The first return loop is now permanently in place on the mainline. It is made up of an arc with a radius of 91cm. That gives about 5.7m of track. The entry and exit pieces also have 91cm radii bends.

The whole loop is mounted on 12cm wide, 1cm thick plywood that is situated at the same level as the mainline, but it hanging and supported in the garage workshop. It is about 2.5m off the ground.

The sides of the loop are protected by two layers of plastic film that is stapled and taped. Very strong. I'm using simple layers of plastic kitchen film to cover the look. This film-wrap keeps the dust out and prevents rodents and bugs from getting into the track room via the workshop.

The radius is large and the loop is massive, but it allows me to run a train at full speed through it without any chance of derailment. I don't want that. If I have to, I can get up on a ladder and peel off the film-wrap to get to the train.

Here you see the loop going off from the mainline:




A view from below. The support on the left will be replaces by a hanging support connected to the beam above:



I use a DCC reverser on the loop to keep the polarity of the mainline and all sidings on the rest of the layout the same.

I have started work on the tunnel at the top of my layout plan.



See the post here in the On My Layout section for more details.

I have an updated track layout plan drawn:

I laid 4 metres of mainline this weekend. The first time that I've worked on the mainline in ages. I need to do this though as I have to have it laid so I can start work on the landscaping and scenery.

I remember when Gary first said that it would take two years - I laughed. Well, two years later... OK, it's progressing well and I'm happy with it.

I've realised that all the track that I bought is not going to be enough. How come, where does it all go? The fact that the Tillig flex-track is not 1m long, but only 89cm per piece may have something to do with it, but I ordered another 20 pieces this morning. That should keep be busy for a while.

Next it the overhead line over the railway yard and the two large radius curves.

At a time of year that is not too hot, or too cold, I've been putting in some hours in the track room.

I've laid most of my HOe track. A task that has been calling me for ages, but due to incomplete benchwork was held off. It is a simple line from the mine to the main yard. I don't know if I'll develop it further as it is a nice long run for the little HOe/OO9 trains, a few bends in the line give it some character.

I'm playing with my ROCO HOe Dampflok BR 99 (HF 110 C) loco and all it's coaches. It looks great.

I've simplified the junction at the bottom of the up and down ramp. I had hoped to have a junction where the trains coming down to the yard from the mainline could unload all their wagons or coaches and then have them easily shunted ready for another train going up to the mainline. This caused too much of a headache and the points were too complex.

Difficult in a home layout to have a perfect system. Anyway at least the lies are smooth and the trains run better now. I'll just have to use the hand of God sometimes to move wagons or reverse up the down ramp to get some stock back up to the mainline.

Next step: getting the mainline finished :-)

My soles and shins are killing me as I've been on my feet for the past few days. Perhaps a photo or two tomorrow.

Spring is early this year and I had the urge to clean-up my track room. I had been dumping stuff all winter and it was becoming a tip. I couldn't move and there were no surfaces available to work on. I couldn't even run any trains as the track was used for storage. A couple of other winter modelling projects had overwhelmed the layout.

So I spent Sunday cleaning it out. I finished and am amazed at the result. It has given me the motivation to start on my return loops for the main line and the HOe mine that will be on of the focal points of the layout.

I'm going to get rid of the curved storage tracks as mentioned in the last post and I'm going to install a couple of straight ones instead.

I plan to simplify some of the points that are already installed. One gets the urge to put points and sidings everywhere, but simplicity is best.

I had a few curved storage tracks that I kept coaches and wagons. As I'm now changing to Kadees all overt the place, coupling on curves is a no-go.

So I'm going to change to straight storage ladders... I'll keep one or two of the curved ones to store complete trains, but some track has to come up to allow the newly planned track to go down.

Frustrating, but worth it in the end.

I'll be digging a few holes in the baseboard this week to take a couple of Kadee electric uncouplers.

A few purchases that will go towards the pointwork for my yard. I have been playing with Peco solenoid switches and Conrad switches, but I'm just not happy with either of them. I want good positive control, LED feedback from the points and manual control with the possibility of DCC control later. I had a really hard time trying to connect the Conrad switch motors, I think that the Tillig ones will be better.

I have a 8 core cable that will connect each point to the control panel, some coloured wires for the control panel and some more switches to add to the ones that I already have. The red and black bobbin is more wire for the DCC BUS feeders.

Started work on motorising the points. Wasn't too sure where to start: control panel, point motors, wiring...

So I made up a quick and dirty panel out of a piece of card, attached a few switches, rigged up a couple of point motors and connected it all up.

What I have learned...:

• Soldering under the benchwork is a pain - really it is - at my tender age it is not easy so I need to make allowances for this and pre-wire the point motors before fitting.
• It is probably better to build the control panel completely first (like dwb) and connect the wires from each point motor to a junction box later.
• Good idea to use a multi wire bundle for each point motor. 2 wires for the switch, a common for power and 3 wires for LED indicators that pull power from the point frog (Conrad switches) or from the LED output (Tillig switches).
• Fitting point motors is a pain. Drill a bigger hole for the throw-wire as the point never quite sits exactly where you marked it. If the wire hits the side of the hole, it bend back and the point blades go in the opposite direction.
• Be prepared to lift the point and replace it with another one or a better one so don't glue it down too much. A couple of spots of PVA is fine.

You never see this in any book...

I have positioned the turntable on one side. I have the up and down ramps on the other. The yard is meant to be in the middle.

I wanted trains coming down to be able to get rid of their coaches or wagons onto storage tracks, then allow the locomotives to go off to their sheds. This should happen whilst other trains can join up and prepare to do their thing on the mainline.

I have laid out a selection of points and short bits of track and played around with options, looking for the best angles and geometry. Something that just can't be done before this on the PC - no matter how good the design program is.

It looks fine. I'll position the main point areas, keeping the geometry correct and then I'll bend the straights into the configuration.

The pins are used to hold track in position whilst the PVA glue dries. You dee the use of weights to keep the track down and flat whilst drying.

I have completed the hidden track. At least the main lines of hidden track. There is space to add hidden sidings for storage. I'll do that later.

Here is a collection of photos giving a left to right panoramic view of the layout.

The turntable is on the main engine works area on the South.


The two tracks will lead up and down from the raised mainline. Left track up on a gentle gradient. Right track down is a little sharper.


The block indicates the height of the mainline and station.


This is part of the mainline. It will be hidden in a tunnel.


The underground part of the layout. All sorts of interesting things will go on under the mountain.