N / OO9 Two scales one gauge

Not the most interesting of views but very much “part of it”. 
 
I spent a couple of hours this afternoon wiring up two DPDT switches and a SP4T one. These should allow fully powered operation. 
 
A (very) small panel has been made for them whilst train control remains with two GM hand-held units sitting on the desk. 
 
There is at least one short somewhere but otherwise it does work as intended. Fixing the short might be as easy as swapping a couple of wires over. We’ll see. 

Hope it is nice and easy, Rick.

4 pole single throw, apparently. Not as I had it above 

I guessed that's what you meant anyway Rick 

Why is that, whatever you do, even a small amount of baseboard wiring looks like spaghetti gone mad (rhetorical question as mine is always just the same) 

 ,

Ed said

I guessed that's what you meant anyway Rick 

Why is that, whatever you do, even a small amount of baseboard wiring looks like spaghetti gone mad (rhetorical question as mine is always just the same) 

 ,

From “Post #293,151”, 7th February 2026, 12:07 pm

Because!

As this layout sits above the office desk and the wiring is tucked in behind the computer there's not a lot of working space.  But once I've tracked down that short (and hopefully it is only one not "fix-one-find-another") I'll tidy up in there.  

It was planned to be a simple DC layout.  And on the face of it, it is.  But the crossover requires the three switches for correct electrical operation and those, in turn, require 20 terminals to be soldered and wires going everywhere!  I I had the space for two simple crossovers formed of four points it might have been easier.  Alternatively I could add more complexity by isolating and switching the various sidings allowing more than one loco to be on the track at the same time.  Peco bless them have consolidated the track range on "Unifrog" points which they suggest are self-isolating if not switched.  They don't seem to work that way in practice.  

I've always loved tidy wiring - well done Rick.  

It’s been a while since I visited Boghouses. 
 
A Pacer draws into the remaining active platform to find a handful of passengers waiting. 
 
The air of abandonment is all around. And perhaps we don’t want to know what the chap is up to having found the “British Rail - Boghouses” boarded up and the Portaloo padlocked ….. 

I'm surprised no-one has nicked the wheels from that car abandoned on the platform………………………………

Petermac said

I'm surprised no-one has nicked the wheels from that car abandoned on the platform………………………………

From “Post #293,423”, 11th April 2026, 5:38 pm

Yes.  Funny you should say that Petermac  because I do have one somewhere without wheels for that very purpose.  The most recent swap between the scenes was done quickly with my sister here.  Mostly to show her how easily it's done but it did mean that a few loose items weren't put in the places they had been before.  

Another technical issue has arisen.  The desk above which the layout is built has developed a sag amidships and has been fitted with a fifth leg to address that.  It's given much better support to the workbench and office areas but the layout needs re-levelling.  There is a significant downhill gradient leading towards the road bridge and exit from the scene.  That's OK on the main line but it also means any loose wagons in the siding will roll freely to the end rather than staying where I want them.  

It shouldn't be an onerous task.  The layout supports already have shims of card and foam-board from previous levelling so removing one or two of those ought to be enough.  Famous last words!!!