Signal Progress on the Layout

We had guest crew Tuesday and Wednesday all the way from Rochester, NY.  Bill and Gail Carr came down and helped to build a large number of our "temporary signals" to get ready for the October Middle Region Convention open house and OPs session.  Bill has written the Visual Basic software that runs the signaling and CTC on the layout.  Below is a few of our signal factory.

And below is our first signal to operate on the railroad, ever!  It is located at Mount Airy on the WMRY.  The aspect shown is Green over Red and controls entrance to the OS at Mount Airy.  What a trill it was to see the signal work and show the proper aspect based on the signal and switch lever setting on the CTC.

More photos and further explanation of the system in the future to follow.  Stay tuned.

Dealing with Getting Older and Less Flexible

Below is a rough drawing of dimensions to build a layout so you can work under it without crawling or other undesired positions unsuitable for older persons.  However as you can see, there are some limitations to this idea, but if I were starting over I would certainly follow this advice.  At 74 and a new knee limbs don't move or bend like they used to.

When I find the time to work on my web site, www.JaysOScaleLayout.info, I will be creating a page on that site about what I have learned and the mistakes I have made in building a layout.  I will offer a set of things that I would do if I were starting over.  One very simple thing is to supply 110 VAC every 8-10 feet along the edge of the layout.  Use conduct for a safer installation and provide a separate breaker for this.  I really get tired of extension cords up and down the aisles of they layout.  Or go cordless!  Our drills, saws, and one small soldering iron are now cordless.

Progress On Local Control Panels June 26, 2014

Here are photos of the local control panels for the first two locations working East to West.  The first panel is for Hillen area.  The left portion of the panel controls the Hillen terminal tracks.  These tracks are not controlled by CTC but rather by a Yard Master or the Engineer making up trains.  When the train is ready to depart it can pull up to the signal at the yard limits and the start of CTC.  Use of the "Traffic" toggle in the middle of the panel lets the dispatcher on the CTC that a train wants to leave the yards and enter CTC territory.  When the dispatcher confirms that permission the signal will go Green and the train can proceed out of the yard into CTC territory following the track side signals as authority to proceed.  The other toggle can operate turnouts in the CTC are under two circumstances.  Either the dispatcher changes them to Local control with a toggle on the CTC or if the railroad is being operated in ABS mode without a dispatcher.

The next panel going West is Bay View Yards.  It is just two through tracks.  Bay View Yard will be represented on the back drop.  All of the toggles on this panel only operate if the dispatched gives permission for local control or in the case of operating the layout under ABS.  The yellow light above the toggles light up when the local control is active.

There are seven more panels to come.  As I install switch machines going west I will finish each panel and test.  The next panel for tomorrow is for Penn Station in Baltimore.

Some scenery photos in the South Elkins area taken by Warren Hart today June 12, 2014

Coal Seam

Visitors From Williamsburg

Jack Brown and Ed Rappe visited the layout today.  Jack models the Western Maryland in HO and Ed models the Pennsy in O.  Below are some photos of Ed's layout.

Coming Soon!

I will be posting here in the near future information for our OPS sessions.  Such things as our rule book for the WMRY and the PRR, diagrams of the portions modeled including tracks, yards, and industries, timetables for our era, and other documentation needed to operate the railroad.  So stay tuned.

Also will be posting the Final layout drawing.

Progress Report and revised Layout drawing

First the near final revision of the layout plan drawing.  With the exception of the tracks in Fells Point, Port Covington, Webster Springs, and the PRR South staging yards, all tracks are in place.  Most are powered and detected.  All will be powered and detected by next week.

Bill Carr has basically completed the new programs to operate the CTC.  Built into his program is the ability to also run the railroad with a graphical CTC on the computer screen.  Also ABS signalling can be used instead of CTC at the flip of a switch.  In addition the new program has a bunch of new diagnostic tools built in.

Warren is continuing work on the West Virginia scenery including several water features.  He hopes to have about 50% of the scenery completed in time for an OP session as a part of the October Regional Convention in Hagerstown, MD.  The convention is hosted by the South Mountain Division of the Middle Eastern Region of the National Model Railroad Association.

Jay is busy finishing wiring of blocks and OS sections and switch machines.  In a few weeks he will be starting to redo the physical CTC machine.  The CTC is 120 inches long and eight 30 inch panels must be completed to make it operational.  Worst case we will use the on screen CTC.  He also intends to finish some structures and build some more.  However the main objective is to get the layout operational.