July 29th, 2007

After running some cars around on the trackage I had put in, it was clear that this design was not going to work. The amout of time to grab a cut of cars from one of the A/D tracks and back it all the way around the yard lead to be able to clear the switch, then to push that cut forward to the yard throat was too much distance to cover, not to mention time involving, so I went back to the "drawing board" - the full sized layout. I moved the yard lead from the front of the benchwork to over next to the A/D tracks, which still gave me about the same amount of room for the engine service area. And while I had the track temporarily set up, I seen that I could squeeze the caboose track in next the loco service. Even thou the layout is set in 1990, there were still cabooses (cabeese?) on most trains. Modelers liscense =)
The downfall to this was that the yard throat will eat up more area and have to be compressed a bit more, and the yard tracks were not going to be as long as I had wanted. So I left the track taped down for a week or so and thought about it. As you can see in these pics, I decided to go that route.

Here is a new #10 put in for the new yard lead. The caboose track turnout is being glued down and already has a rail started.

Here is a far away shot. All the yard throat turnout ties are taped together and hanging from the upper level, waiting to be glued down.

Caboose track turnout and trackage is now installed, along with the new yard lead, which runs right next to the arrival/departure tracks. Compare it to this picture

Looking back towards the end of the peninsula.

I have also started installing the Circuitron Tortoise switch machines, and all the wiring that goes along with them. The toggle switchs are DPDT.

Looking up from below. With an exception of the 14awg White wire (which is used for the track bus), all the wiring is 4 conductor phone line, with the outter colors going to different things. Here I have made Light Blue the color for local switch machines. I have a friend that installs home security, so he gives me what is left over from his jobs. Can't pass up free wire!

One last pic taken from an angle that will never be seen.

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