The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

Track is down with a temporary jumper to power them.



Shelf down:



I’m trying to organize the wiring under the shelf, since it could be snagged when raising or lowering the shelf and it has to clear the folding leg.



I notched the leg where necessary to clear the feeders:



Unfortunately, the turnouts aren’t allowing power to pass through, so, despite the soldered rail joints, I’m going to need more feeders and more notches in the leg.   

DFF

[davefoxx]

I received a notice from the vendor where I preordered three Rapido HO scale Seaboard System B36-7s (DCC and sound) that they needed my credit card information updated.  Considering I preordered these locomotives in March 2018, that's no surprise.  Anyhoo, I got the information to the retailer, and see the charge on my credit card.  Hopefully, they'll ship tomorrow, and I'll have these locomotives, which are quintessential SBD power, this week.  Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!!

DFF

[glakedylan]

when the attorney's handiwork with wood that he could be a cabinet maker
super. precise. looking. fantastic.


kudos, Dave


sincerely
Gary

[davefoxx]

Thanks, Gary.  You’re too kind.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Because there’s no room under the shelf to mount Bullfrog throws to control the turnouts, I went with the tried and true wire “spring,” not unlike that within Peco turnouts.  Coincidentally, in Model Railroader’s layout series on the Seaboard Central in the 1980s, it was shown how to bend a piece of wire to make the spring.  Works great!  Although a little unsightly, that’s no concern on the folding shelf.





I also finished all of the feeders and organized them to clear the folding leg.  The mess of excess wire at left will be wired into Cat 4 wire, so I can install a phone jack to be unplugged when the shelf is dropped.



DFF

[LIRR]

I used this spring on 2 switches...they were both directly over a 1x4 piece of framing and I coulnt use the blue-point switch machine as on all other switches.
recently I extended a narrow shelf into the next room. I used these springs on all 4 turnouts because it was faster and easier. I haven't had any problems with them. it also doesn't seem to matter the frogs aren't wired (as with the bluepoints)

[basementcalling]

What kind of spring are we talking about here? looks like a KISS method of turnout control perfect for a small switching layout, or the occassion blocked access situation.

[davefoxx]

Oh, snap!  It fits!  Time to get my fix of some ET&WNC.



DFF

[Chris333]

A perfect spot for this 

[davefoxx]

YES!  Best use of that meme yet!   Hahahahaha!!!

[davefoxx]

This afternoon, I began adding sides to the staging shelf.  Basically, it’s fascia that will also add a protective fence to prevent rolling stock from falling to the floor.  I bought a straight cutting router bit (with ball bearing pilot guide) to trim the fascia to final shape.  If this works, it means I don’t have to be exact with my saw cuts.

Unfortunately, my brad gun battery died, so clamps it is!  Wish me luck.



DFF

[Hawghead]

What kind of spring are we talking about here? looks like a KISS method of turnout control perfect for a small switching layout, or the occassion blocked access situation.

@basementcalling Here's a video that shows how to make them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXGEjuDhwhY

Scott

[davefoxx]

Thank you, @rapidotrains!!!  My three B36-7s arrived today.  I preordered them about twenty months ago, but they were worth the wait.  Mine are DCC and sound, which have ESU Loksound V5.0 decoders onboard.  They're purty.  I have already gone through and messed with the function mapping to allow me to use this B36-7 on the ProtoThrottle.  Once I get this one figured out to my full satisfaction, I'll tear into the other two B36s.  I'll be able to cheat and use the same file to load the new settings, and then I'll just change the road number and save that under a different file name.  In other words, while I'll spend a few hours tweaking No. 5847's function mapping, I'll be able to do the other two in a few minutes.



I still need to build a pair of Sergent Engineering couplers for this locomotive.  But, I've been breaking it in first.  It runs really well.  Speed matching will be among the last things I need to do before No. 5847 joins the fleet.  Hopefully, I'll have better luck than the last time I tried to speed-match a locomotive with Loksound V5.0 decoders.  Speed-matching Loksound V4.0 was no problem, but ESU changed it so that now, on the V5.0, there is no ability to use a three-point speed table (e.g., CV2, CV5, and CV6) . . . unless they changed it again.  Stay tuned.

DFF

[milw12]

Gotta love those GE's- looks well worth the twenty month wait. Liking the progress lately, it's good fun following along 

Have you been liking the ProtoThrottle?

Lucas

[davefoxx]

Gotta love those GE's- looks well worth the twenty month wait. Liking the progress lately, it's good fun following along 

Have you been liking the ProtoThrottle?

Lucas

@milw12,

Thanks!  I got new couplers installed this morning.  That was easy, except that the plow was preventing me from pulling the coupler box out of the front pilot.  Thankfully, Rapido did not glue the plow on, so it turned out to be remove and snap back into place.  Whew!

I love the ProtoThrottle.  I spent a few hours tweaking and remapping last night to allow the B36-7 to be used on the ProtoThrottle.  And, I was smart this time, because I saved the factory Rapido/ESU file before tearing into function remapping, just in case it all went bad.  This way, I could always default back to the factory settings.  It was also helpful to try to figure out which functions do what, because the mapping, for example, does not explain what each sound slot is.  I'm trying to be patient and get this B36 set up correctly, before doing the other two.   That will hopefully save much time tweaking on each individual locomotive down the road.

DFF