My Second Tramway

[keiman]

Thanks Bernard,

I really want to get the boards to a stage where I can run trams, and then work out where bits of the scenic stuff will go.

Will probably slow down on the build now the fine weather is here. Also the car show season starts this weekend - my other big vice- apart from the odd drop of Gentleman Jack.

[keiman]

Track wiring going to be easy, lighting wiring a bigger nightmare,3 sets of lights running independantly plus colour light signals.

Could be a bunch of multiway connectors, switches - especially as I want to link some of the signals together.

Been looking at it tonight and realized one pair of signals will be split across the 2 boards so will have to get an extra 2 aspect signal for the extension board.

The joy of soldering the signal kits.and my yard lights is on the horizon.

[keiman]

first set of photo's with track fixed and wires ready for underboard work.

[keiman]

Work back in progress

l have just been using the hotmelt glue gun  to cover the exposed ends of the track pins under the board.(Health and Safety-for me, saves me catching my fingers on them ) Have also put hot melt on the wires where they come through the board.

Will be fixing copper strips tomorrow and then wiring the track to them.

[rpierce000]

That hot melt glue to cover nail ends sounds really nice. I have a few scars, covered by hair for now, from coming up under a club layout that had some protruding sharps.

 

Do you do it while the layout is track up or track down?

 

I have seen people stick little pieces of styrofoam on them, but that seems temporary unless you use glue.

[keiman]

Board upside down. Also means if I eventually get it to a suitable std I can exhibit it any put on the cloth seats in the car don't snag the fabric.

With this project I sorted out the track plan, using track to make sure it would fit the boards.

Sheets of 5mm coloured foam board then cut to size of Boards and track laid out on top.

Draw round track, then cut out where the track is going.This has brought up the level of the ground as I wanted.

OK you then have offcuts  in the shape of the track plan that are binned.

I then stuck the foam board to the main baseboard with std PVA glue(the cheap stuff  for kids hobby use)

Track all laid out on the board and nailed down using Peco Track pins. Wires soldered to the sides of the track for power feeds and holes drilled thro.

Next stage (borrow HD industrial glue gun from work) turn the boards over and put a blob of Glue on each pin having bent themover so they don't comeout, and also a blob of glue to hold the wires where they come thro the board(DIY cable clamp - trick learned when was working making up electrical panels in a previous job).

Thing to remember is if you use the Tomix Buffers make sure you space the board up a bit before you lay it down.

[KenS]

I don't use track nails, but hot-melt glue for securing wires is a really good idea. I normally use small nylon loops secured with screws to keep wires in place under the layout. That's good if you have several wires in one place and might need to move/re-run one.  But for a small layout where you're dealing with individual wires, glue seems like a better, and faster, method.  I'll have to use that on my tram layout.

[keiman]

DCC wiring fitted

 

Bottom of boards wired for track, points decoders still to fit.

 

 

Just lighting circuits to fit now.

[Kabutoni]

I like your way of wiring with copper plating! It makes the circuits much more easy to understand and thus less prone to confuse oneself with wiring. Next to that, it gives off a strange, almost steam-punk like feeling. Maybe it's because it looks like a circuit board, but with wood as a substitute for epoxy.

 

I'm also planning that kind of wiring for my future layout, together with contact points for illuminated buildings (as I want them to be removable for maintenance and additional detailing).

[keiman]

Cheers Toni,

Self adhesive copper strip. That lot took 30 minutes to do once all the droppers  through the boards were fitted. There will also be electrical connectors between the boards as well as the actual track.

Having access to rolls of different coloured wire helps. As the track is basically a loop all the outside feeds were one colour and the inside another. Makes it simple as you work underneath - all wire the same colour to the same busbar.

[keiman]

Center module being built for summer project party. see here:

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,4937.0.html

[keiman]

Wire links between boards now fitted.

There will be no more work done on this until the summer is over.I need to complete the centre module(summer project party) to work out how the scenic details will link together.

[keiman]

This project could get out of hand, if i'm not careful.

One board- tram depot, track laid.

second board - rural link, Project party 2011

third board - will be new town layout, want to incorporate the bus system when it arrives. in design stage(in my head)

fourth board- run round track like outside of tram depot track laid.

[keiman]

Started on the tram depot board.

filling in the gaps between the track and foam core with filler.

This is for the crossings and main yard area.-a couple of mm depth at a time, let it dry 24 hrs then next layer to make sure every thing is going to look right.

[keiman]

Ballasting the tram depot board.

1st layer of ballast down tonight and some of the infill between tracks done, leave to dry for 24 hrs, before I do any more.

[keiman]

been busy sorting out scenic details on both end modules.

Depot ready for wiring lighting and started on other end.

Run round module will have temple and festival stage  on it

 

Pics to follow.

Work on the new town will not commence until I get my bus system.

[keiman]

The rest of the layout will be built on 24" x 12" modules.

Timber ready to cut. Am going to have to buy some more packs of the Tomix S33 track and get some in the wide tram track as well. That is what I am using to link the modules together along with 2 pole connectors under the boards to keep the power buss bars linked.

[keiman]

Shopping list compiled to finish off Temple end then the festival section can be populated.

Pictures tomorrow , have just got to find camera lead to download them.

[keiman]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the result of a week off work 

 

Don't know what has happened but these appear on my old Photobucket account.

[inlander]

What a difference a weeks work can make- its coming on well, look forward to seeing some operations.

[Bernard]

I like the design of the second layout, but I also liked your 1st too. Nice work!

[keiman]

Final update for this week, back to work tomorrow. 

Have put the track inserts in the yard area.-next task some kit building before I do the lighting wiring.

Also going to build a few more of my Sankei kits and fit the decoder in the little Kato steeplecab.

[Mudkip Orange]

VERY not bad!

[keiman]

Update time.

As I am not spending money on the layout at present.have been doing some of the jobs that could be classed as "save for a rainy day ".

Lights now installed in the buildings on the depot board. Still got to build the yard lights and signals.( Brass kits with SMD Leds).

 

Have realised half my Tomytec buildings will need to be partially dismantled to be painted black inside to stop the light leaking through the walls. Trouble is I know I glued some together

 

Started populating the festival area around the stage on that board as well.

[keitaro]

Update time.

As I am not spending money on the layout at present.have been doing some of the jobs that could be classed as "save for a rainy day ".

Lights now installed in the buildings on the depot board. Still got to build the yard lights and signals.( Brass kits with SMD Leds).

 

Have realised half my Tomytec buildings will need to be partially dismantled to be painted black inside to stop the light leaking through the walls. Trouble is I know I glued some together

 

Started populating the festival area around the stage on that board as well.

 

Some of the model buildings I have found only need the roof done to save yourself time glue foil to the roof.

 

Some though need paining internally on side walls and roof and it's too hard to foil these with windows... just though I'd mention as the ones that only need the roof done won't need to be pulled apart.