Build Progress - 10/23

Build Progress - 10/23

Some big milestones this month!

  • Berry is now complete, after I finished a couple of the turnouts:
  • The railhead has now reached Nowra (just!). It was completed about 2-3 hours before I had some mates over to run some trains and help shake down the layout again.
Whilst there were intensions to complete this yard, I opted to just put a loop in.
A lone P class arrives with its passenger train.
  • During the running session we didn't have a recurrence of last time where some things fell in a heap. Fortunately some of the work outlined in this post seems to have paid off, and its 3rd-time-lucky with those curved points! (Or at least, I made the effort to ensure there were no twists this time)
  • I put some time aside as well to unbox my Elgoo Phecda and do a test print. I'm wanting to do a lot of the buildings with it, but my first use case will be mounts for the DCC Concepts lever frames on the side of the layout
  • Now the top of the layout is in I've had to install some lights underneath. I've opted for some RGBWW LEDs installed into Aluminium channel. I got this idea from the NMRA convention at Rosehill this year where I saw a layout there using Aluminium tube and LED strip lighting to good effect. Thanks Gary!
  • I've also swapped out the roof lights to the same thing. They are now both plumbed into home assistant and can give some nice night/day effects:
Strip LEDs underneath in the aluminium channel
and the same again in night mode
  • Now that the line has reached Nowra, I've gotta fill out the last couple of areas. Manildra Yard, Nowra Yard, and the industrial/switching district underneath. Thats 16 turnouts to be built, so I've set myself a challenge in November to do 4 a week. I've got a bit of a production line now where I do a little bit each night over 6 nights to finish them, so hopefully i'll be in a position over December to finish up the track

Thats it for now - hopefully Novembers post will have a pile of turnouts!