As of tomorrow I'll have all the track I need to complete the second track around Piscine Loop. When I return from my vacation next week I'll be working on the Railroad until it's done!
In light of that, I've spent the last few days working on my yard design for the next section of the LHRR. A working yard will mean that I can be fully active with my trains even though my RR only has a double loop. So, I did some research (including talking to friends online) and drew up a design...
0 Comments
Okay, so, really the second track around the Piscine Loop of the LHRR isn't even done yet. But, I'm staking claim to additional space for my railroad anyway. Here's a quick before and after shot of the remaining length of the back wall of our garage that I have yet to monopolize (thus far). The intention here is to extend the track running from Piscine Loop out this way then around the corner. Along the way there will be a small yard for my rolling stock. I may be able to fit an engine shed in somewhere too...
Today I did a couple hours of work on the Leeds Hill Railroad before the rain began. I started by working on the grade from the wye to the back curve then moved on to working on the wye itself.
I added a bunch of rocks to the landscape to give each track the sense that it has it's own space. This also allowed me to plan the route for the left curve of the second loop of track. Looking at this photo, I think I may add more rock to the right-most space. These rocks also serve as a path for me to get to the rear curve, as the bottom space in the photo will have one or two more tracks in the future. At the moment, any future construction is delayed until I can buy more track and the ballast for it. This could be a decent delay... So, as you might imagine, my loco is not running on battery power yet. I went inside and reconnected the track pick ups and motor block so I can run it on track power. Yesterday's video proved that I didn't break it yet! Yay! Anyway, I came up with a simple method for quickly attaching / disconnecting the track power wires from the track. I bought these track power jaws from Grandpa's Train Depot in Warwick, RI when I was down in Providence last week. All I did was squish the wire contacts and bend them so I can attach alligator clips to them. I soldered the alligator clips to a length of wire and that connects to the LGB transformer I have. I works wonderfully!
I am very tired. So, this will be a very short post. Today I got the rest of my track supports in - almost. But, I finished enough that I was able to run my Forney at full speed with no issues (except for a slight problem with the grade - which I hope I'll be able to control a bit better when it is fit with R/C). Here's a short video from one of the prettier parts of my garden. Photos to come... After my first run I needed to pull up and clean several sections of track. I managed to do that last week, and got it to work. However, I didn't have power to the pull-away section over the ramp, so I waited...
Today my Split Jaw Bridge Clamps came in! I fitted them on the rails and did a test run. This was my first successful full-loop run around the Piscine Loop of the LHRR. Now I have to finish the final section of raised track. Coming soon.... Today I did a little more work on the Leeds Hill Railroad. Basically I installed a bunch of gravel between the shed and garage, where the track will run. Looking at it now, it might be a good place to put a yard or a few sidings. However, it will take a lot of leveling before track can be fully laid out. Also, you can see in the background of the second photo, I didn't even get all the way down the path.
Today after writing all the Intro blog posts and getting this site organized, I went outside for several hours and did a few different things:
This post probably should have been first, but, sometimes I don't think things through as well as I should.
In any case... Leeds Hill Railroad is my new garden layout that I am starting this year in Western Massachusetts. I don't have a lot of freedom with my layout, as I live with a large number of family members (I am only in my 20's). So, in light of that, my trains will run in a around-the-edge fashion. You can see what I mean below. |
Hello!My name is John. This is my website dedicated to all things model railroading! I hope you enjoy! Archives
March 2020
Categories
All
This site was last updated
at date of top Project post or more recently. |