December Update

Happy New Year from the SP Los Angeles Division and the SP Exeter Branch!

Before I jump into the final progress update for 2022, I'd like to share some info about the Exeter Branch.

As we bring 2022 to an end, we wrap up our 14th year of hosting operating sessions on the Exeter Branch.

To date, we've had:
- 298 operating sessions
- 141 different operators
- Two expansions to the railroad
- Increase of operators from 4 to 5 per session
- 6 reprinting/generations of Waybills
- Converted from wired to wireless throttles
- Changed eras backdating from 1980 to 1962-64
- Hosted sessions for 5 Desert Ops events
- Have never cleaned the track

January will kick off year 15 of operations and an expanded operating schedule to include weekday daytime sessions along with our regular Tuesday evening and Saturday daytime sessions.


Now, onto the construction update:

Work began with getting the yard lead added to the west end of Taylor Yard. Unfortunately, the lead cannot be as long as the longest track. That likely won't be an issue as the yard lead will be used more to process arriving trains versus outbound. As noted in my last update, outbound trains will depart from the yard body tracks rather than a departure track.

Prior to adding the yard lead, I had to complete the connections of the double main tracks. This included the addition of super-elevation. I opted to offset the rail joints for the curve as well. I opted to solder the joints as well for extra strength of the joint.

I continue to be very impressed with Peco flex track. I've had a few lessons learned along the way, yet I continue to be impressed with how it looks and the ease of use.

I am using Atlas N scale rail joiners for all rail joints. I was given this tip and am duly impressed with them as well. In my application, they look very good and are small. Frankly, I think they work as well as Micro Engineering, but at a fraction of the cost. The web of the Peco rail is narrower than Atlas 83. The joiners accept the Peco track easily.

A continued phenomenon I experience is that curves look much tighter in radius than what they actually are. I can only attribute this to using broad radii for most curves. The yard lead curve is going to be a 30" radius. It looked so tight. However the radius gauge say just over 30". It's all about perspective. And I'm happy to have a handful of radius gauges!

The yard lead is the track to the left of the straight-edge. I believe it should work out well.

I'll also note that the straight-edges have been wonderful tools. I have various sizes. The primary ones used are the 4' and 6' lengths. The 6' is pictured to the left. I picked up an assortment set from Amazon which has 24", 20", 18", 12" and a couple of others. All have come in handy at one point or another.

The straight edges are extremely useful for ensuring the track is straight when installed. I've worked very hard to ensure track is straight with no wavering.

After completing the main track connections and getting the yard lead in place, we started laying out the track for the engine facility.

We fitted the turntable into the opening. This required some additional modifications to the drywall to ensure the turntable will sit correctly into the opening.

Next up was laying out the track. My criteria includes having the shops building accessed from the turntable, garden tracks, servicing tracks, and storage tracks. I am trying to plan how the facility will be used during operating sessions. Of course, regardless of how I plan it, it will not always be operated as such. No worries there. My operations philosophy is to tell operators what needs to happen, not how to do it. The 'how' is the operator's choice.

The track layout isn't complete as pictured. The service tracks will likely be those beyond / above the turntable. The storage tracks to the left and will be longer than pictured. The three tracks coming off the right side of the turntable are the shops tracks. Yes, this isn't exact to the prototype, but I just don't have the space. For all intents and purposes, the turntable is more of a scenic element versus a key functional component. In the foreground is a spur for the supply tracks of the shops. More to come here.

As I was preparing to finalize the engine facility tracks, I realized that due to reach issues, I had better get feeders installed on the mains, crossover and ladder access before I start laying engine facility tracks. I don't want to have to climb across this area once track is installed. That means: feeder time!

I crawled up on the benchwork and began adding feeders.

I found that I had missed a rail joiner connection. Fortunately, this was a single piece of track connecting the mains to the yard ladder. Fortunately, I am using latex caulk for the installation of track. I gently removed the track with a putty knife. After some minor clean up of the roadbed, I put down a new bead of caulk and reattached the section of track. 

I also decided it would be best to power all turnout frog rails with feeders. Again, it is my preference that every piece of track gets feeders. No exceptions.

I'm using Peco Insulfrog turnouts. They will route the power based on point position. Since I'm using DCC, I don't find power routing necessary. However, I am concerned about using the points to power the frog rails. This is the Peco design. From a maintenance and electrical reliability perspective, depending on points being the source of power is concerning over time.

Peco's turnout design includes the ability to add jumpers to the bottom side of the stock rails. By adding the jumpers, this will power the entire point rail and appropriate frog rail. I tested adding jumpers and didn't like the results. It wasn't aesthetically pleasing. Plus I've already installed a boatload of turnouts and I'm not planning to pull them up just to add jumpers. For me the best solution is to add more feeders.

Having made the decision on feeders, I moved to the other end of Taylor Yard and began working on the ladder for the Local Yard. The design of the ladder consumed an amazing amount of time. It has to curve and I want to optimize the length of the yard body tracks. I likely designed it half a dozen ways before settling on what is implemented.

The newly designed Local Yard includes a small runaround on the alley track. This is along the edge of the benchwork.

Laying out the ladder and getting it right was a task. As part of accommodating the curve, it was my desire to keep the radius as broad as possible.

The most effective technique was to lay out the entire ladder and assemble it before attaching it with the caulk. This 'dry fit' exposes any issues. Push pins were critical to holding everything in place while the dry fitting was happening.

Onto the assembly.

Construction of the Local Yard came to a halt at this point. I ran out of benchwork. Time to break out the welder! 

Actually, the next section of benchwork connects to the end of the peninsula. Some additional design and engineering is required for the benchwork as this is where the helix to lower staging will go.

I've tried to pre-plan as much as possible. However, as construction has evolved, a few issues have arisen. I noted in previous posts about the need to used electromagnets for remote uncoupling. In order to install them for Violet Alley, I need to remove the sub-roadbed from underneath. As the area was designed without provision for this, I had to cut access holes. Unfortunately they aren't very big access holes, but will work. The size limitation is due to the how the lower level staging steel was assembled. 

If I had thought of this during initial construction, I could have built a 2'x2' clear area to have an access hole that provided ample room. Oh well...

Cutting with the jigsaw in the tight space was quite a trick. The portable light I'd recently bought was very helpful as this space is very tight. Only 14" from the level I'm cutting at to the top of the main level above.

I had one hand on the saw and one hand on the shop vac hose. I used the shop vac while cutting to minimize the dust being spread about the room.

To keep the cutouts from falling too early and damaging the drywall, I used a piece of scrap plywood to hold it in place. It takes one screw from below attached the plywood and provided the necessary relief. Once the cutting was complete, I simply lifted the cutout to removedit.

As mentioned, the holes aren't big, but are big enough for my purpose.

Now it's back to feeder installation. The holes have been drilled and wires placed for Taylor Yard. Lots of soldering for the new year.

That wraps up this update. January will be consumed with installing feeders and connecting the sub-bus. A lot of work will be completed with little visible progress. We will also be adding feeders to the frog rails of the previously installed turnouts. Hopefully, the benchwork for the peninsula can be completed and I can wrap up the Local Yard construction too. That's a lot to do for January!

Once again, Happy New Year to all! May you have a wonderful and blessed 2023.