Signals are getting in.


Almost all of the signals are in. A couple of signals still to go in Searsport and all of the signals at Belfast and the wye. The actual logic will come later. I did have to repair (re-solder wires) a few signals to get where I'm at.
There are a few locations in Searsport that probably need a few extra dwarf signals that will be needed to protect the mainline from the yard.

There will need to be more signals repaired to make it all right. 

When the mainline expands there will be a lot signals to be repaired. 🤬

Ready To Start Mini Ops

Of course this is for me, for now. For the about 125 cars on the layout and the engines to support them, I have the car cards printed and I'm ready to start moving cars around the layout. I will use this info to see how things are working and what changes might need to be made.
I did tell the folks at the local train club and a few others from my previous layout. I don't believe I will have trouble attracting enough people to run the layout.
When I get this little bit of testing done, I will open up to bigger groups to do a crash and burn.

Engines, Car Cards and Power Supplies

Today I moved the Power Supplies for the DCC, CMRI and Accessories to their new home. They will be more centrally located power wise. Better for the DCC and Boosters. I also have the connections for the plug in throttles for Brunswick. Searsport will be soon. The main problem is that all of my wires are to short. On the old layout I had so much problem with the wireless (until I found the problem), I had plug ins everywhere. I don't need as much, so I need longer wires or a lot of in line connectors.

I have about 1/4 (~120) of the cars on the layout and about 20 engines. This is good enough for starters, but I can support more as I get a chance. I am trying to get all of the cars set up with Intermountain soldered Resistor wheels that I get done for me. I have run out for now but there are more on the way.

For the the cars and engines on the layout, I now have car cards for them, so I can actually move cars according to a plan.

People I used to know

I had a great surprise today. I went to the Apple Valley Club in Hendersonville to meet an old friend who use to operate on the old layout. I met him and also ran into a different guy who also operated on my layout and his brother who had been there a time or two. Both of them now have family in the area, so there will be time to get together again. It's always good to meet old friends.

Chuck

Current plans for Trains

I am. Is looking at getting cars on the layout and trains to cover the current installed business.
It looks like
2 trains in each direction from Rigby to Northern Maine Junction
1 train in each direction from St. Albans to Searsport
1 Train in each direction from St. Albans to Brunswick.
1 local in each direction fro Brunswick to Searsport.
1 Paper Train from St. Albans to Bucksport and return
1 local in Searsport Industrial
1 local in Brunswick Industrial
Hopefully a Wood Job, Milk Train and Potato Train. We will see how that goes.

So far about 130 cars on the layout and engines to come tomorrow.

Chuck

Temporary Northern Maine Junction in Place

I was looking at Car Cards and Op Sessions this week and I just felt the flow would be better if I had some NMJ staging. So I put 6 tracks of temporary staging in. It is located two towns early. It was as far as I could do right now. All of the turnouts are manual. The turnouts themselves are the older non DCC ready Walthers. The track is all used. I just didn't want to install all of the good stuff now, knowing that it will come up later when I'm ready.
I started working on the new car cards for the cars that will be used early on. I won't need everything because it is only a little more than half of a layout. I even put up car card holders for each town. Some are not perfect because of changes from the old layout to the new one, but it will get me started and I can modify the ones I have or build new ones when I know exactly what I need.

Wiring and the testing of that wiring complete…..for now

Everything is now ready for engine and train running……except…. I noticed that I forgot to add a late track addition to the control panel. Sigh!!!!
I had put in a house track by the station and COMPLETELY FORGOT to add it to the local control panel. The good news is that I can wait until more testing is done so I see can see if this panel needs other changes. It can still be thrown by the dispatcher, but this particular track does not need to be used right away.
Time to run trains over all of these changes and make sure the trackage and electronics works the way it is supposed to.

Day 50 of Brunswick Wiring

At least it seems like it. Actually only day 5. Both panels are wired up and the computer knows where everything is. There were a few gotchas to get through, but I got there.
I did add six more tortoise machines, so all of them are in. I did forget to actually plug them in. That can be tomorrow.
The next big step is do do all of the programming of the logic so that all of the push buttons, lights and tortoises do their job correctly.

Day 2 of Brunswick wiring.

From day 1 to 2 I have cut the holes for Brunswick the left and right side control panel facia. They are being painted now and almost done.

I have cut a large control panel in half and rebuilt what was needed to hold the components for both sides of Brunswick. I felt that with the extra length of the yard, two half panels would be better than one in the middle.

The last of the turnout motors have been installed and will be tested tomorrow (hopefully).

Once the panel fronts that hold the push buttons and lights are ready, the lights and push buttons will be added and all of the programming for them will be done. Probably two more days total, maybe three. Then I can get back to run testing trains.

If that goes well then signaling.

Track is wired up

I have spent many hours under the benchwork the last few days, running wires and hooking up all of the track to its appropriate block. Testing that work comes tomorrow.
There are still a few blocks to cut the gaps for. Then I will have to make the control panels for Brunswick to control. Then I will be back on the computer doing routes to make all of the control panel buttons do what I want.
That's all for the next couple of days worth of work.