With a lengthy day off ahead of me, I decided to tackle the task head-on and put it behind me. I dropped all the remaining feeders, cut the module rail gaps (so that the two halves can be functionally separated, and cleaned up my solder joints.
My Peco power-routing turnouts have been giving me some trouble lately in terms of routing the power through the frog. After doing some research, I discovered that relying solely on the point friction to transfer power through the turnout is a sketchy game at best; better to solder a wire to the frog, and use a routing switch (like a SPDT switch) to route the power.
I dropped wires and soldered in the feeders, placing each feeder on the opposite side of the viewing angle to best disguise them.
Small SPDT switches will be installed next to the throwbars, then shaped and detailed to look like scale switch stands. More on that later.
I finished the Shapeways tender for #2 (with the exception of decals, a coal load, and weathering), and ran it on the layout for a bit.
It was a nice, sunny day, so I decided to take the test module out and take a few "beauty shots." Really happy with how these came out.
There are a bunch more, but these were some fun picks. I like the effect of the sepia tone on the scene.
More fun and frolic to come, folks! See you soon.
I've still got a few dangling feeders, and I know it will only take a few minutes to suitcase connect them to the main power lines...but dadgum if it ain't more fun to decal a box car or just run trains. Makes me wonder if I need them, if the trains run well enough. It's just when they stall or sputter and I think, oh yeah, I need to clamp those feeders...
ReplyDeleteNice new banner shot.
Yep, I just wanted to get all the busywork stuff out of the way so I could focus on the "fun stuff"! Still a few odds and ends left.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the photos!