Just some pictures :)

Guess what - more changes to track plan!

Looks like I have found what I think is a feasible track plan for the lower or Southern area which was the former staging yard.
I have decided to change this to a town with a terminus, and engine roads. The idea is to make up and break up trains here using my Y Class, then call on the locos which are rostered for the train from the loco tracks. Lot more engaging compared to simply letting trains into 'hidden' staging.

I now kinda enjoy shunting! So this adds alot to the operational point of things.

Here is the track plan (Click for complete image)

Changes to TrackPlan - Again!

I think adding another station is needed on this plan - so I decided to change the branch line next to staging and make it another town - although this comes with a massive trade off as the space for a three track station and a 'main' line next to it causes a huge compromise in realism. I decided to go for operation over scenery. Don't know whether this will work.

Attached are some pictures:

Installing ANE Smartswitches

Spent the entire day building a 'CTC' panel for the main station. Eventually worked out how to have two LEDs light up at the same time, one showing RED, the other GREEN, depending on how the points are thrown. Basically, you need to connect the LEDs in series. The LEDs must be bi-color and I used the two leg type.

Didn't get a chance to play at all! Was consumed in getting this panel up and working.

I think the ANE Smart switches are kind of worth it now, although they are expensive at nearly $20 a pop (more for the decoder version), because the package comes with everything and I really like the LED read out - tells me at a glance which way the points are set - really difficult when you have the layout at near eye-level.

A real pain to install but a few tips I have are:

1. Make a small bend in the wire supplied the other side from the bottom up into the point, then secure the wire onto the servo Horn then the Horn onto the Smart Switch. This is kinds awkward, but more effective I think. Also, use the servo horn with the double arm and thread the wire into the first or second hole, this way the servo arm does not need to move alot to change the points.

Well, that's one tip for now.

12 Months On

Well it's been 12 months since I purchased my first locomotive (Austrains T375) and I began from scratch. Since then, alot has been achieved.

• Benchwork
  
• Erection of Shed and concreting
• Layout Design (about 50 plans were created)
• Track layed out and then ripped up and relayed to its final form
• Signalling circuitry completed
• About 30 pieces of rolling stock bought, constructed, and painted (no decals as yet applied)
• Six Locomotives purchased namely, B75, B67, T375, Y164, T357 and S311 (Don't think I need anymore)
• Some track painted
• ANE Point motors installed onto 6 points - still to do about 4 more.
• Final Layout plan settled on.
• All track have feeder wires.
• Bus wiring layed out.

Current RollingStock:

Maybe the next 12 months, I may see the following completed:

• All track ballasted
• All track painted
• Grass and Trees
• Signalling Completed
• SEMs BW cars constructed and painted - looking to do at least 4
• US Tank Cars modified and painted accordingly
• Decals applied to rolling stock (hate this job!)
• A station constructed and painted
• A Goods Shed constructed and painted
• Probably some more SEM freight wagons constructed

I think the most difficult parts, laying track, track plans, building benchwork are behind me.

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S Class Video - S 311

Humbrol Paints

Suggestion is to use #20 for Passenger stock



For Freight stock use Humbrol 100 Matt red brown, can be sprayed or brushed.



For weathering Humbrol matte 110 or 118 applied with an airbrush for locomotive dust



For AW/BW Roof colours - use either #26 or #29 (I think #29 is more appropriate (Dark Earth/Brown)

RUST: - Polly S Rust P02-414323

Chart:

http://scalemodeldb.com/paintcharts/humbrol

for weathering

Humbrol matte 110 or 118 applied with an airbrush for locomotive dust.