flexible_coupling
Western Thunderer
This project came about as a very thinly veiled excuse to buy a sound-fitted loco and an NCE Powercab 'starter' DCC system - under the premise of learning all there was to learn about the ins-and-outs of DCC again, a full decade after I'd last dealt with the subject! Things had changed somewhat since the first-gen Roco LocoMaus systems and $100 a piece decoders...
I scored a new Broadway Limited NW2 switcher for a very good price, and picked up a Powercab set and put it together on my short length of test-bed track in the garage. Fun, sure.... for one night. At the same time, I'd been agitating for a desk of my own in the study of our compact house (with an idea of being able to have micro-layouts taking part of the desk space up). As my dear lady departed for a month overseas (London, Paris, Rome and Malta) last week, everything kicked into top gear. L-shape desk acquired and assembled. Timberwork bought for a small Inglenook-esque shunting puzzle layout. A visit to the father-in-law's very well equipped woodworking shed saw the layout built up in about 3 hours to a very good standard - I gave the edges three coats of paint to make it all presentable. Midwest brand cork/rubber hybrid underlay material has been applied to the majority of the board surface, including under the buildings - I've used it before and really liked the result. Preparations are underway for the wiring, which will be relatively straightforward I hope, despite this being my first endeavour into DCC wiring. Cobalt IP Digital motors will be used under the 3x Peco #5 code 83 points, controlled directly via the Powercab.
Buildings have been great fun to make/modify; a Woodland Scenics 'O'Leary's Dairy' has come up beautifully and I look forward to painting it; the main structure is a Walthers 'Magic Pan Bakery', augmented with a set of Walthers 'Propane Tanks' and some added Plastruct laddering and steps. The bakery kit was broadly intended to be a single rectangular building, but the modular construction and their own intentions allow for it to be built up in different shapes - I've pushed the envelope and turned it into a lengthy 'low-relief' structure, and I'm very pleased with it.... plenty of 'blind them with science' piping too.
Most of the rolling-stock intended for the layout is still on lay-by at the shop (hopefully will nab it this week and bring it home) - a DCC sound fitted 57' mechanical reefer by Athearn Genesis will add some auditory interest along with the idling BLI switcher. A few grain hoppers and short tankers also added into the shunting-puzzle mix.
While this is very HO USA, I do plan to run some of my Australian HO stock on here too. This layout will neatly fit on its' end into the wardrobe - permitting the next micro to take up residence on the desk.......
Some pictures to go along;
- Planning stage
- Leaping forward to woodwork complete... showing the rest of the desk space
- The bakery precinct
- There will be a 4th siding between the two buildings.
- Front of the dairy
- Point geometry set down, Midwest cork laid down everywhere. Preparing for drilling holes everywhere for feeder wires and point control.
I scored a new Broadway Limited NW2 switcher for a very good price, and picked up a Powercab set and put it together on my short length of test-bed track in the garage. Fun, sure.... for one night. At the same time, I'd been agitating for a desk of my own in the study of our compact house (with an idea of being able to have micro-layouts taking part of the desk space up). As my dear lady departed for a month overseas (London, Paris, Rome and Malta) last week, everything kicked into top gear. L-shape desk acquired and assembled. Timberwork bought for a small Inglenook-esque shunting puzzle layout. A visit to the father-in-law's very well equipped woodworking shed saw the layout built up in about 3 hours to a very good standard - I gave the edges three coats of paint to make it all presentable. Midwest brand cork/rubber hybrid underlay material has been applied to the majority of the board surface, including under the buildings - I've used it before and really liked the result. Preparations are underway for the wiring, which will be relatively straightforward I hope, despite this being my first endeavour into DCC wiring. Cobalt IP Digital motors will be used under the 3x Peco #5 code 83 points, controlled directly via the Powercab.
Buildings have been great fun to make/modify; a Woodland Scenics 'O'Leary's Dairy' has come up beautifully and I look forward to painting it; the main structure is a Walthers 'Magic Pan Bakery', augmented with a set of Walthers 'Propane Tanks' and some added Plastruct laddering and steps. The bakery kit was broadly intended to be a single rectangular building, but the modular construction and their own intentions allow for it to be built up in different shapes - I've pushed the envelope and turned it into a lengthy 'low-relief' structure, and I'm very pleased with it.... plenty of 'blind them with science' piping too.
Most of the rolling-stock intended for the layout is still on lay-by at the shop (hopefully will nab it this week and bring it home) - a DCC sound fitted 57' mechanical reefer by Athearn Genesis will add some auditory interest along with the idling BLI switcher. A few grain hoppers and short tankers also added into the shunting-puzzle mix.
While this is very HO USA, I do plan to run some of my Australian HO stock on here too. This layout will neatly fit on its' end into the wardrobe - permitting the next micro to take up residence on the desk.......
Some pictures to go along;
- Planning stage
- Leaping forward to woodwork complete... showing the rest of the desk space
- The bakery precinct
- There will be a 4th siding between the two buildings.
- Front of the dairy
- Point geometry set down, Midwest cork laid down everywhere. Preparing for drilling holes everywhere for feeder wires and point control.