With a move to a new home looming on the calendar, the layout work has stopped. In mid-April, my wife and I decided to have a few areas of the new house upgraded before moving in to live. As I am between employment opportunities, I could be on site to answer questions and keep the work moving forward. I set up a small table into my new hobby space along with some basic tools and a few resin kits. I started building on April 28. Along the way I learned a great deal and enjoyed almost every kit. The dates noted are when the build for each kit started. Continue reading “Recent Resin Freight Car Kit builds”
Late May layout update!
It’s been a while since the last layout update. If you have been following along, you know the layout wiring is complete. All of the track has been painted and the fascia has been installed. The Wheeling Freight Terminal is looking pretty good.
Track Installation Basics, part 5
Building a model railroad involves assembling track components into a design that meets a desire to operate or follow a prototype location. In many cases, three-foot sections of flexible track are joined together, or joined to track switches, as the mainline is installed. Often a tie or two is clipped from the track ends in order to connect the pieces with rail joiners. Installation proceeds and eventually the completed track is tested with a few freight cars and a locomotive before it is deemed complete.
Track installation basics, part 4
Model railroading is the sum total of a variety of elements as an individual builds their dream layout. History, carpentry, engineering, painting, geology, architecture, electronics and electrical, and other components all combine for the final presentation. Each of these components may have additional aspects. As an example, electrical can consist of work with switches, relays, wire, and soldering.
One step inspires more progress
I worked on the layout over this past weekend and completed the electrical wiring on the yard throat module. While surveying the work, I realized I had not made much progress in the last 4.5 months. Of course, I do consider wiring to be sheer drudgery, yet it is a necessary evil to complete in order to make the trains go. I guess I’ve just been avoiding this work as the fun factor is quite low. It’s a basic human trait to avoid the stuff we don’t like to do.
Over just a few days, I’ve completed the following tasks on the yard throat module.
- installed feeder wires on four tracks
- spray painted the rail and ties
- installed leads on seven SPDT momentary contact switches to control the frog polarity
- attached all feeder wires to the appropriate buss wires
Successful completion of this work inspires and motivates me to keep moving forward. This is how my hobby ebbs and flows. I’ve rarely achieved a straight line progression in task completion. There are often bursts of activity followed by a quiet stretch. At this point, only one module remains to be electrically completed. I hope to wrap that one up in the next week as the B&O Wheeling Freight Terminal project moves closer to operation.
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