some ground scenery added

Looking good there Ron, just flicked through the before and after shots and its amazing the difference some grass ,weeds and dirt can make


Proper Job     :thumbs

Tawnton East - one building to go - Carpet Co depot

Fits in well Ron.  What,s next?

The other end of the station Reg, MPD & a brewery - then in the middle with two signal boxes & main station building.

Blimey it`s getting busy in there Ron,

I hope you`ve got plenty of assistants to help you run your layout.???

thumbsthumbs

:cheers  Gormo

Normally Gormo, me as Train Controller plus 6 others being drivers/shunters/Station Masters - twice a month for about 2 hours plus each session.

Gee.. Ron that sounds like a good bit of fun..!!
Sounds like it could get a bit hectic with that many folks on the one layout.???
Cheers 
Gormo

While it may seem I have left the hobby, far from it.

Timetables, etc plus some buildings have kept me busy  but operationally, a couple of areas needed to be fixed.
Outside of the wall panel that displays turnout status


which is going to be replaced with a larger more encompassing track diagram, the main station Tawnton  which has 2 platform tracks & 4 goods loops and has two panels




will be combined into one and the main two goods loops 1 & 2 will also be equipped with solenoids.
To do this meant 3 existing handmade turnouts need to be replaced and this required some minor track re-alignments to boot

The turnout at the West end
before


ripped out


then replaced - you can see the other track re-alignment



Tawnton East had 2 turnouts to be replaced


and after removing existing


then replacement all with large radius Peco Code 75


even the Y turnout with the white on the tiebar end, had to be lifted to allow a rod for the solenoid to work to as the knob on the end of the tiebar had been removed.

All good "fun" - in fact the easiest part of the "improvements"

Both ends now finished…

Might be a stupid question Sol, but what's the red dotted lines and the black arrow?


Ed

Ed, the red dots indicate both turnouts operate at the same time & the black arrow, added to the photo, was to indicate to my crew that the turnout pointed to, would be a separate control when the panel is rebuilt.

Hi Ron,

Just an observation…do you need the point motors on the surface as they are a bit obtrusive.

Phil

Phil, they do look a bit out of place but I wasn't going to cut big holes for underneath mounted units - there is so much wiring ….
If I started again from scratch, things would be different - possibly Tortoise/Cobalt

but the layout was designed not so much as a "realistic" scene but for operation by a crew. (And as I find out, changes have been  done to make operation "better")

[user=606]Sol[/user] wrote:

Ed, the red dots indicate both turnouts operate at the same time & the black arrow, added to the photo, was to indicate to my crew that the turnout pointed to, would be a separate control when the panel is rebuilt.

Ah, makes sense :thumbs


Ed

So why change to solenoid Sol? Had the original manual system failed?

Looks good by the way. Nice and tidy.

Cheers

Marty

[user=19]Marty[/user] wrote:

So why change to solenoid Sol? Had the original manual system failed?
Marty, some of the 4 tracks in which incoming trains arrive on, had some turnouts-  manual & electric and to make it easier for the Crew is have all the same way and electric is the way

Looks good by the way. Nice and tidy.  Thanks

Cheers

Marty

The new combined panel has been started…

Panel now with toggles & LEDs


looks like a Christmas tree when all LEDs are working - panel starts to be installed next Thursday

Big red buttons are for the Kadee electromagnets on the platform tracks.

Nice Sol,
Are the LEDs for occupancy or routing?
Marty