Tunnel Portal

 This pack of N gauge single track bridge sides and retaining walls arrived this morning which I have converted one of them into the new tunnel portal. I have made one of the sides higher as well as making the retaining walls higher, and glued the retaining walls to the bridge side. See captions for details. 😊

The pack arrived this morning

The two sides and 2 of the retaining walls

I cut off the lower end of the side because they protrude out and they are different stonework

I then cut off more of the lower ends of the other side to give the one side the required height

Cut off pieces glued onto the bottom of the side

I then cut off the lower edge of a pair of retaining walls to increase the height of the unaltered ones

Side and retaining walls completed

The retaining walls are now glued to the side to create the new tunnel portal

Keith

More Test Trains and Track Tweaking

 Whilst waiting for scenery purchases in the post, more test trains and track tweaking.

These are some of my smallest wagons and can be most temperamental as they have very little weight to them, getting there. 😊

Keith

Castle Mound Part 1

 Early stages of planning for the castle mound this afternoon, I need to think about it a lot more before committing to a final plan. 🤔

Keith

Another Test Train

Another test train with the quarrymans coaches this morning, with this I have sorted out some more problems with the track.

Keith

Pinch Point

 Today I solved the final pinch point in the track. This is where the gauge of the track, the distance between the 2 rails, is narrower than it should be. I have been able to reduce the gauge on rolling stock which had a wider gauge, but cannot do this with locos and the final pinch point was affecting locos. The solution was to insert a couple of track pins in the inside of the rail whilst pushing the rail over with a small screwdriver. The insert photos show the track pin heads holding the rail in position. 

Crude but it works. 😊

Keith

Another Test Train

 Skarloey with a closed van test train this evening. 😊

Keith

 Finally I seem to have all the bugs sorted with no more derailments, strange how swapping bogies from one end to the other with a couple of these carriages has cured the last remaining problems 🤔

Charles and Linda in one direction

Prince and Princess in the other direction

Charles passing by Hadarford station with a small train

I can now just lay on our bed and watch the trains go by 🛏

Keith

Second Train to Run on Hadarford

Today I sorted out a few problems with derailments, but all sorted now.

The main problem being the back to back settings for the wheels and axles, so I have adjusted most of the carriages which has made a huge difference. 😊

Keith

First Train to Run on Hadarford

 

Keith

Layout Reassembly Part 2

 This morning I connected the inter-board wiring ready for track testing this afternoon. I do have some inline connectors on order so disassembly/assembly will be easier in the future 😊

Right-hand baseboard

Right-hand end of the central baseboard

Left-hand end of the central baseboard

Left-hand baseboard

Keith

Layout Reassembled

 Having completed all the wiring of the layout yesterday that I started at the beginning of the year, this afternoon it took me, with some help from my wife Jo, about 2 hours of struggle to reassemble the layout, but it is back up, I will leave it till tomorrow to start running test trains as I now feel pooped! 😕

Keith

Wiring for Point Operation Part 4

 This morning I finished the wiring of the Smartswitch, 4 Smartfrogs and the track, this now completes all the wiring of the whole layout. 😁

2 of the Smartfrogs, servos and track with completed wiring

The other 2 Smartfrogs, servos and track with wiring completed

The Smartswitch wiring now completed

Keith

Buillding Repairs and Programming the SmartSwitch

 This morning I fitted a new post to this house as the original had snapped off, Jo came up with the idea of using one of her long matchsticks which are wider than standard ones. I also repainted other wood pieces on the house to match the post

The new post fitted and painted

Other timber supports painted to match the new post

Another timber support painted to match the new post

This afternoon I programmed the Smartswitch to operate the 4 points, the video is just one of them. It took a while to do all the adjustments, but all 4 work nicely

Keith

Wiring for Point Operation Part 3

 This afternoon I attached the remote control to the Smartswitch, then connected all 4 frog wires to the Smartfrogs and wired up the 4 new point switches. I haven't soldered the track wires which feed the Smartfrogs as, until I test the setup, I cannot guarantee the correct polarity until I power it all up

Remote control fitted to the Smartswitch

2 point frogs wires (green wires) from the Smartfrogs on the central baseboard soldered onto panel pins

The other 2 point frogs wires (green wires) from the Smartfrogs on the left-hand baseboard soldered onto panel pins

1 pair of new point switches fitted Monday with wires now soldered to them

The other pair of new point switches with wires soldered to them

Tomorrow I should be able to power up the Smartswitch and Smartfrogs and program the Smartswitch accordingly 🤞.

Keith

Various Bits and Pieces

 This morning I cut out and glued card backs to 3 half-relief buildings.

Now the trains running behind won't be seen.

After lunch I took out the 2 faulty point operating double pole switches I installed yesterday 😠 and replaced them with 4 hopefully working single pole ones. For whatever reason having installed the 2 double pole switches and wired them up I discovered that both switches had one pole which didn't work. Not having any double pole switches spare I have replaced them with 4 single pole switches 😊

Keith