Progress today mainly in laying out all the remaining points for the fiddle yard and working out what additional rail I need to order. In the process working out that the ANYRAIL plan, although very accurate, was let down by my inaccurate measuring of the room in the first place. But I gained some space. With some better measurements I was able to get on the PC and plan a few more loco, DMU storage sidings in the bottom right of the layout plan.

I also decided on adding a point on the bottom left entry to the storage sidings (the down main line) heading directly onto the turntable, this will save a reverse. I also made some other minor adjustments but nothing substantial. This is the latest track plan with today's changes. 

The left image is the bottom left hand corner on the plan, i.e. left hand side entrance into the storage yard with the turntable. The idea is that I can access and exit all storage lines in either direction at both ends. Took a fair bit of planning particularly with the curve and trying to get as much storage is possible. I printed the Anyrail plan out in real size on A3 paper, then laid the points over it, just to make sure i) I had the points I need ii) they fitted. The right image is the other end of the storage sidings (bottom righ) same idea, soft lay the track and see if it all aligns and fits. It does.

So i've just got an order to do for 4 right hand electofrogs. Still probably cheaper to order from the UK than a German model shop. So result today was not what I expected, however i'm happy knowing that the planning is now finished and I can just plough ahead with the track laying. Still have to prepare the points for DCC and improve the look cosmetically,  glue the track down (Copydex), wire it up and screw the Cobalts underneath the layout. Then test it all. 

All seems much clearer but still tons to do. I'll need another box of flexitrack, but that can wait until i'm over in the UK in late November (around Warley time).

Made some decent progress in late September with the wife away and not so much travel. Rather than getting distracted with lots of experimenting with weathering and fitting sound chips etc I tidied up the railway room and focussed on getting some track down in the station area.

The droppers have been soldered and most of the isolated sections have been cut and fitted with Peco isolated track joiners, although i've forgotten a few. Planning of the occupation zones is completed so wiring up shouldn't be such a difficult job as it's been in the past.

After quite a break I've laid the down lines through the station and also added two additional lines in the marshalling / storage yards. Since the last update actually quite a lot has happened as i've got the first loop fully wired for the Power Districts (Digitrax PM42) and the occupancy detectors working (BDL168), Cobalt point motors also installed and wired up correctly, including changing frog polarity. Also since the last update i've been installing Loksound decoders in some locos and experimenting with weathering.

Firstly the track laying from today. I've given up with cutting each sleeping away from the webbing for better spacing. It takes too long and is rather difficult to get the sleepers all aligned. I see PECO and other manufacturers are now bringing in more prototypical track, but too late for me. This shot is looking south towards Rugby. Spacing between centrelines is 4.5cm.

A long time ago I experimented with making PECO Code 100 track look better. At the time I ordered lots of it (back in the late 2000's) so i'm sticking with it. Back then I cut the webbing out from between each sleeper and spaced them out. I tried the same thing again today - it takes ages to do this, but it's only in the scenic part of the layout. I think the extra time will pay off. (ed: later proved wrong!)

Out of the box the sleeper the gap between sleepers is 4mm. I did a little research and found that a more appropriate gap would be 6mm. So I build a small jig for making the spacing a bit easier.

Of course this does nothing for the other out of scale dimensions of the sleepers, but it's an improvement and I don't want to go to the expense of new track or putting on new scale sleepers that I know are available. I suppose OO is a compromise in itself, so no point getting too fussy.

Of course this does nothing for the other out of scale dimensions of the sleepers, but it's an improvement and I don't want to go to the expense of new track or putting on new scale sleepers that I know are available. I suppose OO is a compromise in itself, so no point getting too fussy.

Next mini-project was butchering PECO large radius points so that the centrepoint to centrepoint measurement was 47mm (which i've read is closer to the real thing) rather than the standard PECO Streamline geometry 55mm. I have never done this before, but as with most of what i'm doing, i've read about it. Many of the points in the scenic section will need to be similarly treated, and the big test will be the double crossover on the north bay.

I didn't bother to put rail joiners on as i'll need to isolate the frogs anyway. I think the overall effect more than justifies the time spent. I have tried to match up the sleeper spacing too. I am pleased with the overall effect - even if because of the experimenting I didn't get any real momentum going today. As usual...