are 10 times smaller than the real modules. It is pretty easy when you have a floor with 30cm tiles, as it is very easy to draw where everything is located on these small diagrams with a 3cm square grid drawn on them representing the 30cm x 30cm floor tile.
Bit by bit some modules are shortened in length and width and the module edges are initially adjusted to allow for the position for a set of points that does not get positioned over a module join. After next week I might have a completed 'version 1' of the complete front of the layout before I implement selective compression. The layout is too long at the moment. I am also using Google Maps to help with the location of road over rail bridges, level crossings and creeks, as well as some buildings.
On my way to the Club on Saturday I stopped off and bought some styrene as I had basically run out of 0.060" 'I' beam. While at the Club on Saturday I took some measurements of the Club trailers that the Club layouts get carted around in. I will use these to help design my future trailer for carting my future exhibition layout around in. I think once I finalise the layout size, i will build a 1:10 scale copy of it in styrene and also look at how they will fit into a scale 1:10 trailer. If only I had the funds allocated and approved to start building it. I might win the lotto soon.
I spent a couple of hours down the shed after lunch today preparing for the Operations Session on my layout next weekend. Next weekend is also the date of the Bundaberg Model Railway Exhibition. A lot of people are heading up there, but quite a few are not. So I thought I would give those not attending Bundy something to do back in Bris Vegas. I’m still awaiting a few RSVPs to the session, but we have about 5 days before the Ops Session is run yet, so it is not really an issue. I went through all the timetable cards and then gave each loco a simple test. I found two locos that are not working for some reason. They have been replaced in the timetable and I will spend some time next week pulling them apart and investigating them. It has me perplexed what causes them to have issues. I am also going through my loco fleet and updating a Loco card for each powered vehicle on the layout with a decoder in it with what each function does for that loco. These cards will be located in a card holder on the fascia next to the timetable cards. These cards will be in numerical order. Layout operators can pick up a timetable card, and then find a loco card for their loco so they know what functions are available on that loco. That is the plan.
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