Bradgate and Market Bosworth

Hi John Yes i occasionally go and watch but not been for a while just heard that you won but it sounds though it was close! When i go i like to sit in the stand not a shedhead been there once it was a sunny day could not see a thing but the atmosphere was great. The Duchess arrived and with 2 others was run in on a temporay oval set up just to run some stock very pleased. The latest pictures look great with the lights it gives a whole new look . Hope your Christmas was good and your new year a happy one! Cheers Jim

Blimey! Is it really 2 1/2 yrs since I added anything!

Quite a bits changed since last I wrote including retirement and then a mystery illness that put paid to a lot of things until May this year, so that's where I'll pick up the story.

For a long while I'd been contemplating some drastic surgery to the layout and eventually was able to get at it. This involved adding a 7 road storage/fiddle yard/traverser under the existing upper board (that gave good clearance for the most part) but proved extremely taxing to get right as I had to connect it to the existing wye junction (which is now defunct) and the radii coming onto a double slip are much more than was desirable. However, after weeks of tinkering it came to fruition and is functioning fine.

The other part of the plan was to create a separate Branch line leaving the lower station and after again some major scenic hacking thats turned out ok also despite again having to deal with tight radii.

Next came the new mimic boards to show routes set with LED's. Only done one so far - two more to go! Although using Prodigy DCC with Route setting facility I found that quite often I'd have incorrect routes set causing shorts (annoyingly) so these boards will enable me to see exactly what the current set up is. It involves a heck of a lot of wiring/soldering but it's actually been quite good fun and I'm pretty pleased with the end result.

So that's where I am at present. I'll get to putting up some photo's shortly

Storage Yard layout

Tunnel Mouth widened for Branch line on right
Branch Line return loop with boards to connect to storage Yard to right
Storage Yard in place
2 wires for DCC
Tidier
Mimic Board

Another two panels nearing completion. About 60 LED's to fit and then wire back to the points! Mitering's a bit better this time!

Very neat

David

Hi,

I use a Prodigy system with route setting, but there have been many many occassions when I have forgotton what was set or certain points didn't switch, so decided that the panel will be a sure way of checking the routes. I always find double slips tricky to see which way they've thrown and hidden junctions have been a trial, so this will make it much easier.

Yes, the numbers are purely to identify the points for individual changes.



Mounted the second panel today and gave them a coat of light wood stain.