Quick Real Time Update

 Benchwork is getting close to North Acca; placing homasote and will have it ready to paint fairly soon.

Got bored and reworked the DCC circuit breaker installation

 My original install of the PSX breakers wasn't neat, but speedy.

Now with some time in the evening and having the lower level DCC wiring starting soon, I thought it was time to neat up the wallfield area where the command station is.

Much neater, I'd say!

PCB Signal Mounting Update

I have designed PCB signals in various types, which I will be selling to others, but the genesis for this idea was the fact that I needed signals on the removable bridge sections of the layout.

I didn't want to risk expensive scale signals (at $25 to 48 each) on something that will get moved and placed at ground level, hence using signals that are just made out of circuit board.

Mounting them takes a 3/4" hole made with a forstner bit giving you a flat bottom hole.

The PCB is a bit smaller than 3/4, so you need a way to hold them in.

A piece of strip styrene and 2, #4 by 1/2" screws, and done!

Greendale Control Point Status

 Building crossovers with the Fast Tracks jigs requires a certain order of operations.

I build each component turnout of the crossover, using the outside (non-frog connected) stock rail and points first. Then I will install the frog, of which, one leg of is the stock rail for the other turnout in the pair.

Once you have that, you can square the turnouts up, notch the stock rail (if you didn't measure it correctly first OR if you haven't notched it already) for the points and then finish your soldering job.

During the build, I realized that I had to build the LH crossover with a RH turnout immediately following the crossover to get to the Amtrak station. My first set of partials didn't have a long enough stock rail.

Oops.

I had to recut points and frogs and restart the build.

Building complex trackwork like this will make you wish you could buy ME rail in lengths longer than 3'; I could use 6' or longer pieces without issue.

Progressing Slowly

 More track is down and I've been spending my time lately grooming the DCC wiring to make it sustainable versus hacked together.

I have pulled a couple of new bus runs to support the track that's down.

Currently working on the crossovers in Greendale and then will start putting the station tracks in.

If we get some sunny weather in the next couple of weeks, I'm going to get subroad down to get me into the Acca area, but with February, you have no idea what you get. Today started rainy, then went sleet, then snow and it all had melted away by 1 or so.

I have been taking pictures so there will be fodder for more posts in the nearish future.

Greendale Ladder Build

 A couple of shots from the ladder build.

Shot of completed ladder.

More pictures are posted in the gallery at richmond-terminal.org

Nor gloom of night

 Had a power outage in August and couldn't let that stop me from making progress.

Interesting effect, don't you think?