Point Operation Part 2

 Second and final pair of servos temporarily fitted  to the central baseboard this morning. That is as far as I can go at the moment as I am awaiting washers and wire in the post to be able to proceed further, no rush. 😊

Keith

Point Operation Part 1

 I have assembled all 4 servos into their mounting brackets and attached the servo horns (the white plastic arms) then I temporarily fitted 2 of them onto the left-hand baseboard (I say temporarily as I am awaiting some washers in the post as the screw heads pull through the holes in the brackets, and wider screws would be too long).

2 of the servos temporarily fitted and cables secured in clips

Keith

Track Wiring Part 7

 This afternoon I fixed a dummy mains socket and back plate underneath the central baseboard so that I can plug the plug-top transformer for the Smartswitch and Smartfrogs in, when not in use.

I also wired up the 2 isolation switches on the left-hand baseboard 

The completed track wiring on the left-hand baseboard

Keith

Track Wiring Part 6

 This morning I had a rethink and decided to move the 5 boxes associated with the Smartswitch to give easier access for wiring up. The first 3 photos are the original positions.

Original position of the main Smartswitch box on the central baseboard

Original position of the 2 Smartfrogs on the central baseboard

Original position of the other 2 Smartfrogs on the right-hand baseboard

Main Smartswitch box and 2 Smartfrog boxes on the central baseboard repositioned as well as the connecting block for the power lead

2 Smartfrog boxes on the right-hand baseboard repositioned

This afternoon I completed the track wiring on the 3rd and final baseboard, all ready for soldering tomorrow.

One quarter of the baseboard marked up with identifying colours ready for wiring

3rd and final baseboard track wiring completed ready for soldering

This is all that is left of the 10 metres of wire I purchased for the job

Keith

Track Wiring Part 5

 The new wire arrived this morning, but first I had to do some more mistake recovery.

I discovered that one of the servos to operate one of the points is where one of the legs was, so I have had to move the leg.

The moved leg to allow the servo to be fitted under the point on the left-hand end baseboard

The last remaining piece of red wire fitted and soldered on the central baseboard

2 Smartfrogs fitted under the left-hand end baseboard

2 Smartfrogs fitted under the central baseboard

Main Smartswitch box fitted under central baseboard which will control the 4 points

Power lead for the Smartswitch cut and attached to a terminal block to allow distribution of power to the Smartfrogs and also plugged into the Smartswitch

Plug top transformer fitted and its cable securely fixed to the underside of the central baseboard

Keith

Track Wiring Part 4

Not a lot done today for 2 reasons, I spent quite a bit of time correcting mistakes I made yesterday in the wiring, and I have used all the red and black wire I had, I am awaiting more in the post 😞 but I did manage to fit and solder all the black wiring. 😄

Black wiring on the central baseboard completed, I just need a length of red to complete this baseboard

Closeup of the major wiring on the central baseboard

Keith

Track Wiring Part 3

 Not a lot achieved today on the central baseboard, I have used the last of the red wire and awaiting more in the post, but I did wire up 2 of the switches which isolate sections of track.

Nearly all the red wiring completed

The isolating switch for the siding wired in

The isolating switch wired in which switches power between the station track and the passing loop

Poor natural light stopped play again.

Keith

Track Wiring Part 2

 Today I completed wiring the 1st baseboard and made a start on the central baseboard

The black wires fitted today which completes the wiring of this 1st baseboard

As before I marked up the panel pins on the central baseboard to identify which colour wire goes where, with the additional 2 markings with the red/black parallel lines to denote the frogs of the 2 points.

The start of wiring the central baseboard before poor light stopped play (and a cup of tea!)

Keith

Track Wiring Part 1

 I made a start on wiring the right hand baseboard today.

16v AC wires (blue & orange) passing from this baseboard to the central baseboard

Drop wires marked red and black to identify what colour wire goes to which panel pin

Making good use of my hand weight again

I marked the isolating section in the siding with a letter I

Connecting the isolating section to the switch on the front of the baseboard

Part of the red wiring soldered to the panel pins in one quarter of the baseboard

The red wiring is completed on this baseboard

Bad light stopped play. ☹️

Keith

Track Laying Part 13

 This afternoon I soldered across the 24 joints for the short sections of track at the baseboard joints, it was not possible to add drop wires to these sections so this was the adequate solution

Then I soldered the 83 drop wires to the panel pins underneath the 3 baseboards.

Some of the 83 drop wires soldered to the panel pins

Keith

Track Laying Part 12

 Good progress this morning having laid 15, yes 15 pieces of track to the other end baseboard in 2½hrs!

2 drop wires soldered on the bottom of the rails on one piece of track

I twist the insulation as I remove it to twist the wires

This gives a far better result than removing the insulation the twisting the wires

The end of the wire tinned so it will pass through the hole easier

2nd end baseboard track laying completed

Drop wires on the underside, each one adjacent to a panel pin

Closeup of some of the drop wires and panel pins

This Statfold Barn Mica B meat van arrived this morning, I already have one but I am going to convert it into the banana van in the next photo

The banana van as photographed at Statfold Barn on one of our visits there

This afternoon I soldered the last 18 drop wires onto the track on the central baseboard, this now completes all the track laying on all 3 baseboards, apart from gluing the track down, but I am leaving this for a while, just in cast I need to do any changes, which I don't anticipate but you never know. 😊

The last 18 drop wires cut to length

You have to be pretty brave to solder wires on to rails this close to plastic sleepers! To have to do it 78 times doesn't make it any easier

The central and last of the 3 baseboards now has all its track laid, this completes the track laying

Keith