One of the projects I've delayed is cutting the lift out so I can walk in and out of the layout area without ducking. Very useful when I am just working on the train...not so good when it's running.
There are 2 problems with a lift out. First, ensuring it fits well enough to stay in place and the trains run well across it. Second, the electrical connection. I fitted the liftout pretty well as I was building the benchwork and then ran the track across it. Now I only had to cut the track (I had cut the cork after the glue had dried) and I finally did that today.
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| The liftout removed so I don't have to duck while working on the layout |
For the electrical connection, I had thought of something rather complicated - brass or copper plates under the liftout that would make the connection when in place. Instead, I found a stereo plug and wired the two tracks to a terminal strip, then the terminal strip to the plug. Had a bugger of a time trying to figure out how I added a short circuit. I removed all the wires, one by one and still had a short. Turns out, inside the plug the wires were touching!
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| All track has ballast between the rails |
Another project I finished - or close to it - was the first part of ballasting the track. All the track on the layout, except for the 2 feet of the liftout, has ballast between the rails. Much of the layout also has the sides of the roadbed ballasted and I only have to finish the West Yard, mainline through Irwin and a few feet of the mainline past Irwin and entering E. McKeesport from the west.
Looking good! I have two simple projects to finish this weekend - mount the remaining scenery divider behind E. McKeesport and ... well, the other one is a surprise!
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