Model Trains Chronology

7:00 am Much of the day will be devoted to working on the model train layout. I was surprised and disappointed yesterday to notice that the spade connectors for the 20 gauge wire were slightly too wide for the Atlas modules, particularly the switch modules. I think I will take in one of these modules and see if the electrical store has anything that will fit it. It is possible to file my existing spades down but it would be nice if I had some ready-made connectors as there will be a large number of such connections on the layout.

I also want to reinforce the decision to use power to control the mainline turnouts, but will use manual throws for all the turnouts in the yards and sidings. One consequence of this decision in that I will only need 2 control panels, one for the Lower Mainline and one for the Upper Mainline. A further implication is that I can use the turnouts in their regular form in the yards and sidings and then slowly convert them to a realistic manual throw as I buy the necessary attachments. This all means that I am now ready to begin setting up the yard track for thumb tack attachment, which further means that I should soon have the entire lower level operational.

Once I have the Happy Valley track installed I will shift a major focus to rolling stock as I test the layout for operational ease of use by running trains and cars. Thus I will be able to mix development of the layout with actual use of the layout. This is happening much quicker than I suspected. I will then need to re-examine each locomotive and car to see that the wheels conform to NRMA standard, that the Kadee couplers work properly and are at exactly the right height, that the car has the correct weight (I need to find information on this.).

Setting up the yard track for Distillery Row depends on first finalizing the oil refinery diorama.

8:15 am I have begun adding predecessor information to my AdeptTracker project management file. I still have some work to do on this, but it is neat to see how the various components fit together. I expect that I will notice a few items that I may have forgotten, or which may have prerequisites that I have overlooked.

11:20 I returned to the electrical shop and was able to buy some narrow spade connectors that will fit the Atlas modules. Great! I am now set to continue wiring the Lower Mainline loop and Lower Mainline Reversing loop.

Even without working on the wiring, I am in a position to set down the track for the Happy Valley yard. Once this is in place I can thumb tack it down, add a couple of terminal tracks and wire them, and I will then be in a position to have a fairly complex set of switching activities.

I am now in a position where I can begin to review each of my rolling stock to verify that they meet all NRMA standards (wheel spacing, Kadee coupler height, car weight). As each locomotive and car is reviewed I want to make an entry in a data base to that effect as well.

Here is a web site that gives the NRMA standard for weight of a car: http://www.simplytrains.com/pages/hints&tips/track/betterrun.htm Basically it says that a car should weigh 1 oz plus 1/2 for each inch of length.

12:30 PM I have laid out all of the yard track for Happy Valley. The citizens should be happy as trains may soon be able to deliver supplies to the town which has only had a train station operational until now.