The Atlantic and Southern Build Thread Continued, Part 3

[ACL1504]

Tom, are you going to install a backdrop where the Ovalix is, or leave it open so you can watch the progress of the train?


Jeff

Jeff,

The Ovalix is such an engineering marvel, I decided to leave it open for viewing the trains.


Tom

[ACL1504]

Tom


You had some high caliber help there, today.  Looking good my friend.

John,

Thank you, yes, we did have quite the "honor roll" here Saturday.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Sorry I had to miss today Tom.

Curt,

You are welcome any Saturday you can get away. We had fun yesterday.

Tom

[Jerry]

Hey Tom

Just getting caught up again.  Wow you've really done some nice things.  Your progress is amazing!

Jerry

[ReadingBob]

I had a blast yesterday.  It was amazing to watch those relatively long trains rolling smoothly everywhere they went.  I didn't see any wheel sets bump, jump or do anything other than roll smoothly over the rails.      

[ACL1504]

Hey Tom

Just getting caught up again.  Wow you've really done some nice things.  Your progress is amazing!

Jerry

Jerry,

Thank you for stopping by, much appreciated. I'm retired so getting stuff done is no problem.

Tom

[ACL1504]

I had a blast yesterday.  It was amazing to watch those relatively long trains rolling smoothly everywhere they went.  I didn't see any wheel sets bump, jump or do anything other than roll smoothly over the rails.   

Bob,

I appreciate you stopping by for a visit. Always fun BSing and running trains.

Smooth track for long trains is a requirement of the A&S RR CEO. I believe the use of all #8 PECO turnouts on the third level will pay off big in the smooth running of passenger trains.

No bumps allowed on the A&S RR.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Over the past few days I've added two mainline sections on the third level, west side.

The inside, or house track is 14 ft. in length and the mainline/outside track is 15.5 ft. in length. This is long enough to handle an E A-B-A unit and 11-12 passenger cars. If passengers are to be dropped at the station, the train can only disembark passengers on the house track. The outside will remain open for mainline use.

I have photos but have been to busy to load, crop and add to the thread. Perhaps later this week I'll get them up.

Also, I need to find a little "under the layout space" to store the junk I've been storing on the third level the past two years. Looks like I'll be building some more shelves.

[ACL1504]

Over the past few days, I've been working on the layout and finding every little nook and cranny to stash my stash of stuff. I used the center isle for storage and had to move it all to the third level when the middle isle was completed and filled with track.

I had a scenery cart and it really didn't fit in, under or around the layout. It was also took up space I needed.

I built a few small shelves behind the small room Diet Pepsi ice box. That box is now full of bottled water and no Diet Pepsi. I'm now Diet Pepsi free for almost three weeks.

I did leave room at the bottom so the ice box compressor has room to vent heat.





More in a few.

[ACL1504]

I was dropping/pulling wires from the master power source to the third level. I realized I forgot to drill a few feeder holes in the braces supporting the third level.

This is what happens when it must be done after the fact.



Clean up on isle two later!


Continued -

[ACL1504]

I wanted to have more than a 36" radius curve on the third level as it leaves the area east of the 30 degree crossing. I made a small radius jig from a strip of Masonite.

I measured from 40 to 50 inches at two inch intervals. After several tests, I decided the 42 would look and fit the best.



I held a Sharpie at the other end and drew the 42 inch radius around the east corner.



Continued -

[ACL1504]

Cork laid in place, sanded and vacuumed.



I'll have more on Sunday afternoon.

[ACL1504]

I'm still laying track and dropping feeders to the buss line.

This morning I added a two track signal bridge to the third level main line. I think the bridge is an old brass NJ International model. I added the targets using Oregon Rail Supply parts.

I wired it using 1.5 MM Green and Red LEDs from Miniatronics. The LEDs are 3 volt and I used 1/4 watt - 470 ohm resistors. They will work up to 15VDC. I'm pulling the power for the LEDS off the main buss line.

They are mainly just for lighting effects and are controlled by the Tortoise switch motor. If the switch is thrown for the diverging route, the main goes red and visa versa.

I have only one side wired. The other side will be finished tomorrow.







Continued -

[ACL1504]

For this one small signal bridge there sure are a lot of wires!

[ACL1504]

Here's a short half minute video.

https://youtu.be/TcyBRVFNwoc