June Progress

Again not heaps to report this month only a few things have happened.

As stated for the last two months "I will be helping my daughter with some house renovations which will distract me for a few weeks so progress during May / June might be a bit slow....." Coupled with this was the recovery from having my bottom right back tooth extracted took considerably longer than I thought! Then there was helping my Daughter move....

On top of this my major helpers have had bouts of sickness but I'm pleased to report the seem to be getting better.

Hornertown Wiring

Droppers, droppers and more droppers....   36 turnouts and 75 lengths of track = 222 droppers apart from the extras for short pieces of track...  Then there is the double main at the back and front!  This has kept Chris, Bob and I busy.

The track bus wiring awaits along with turnout motor installation.


Hornertown East Yard

My work mate Ross and I spent a morning working out details for the flour mill which will combine three Cornerstone Centenial Mill Kits using both fronts giving a overall length between external side walls of 1480mm.  We constructed a backing to fix the wall sections to including reinforcing with a 19mm x 38mm PAR pine to stop flexing which he has taken home to finish the mounting.

The mill will sit behind the shunt main and three track coach yard.


Shelving under the layout

Last Monday night we installed two shelves to start the migration of "stuff" to under the layout so the bottom level can be made ready for commissioning.


Thanks must go to the Monday night crew, Tuesday crew and work mate Ross for their continued assistance.

Progress during May

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Not heaps to report this month but things have still happened.

As stated last month "I will be helping my daughter with some house renovations which will distract me for a few weeks so progress during May / June might be a bit slow....." I also had a bottom right back tooth that decided to become infected and has since been extracted - this has set my targets personal back considerably! Nevertheless there has been some achievements to talk about.


Fleets Loop Track Wiring
I reported last month that "Chris has nearly finished .. but not quite .. two tracks have "shorts" so some detective work is still required as they all worked ok before....." Chris checked and doubled checked his work and was convinced he had not made a mistake to eventually find the ends of a bus feeder were touching causing the problem!!! - Problem was "Solvered" when these bus wires were separated.


Picard Junction Turnout Wiring
During the QA process and post Fleets Loop turnout installation it was noticed that the track power feeders between the Track Bus and frog accessory switch had been not been installed. Chris has been addressing this oversight.


Bottom Level Backdrop Painting
Barry got busy again for me on my scheduled Monday nights and he completed all of the Lower Level backdrop blue base.


Bottom Level Tracklaying
Three boxes (225 feet) of Peco code 75, 3 Double Slips, 8 No.8's, 1 Curved, 2 3-Way's and 21 No.6's have been laid with 3 No.4's and another box of track on the coach yard section outstanding.


Double Main
Well the main around the Helix was laid some 12 months ago and the time has come to extend it on the Bottom Level under Jimtown and along the back and front of Hornertown to meet the tracks emanating from Picard Junction and Lewiston Loop before traveling behind Flintston.

I asked Chris to lay on some planks placed over the coach yard supports and just put the track on to the that laid a year or so ago outside at the rear of the Helix. Well after he had been laying there trying to do this for some 20 minutes his quiet cursing started so I said "let me have a go!"  Well, after another 20 minutes, and me cursing we were both were very frustrated!  After a few minutes of "cooling down" I went back for another try and noticed a Sharpie line and "75" with and arrow facing me. The penny drops - I used up my old code 100 track in this corner on and around the Helix. Code 75 joiners and code 100 track = no go!   I said "hey Chris in the track laying box there are some stepped joiners - can I have some please".  Gee when they were fitted the track went together first time..... only too a couple of minutes as initially expected - some 90 minutes after we started!

Note my wet hair from the frustration of trying!

The whole section of the back double track coming from around the Helix with the Fleets Loop approach rising up the grade on the left side.

At the front is the double track main under Jimtown showing the junction and the branch to the Helix.


Hornertown Tack Layout
The control panel single line diagram below shows the yard schematic.

I think the arrangement addresses most (if not all) of the "Ten Commandments" by Craig Bisgeier

The double track main (left) as it enters Hornertown from the East.  The track next to the inner track of the two mains is the shunt lead (emanates from the double slip) the next three tracks are the coach yard tracks with the Commissary Building on track 3, then the industry lead for Plant No.4 and Flour Mill behind the coach yard followed by the industry tracks to Hertitage Furniture and the Meat Works and the very last is the tail of the Icing Plant track.

Closer view of the industry tracks to Hertitage Furniture and the Meat Works with the industry track to the Flour Mill in the foreground and to the right is the tail of the Icing Plant track with the double track main to the rear with the turnout for Fleets Loop approach.

Hornertown trackage (East): Passenger terminal (left), double track main, two arrival/departure tracks, three classification tracks, run around then the local industry lead and the rear double track main.

Hornertown trackage looking the other way.

Hornertown trackage (West:) Passenger Terminal with Railcar stub, double track main, two arrival/departure tracks, three classification tracks, run around and local industry lead and the rear double track main.

The double track main as it enters Hornertown from the East with the Railcar (left) in the foreground.

The Railcar stub in front of the double track main as it enters Hornertown from the West the track next to the inner track main is the shunt main followed by the Caboose track and the two container loading tracks with the industry track serving Arrowhead Ale and Buds Trucking then the rear double main at the rear.

Another view of the West end of Hornertown.

Well, no Monday or Tuesday activities this week, as my wife is down from Pt Augusta for some medical stuff and my daughter's house reno is beckoning....

Much wiring, turnout motor installation awaits....

Thanks guys for your continuing help it makes the massive task much easier.