Monday, October 3, 2011

NMRA X2011 Convention in Sacramento USA.


It's been 6 months since I posted anything on the Main North Blog, so you can come with me on a visit instead. For years I've wanted to attend an NMRA Convention in the U.S. One of the NCE users living in San Jose that I communicate with regularly, suggested many years ago that the 2011 Convention in Sacramento would be the one to attend, as "they" were the host organisers.








In March 2011, Jim Betz another one of my Skype DCC mates asked me if I'd be interested in doing a Clinic on "Decoder Installations" at the Convention, as one of the the regular DCC presenters had pulled out due work/family commitments. As I've done a few presentations here, I said yes. I had three months to put a PowerPoint presentation together so instead of using NSW models, I thought I'd use U.S. models that I borrowed from one of my train mates, Alistair. I even found an Athearn SD40-2 under my layout, very handy for the topic on "Motor Isolation". Heaps of hours spent preparing but finished with plenty of time to spare.


In the meantime, three of my train buddies Laurie, Garry & Alistair decided they'd come with me. I really wanted to "travel" with one mate, 'cause I'm still a Kid and scared to travel by myself as my Wife had declined my offer of accompanying me to the Convention and some sightseeing of the U.S West Coast, so 4 Aussie on the "loose" in the U.S. seeing model trains - how good would it be.


I arrived in L.A. two days before my mates as I travel on Standby. With these days to spare, I'm heading south to San Diego on a 14 lane Freeway travelling at 75 MPH (130 KPHs), with cars and trucks overtaking me - what a driving experience, to visit the La Mesa Club's Tehachapi Loop. Many have said, it's a "must" see layout if you're ever on the U.S West Coast. I'm here, so I'm going!

The Tehachapi Loop is one of four layouts located in the Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park. The layout is 150 feet long by 52 feet wide in a double "storey" (not double deck) format. Spent 6 hours talking, taking photos, visiting the Library & culminating with a guided tour of the layout's "innards", after the Museum had closed - what a day. See

http://www.sdmrm.org/#/the-tehachapi-pass/4533421367

September 2011 Model Railroad Hobbyist's has a video about the Tehachapi Loop layout at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCZt3HZKgJA


More Tehachapi Loop YouTube videos


Certainly one of the highlights of my U.S. trip. Well worth if you get to L.A. I could spend a few days at Balboa Park, but I really know where I'd be. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balboa_Park_(San_Diego)

Drive from San Diego to San Jose via the Big Sur & Monteray. Met up with the other Aussies at the Newark Hilton, the "base" for the Advance Layout Tours around the Bay Area.

Prior to the Advance Tours schedule, Jim offered to open his Cal Central Club layout, for us to have a play and Seth Neumann offered a special "private" operating session for the 4 Aussies, so we're off to an early start.



Cal Central Club - where Jim Betz and Mark Gurries are members, is located in the old 500 square feet, Agnew Depot, right beside the train tracks going to San Francisco - a real surprise with all that OH&S stuff around these days. More details at:

http://www.bayrails.com/layouts2.php?m=calcentral

I bought a Eureka Models Garratt over for Jim, so the Club layout will have some NSW flavour, now. Jim was really surprised with the Garratt, when it would not pull anywhere near his intended load of 40 Coal Hoppers on the level, let alone up some of the layout's grades.

Some "Cal Central" YouTub videos






Seth Neumann - "Union Pacific in Niles Canyon" layout where we operated in "pairs" with

Switch Lists, getting permission to enter the Mainline from the Dispatcher in another room, by radio. Our first experience to this sort of "operations", with Garry at the above photo and Alistair and me (headphones on), "switching" the Nummi Yard, in the lower photo after the Yard Clerk gave us more chores (Cards), to do.



A great night for us 4 Aussies. Also see:
http://www.bayrails.com/layouts2.php?m=neumann




Friday was the start of the Advance Tours. We had opted for the "self drive" option as we'd already hired a rental car (Camry), instead of taking the bus option - saved heaps. Meet at Santa Clara's "The Train Shop", the best model railroad shop in California, then to the local Mexican restaurant where many of the DCC operators, that work in/around Silicon Valley, meet for lunch that's now colloquially called the "DCC Lunch". After lunch and the first of the layouts on Tour:

Jim Vail's - HO/HOn3 14' x 33' plus side rooms "Glenwood & Black Creek NG represents a 1/2 of a mountain division across 2 1/2% grades over Cumbress Pass. The Central California Coast SG loops around the layout emulating the Southern Pacific. Layout 98% sceniced, see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7UoV1ZUfkc

John LaBarba - HO/HOn3 20' x 20' Sonara Pacific & Southern Pacific layout, see:


Chuck Catania - HO Chittenden Pajaro & Coyote layout, see:


Jack Burgess - HO 20' x 20' Yosemite Valley RR layout, one of the best layouts in my opinion that I visited.



Jim Dias - HO 16' x 20' Western Pacific layout, featuring Feather River Canyon and the Keddie Wye, in the 1930s, see:


Silicon Valley Lines - Large double deck Club layout, see:


Rick Fortin - The double deck 30' x 49' HO Sierra Western & Santa Fe RR. Proto freelanced extension of the Santa Fe in the early 70s from San Francisco Bay Area to Portland, modelled portion runs from Central Valley town of Chico to McCloud, just south of Mt Shasta. See:








Howard McKinney - On3 Denver Rio Grande & Western Railroad, 7' x 19' plus 5' x 6', is a point-to-point railroad running between Victoria, Co. and Notell, Colorado in the late 1930's through the early 1940's, no mines but with lush pine forests for the timber for the mining industry in the state.

Ed Loizeaux - New York Central - Valley Division. This large S scale layout represents the NYC in the Catskill Mountains in 1948. Steam is resisting diesel pressure to retire early, but is losing the battle. Hauling long freights and fast passenger trains over the mountainous terrain is a routine daily task on this layout, see:








Bob Brown - O On3 On30 Tuolumne Forks 25'x 34' layout. Scenery is complete and detailed. The railroad is a logging and tourist line with sawmills and a large hotel set in the Roaring Twenties. Also an On30 limestone layout with kilns, a stave mill, and cooperage, shown at the right.






Wayne Floyd - HO 16' x 22' Freelance Southern Pacific in the 1950s, shown right, operated easily by NCE DCC or Aristo-Craft DC. Fully sceniced.


Mainline is SP and branch line is Sierra RR up to a Saw Mill, Looging RR to Logging Camp


Andy Schnur - HO 22' x 48' C&O Allegheny Subdivision with DCC. Mainline extends from Alleghany, Virginia to Prince in West Virginia with staging representing Clifton Forge, VA and Handley WVA. Operating sessions last for 5 hours with a meal break. A really fantastic layout, as you'll see in the YouTube video below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2B6xxDRJAM&feature=related


David Parks - Cumberland West - Western Maryland and B&O, HO in a 1200 square feet room with two 40 and 32 train Staging sections, under the layout, most double/triple headed & with sound.

This was the second of the "operating" layouts we participated in, starting at 9:30 am, stop for lunch (provided by Mrs Parks) and then finished operating at 3:30 pm. Hard work but I was comforted somewhat by my operating buddy, a "real" Diesel driver on the Southern Pacific, that said it wasn't anything like that in the real thing. See:


www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DQYfqpA4uUko

Drive to Sacramento, approximately 2.0 hours north of the Bay Area.


On the Freeway we had a laugh at a truck we passed (see right), should I say passed us.


At Sacramento, we met some of the other 48 Aussies, some with their wives that attended the X2011 NMRA Convention at "drinks"with some of the NMRA Executive.




The Convention Clinics started on Sunday night through to Saturday morning. Every day there were extra train related activities like a SIG Layout Tour on Wednesday, all day, trips to Portolla, Napa Valley,etc. I missed these as there were too many Clinics I wanted to see. Busy for the whole week. The Clinic Schedule is at:



Up at 5:30 am on Monday morning to return the rental car to the Airport, then onto the Convention to meet Jim Betz who was on at 8:00 am, my first Clinic for the week. 9:30 it was my time to be "up the front" with my "DCC - Installing Decoders" in front of about 100 modellers. After the initial questions of, "we don't understand you", "can you speak up", I slowed down and it all went off well - 50 PowerPoint Slides and Q&A, I finished 11.10 a little into Jim's next Clinic.

My second Clinic presentation was on 2:30 Friday afternoon, after spending time at The National Train Show held in the ground floor of the Convention Centre, a guess at 6 times larger than Liverpool, but small in comparison to the U.S. East Coast National Train Shows, in the morning and "DCC Lunch" Sacramento style, at the Old Spaghetti Factory.

Clinics I attended were on DCC, Decoder Pro, Signals Dispatcher, Tuning a Tsunami, Joe Fugate's two Clinics. Tony Koester's Double Deck layouts and many more.


A few visits to the LDSig rooms where Seth Neumann is the Co-ordinator of this group, Byron Henderson is one of the major players in this group, click here for Byron's Blog. Anyone wanting to design a layout for better operation, should visit this group's groups website. Included in the Membership is a Journal




Along with Mark Schutzer, we did an NCE Forum at late notice with about 60 attendees on Thursday evening on anything with NCE and Decoder Pro. That was great fun and I met a lot of modellers, I've seen on the NCE and Decoder Pro Yahoo chat groups.





Friday evening, dinner at the Sacramento Railroad Museum organised by the Layout SIG Group, seated amongst the locos, what a finale to a wonderful week. Photo of "my" table with Garry in the middle left and Jim Betz to the left.


After nearly two weeks in the U.S. visiting all these great layouts, clinics on the U.S. prototype, I was feeling like changing prototypes. Once home and saw all my beautiful Garratts, there's now way I'm changing.


The only things I purchased for the layout were a few books, some speakers and a Soundtraxx Micro Tsunami sound decoder so I could ask Soundtraxx, where the on board fuse was located, so I could fix the two I had blown up when initially installed decoders in the Trainorama C32. Soundtraxx (Nancy and Steve willingly obliged my request. Now I've fixed them.

The HO Free-mo Layout shown in the National Train Show Sacramento - Part 2 YouTube video, was one very impressive modular layout, particularly the trees.



What a great two weeks, highlights being: La Mesa's Tehachapi Loop layout, operating on Seth Neumann's layout, presenting a Clinic to the U.S. modellers, the banquet dinner with all the locos and of course meeting so many model railroaders.
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Monday, April 11, 2011

Operating the Track Cleaning "Hanna" Van on the DCC Main North.

At the recent SCMRA Departmental Rolling Stock Seminar at Epping (April 2011) , I did a Clinic on "Loco Sand". On researching this topic, I found an article in the Jan 85 Roundhouse on Hornsby Depot by Ray Love, detailing the track cleaning operation of the Cowan Bank etc, due to accumulation of sand that played havoc with the signalling system. On the NSWGR, Main North there was heavy use of sand by locos as they struggled up the Cowan Bank with grades of between 1 in 40 to 1 in 55. In the open, the build up of sand/oil/grime was cleaned away by the rain. With no rain in the tunnels to clean the track , this build up of sand/oil/grime etc made worse by the heat inside the tunnel, affected the signalling system. In the early 1930s, the Signals and Telegraph Branch experimented with cleaning of the track by fitting 2 Wire Brushes behind the rear bogie of a 30 Class loco. In 1936 the Signals and Telegraph Branch introduced the first Track Cleaning Van with two Wire Brushes, fitted & operated similarly to what was fitted to the 30 Class loco. Initially the Van was an old American Box style carriage & operated by Syd Hanna. It was destroyed at Hornsby Yard in a shunting accident in 1944. A bogie BHG Goods Brakevan was converted to make a second Van. This Van was affectionately known as the Hanna Van, after it's long time operator. The BHG Hanna Van was attached to the No 69 Down Pick Up Goods, just ahead of the Brake Van at 5:15 am, every Tuesday and Friday morning and cleaned the rails of the Cowan Bank and Woy Woy tunnels. The Van was detached at Gosford a added to the No 58 Up Pick Up Goods, where it cleaned the rails in the UP direction. Track cleaning was to be done at a minimum speed of 10 MPH where the brushes rotated at 695 RPM. Like the first Van the second "Hanna" Van was damaged again at Hornsby in a shunting accident , in 1950. A MCV or similar van was modified to to be a third Van until electrification to Gosford, removed the need for such maintenance procedures, where is was withdrawn from service. I volenteer to do a Clinic to get a model/building onto my Main North layout. Instead of adding a Sand Bin to my two Elevated Coal Stages, I decided I'd build a Hanna Van and add this "operation" of cleaning the track on the Cowan Bank with a Hanna Van. Firstly I needed to build a "Hanna" Van and then add DCC to it. If I was to make a Hanna Van, I 'd like to make BHG due to it's extra detail (blocked out windows etc) that was not available, instead the MCV that's available from Ian Lindsay Models. One of my mates found me a BHG. I needed to make this a DCC Hanna Van with sound and lights. For sound of the spinning wire brushes grinding away the sand/corrosion etc, I tried a diesel decoder in one of my locos with the notching set to maximum - no good. I tried a Steam decoder at Maximum speed and the "noise" was close enough. What else was I going to use that was cheap. I had an older DSX sound decoder and needed to add a Function decoder, to "operate" it. For the Clinic, I used this set up. Since then I replaced the Function decoder with a D13SR motor decoder for better "automatic" operation. I had to also add 2 miniture 12 volt relays to operate the sound, lights and sparks. I could have used a combined sound and motor decoder, but did not have one "on hand". The sparks are two 0.8 mm SMD LEDs glued onto the non roatating brushes configured as Firebox Flicker. The under floor illumination lights are four 1.5 Volt incandescents wires in series with a 120 Ohm resistor. The DSX is set up with address #9 & the D13SR is set up on address #8. Prior to operating the Hanna Van, select loco #9 & set to Maximum Speed. Then set up the Hanna Van motor decoder, this case #8 into a Consist with the operating loco, in this case 3622 . Operate 3622 (in cosnsit with #8), to the Tunnel with the Hanna Van stopped just outside the tunnel entrance. Press F1 (No Bells in NSW) & the lights over the Wire Brushes illuminate. Wait 10 seconds as the operator pretends to lower the Wire Brushes. Operate the 3622 to move forward. The grinding sound and sparks start automatically by the motor decoder, as speed is increased above Speed Step 1. Once finished cleaning the track, stop the loco. Press F1 that disbles the sound, raises the Wire Brushes and turns off the lights. Drive the loco to Gosford. Relay 1 is used to enable the sound & to turn on the lights by pressing F1. Relay 2 connects the speaker via Relay 1, when the speed of the Consist is above Speed Step 1. The motor output of the D13SR decoder, energises the Sound Relay No 2 whenever the speed is above Speed Step 1. I made a Speed Table with CV67 at "0" & CV 68 - 94 all at "255", using Decoder Pro. To see how it all turns out, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6faM4tiI3bY Hanna Van on the layout. The No 69 Pick Up will be "staged" at Sydney Staging with 6 wagons including the Hanna Van. To ensure that it "all" works correctly, the operator will firstly "dial up" loco 9 (the Hanna Van) and set it's speed to maximum. He'll then take the loco/train that will be already consisted with the Hanna Van (loco 9), to the first of two Boronia Tunnels (only room for 2) on my Cowan Bank, stopping the train with the Hanna Van just outside the entrance. Press F1 wait 10 seconds for the brushes to lower, then move off. Sound and Sparks will start automatically as the the speed is increased. As the Hanna Van exits the tunnel, the operator will stop the train and press F1, wait 10 seconds (raising the brushes), then proceed to the second tunnel (3 feet away) then repeat the process. After raising the brushes at the exit of the second tunnel, he'll proceed to Gosford where he'll detach the Hanna Van and shunt it into the appropriate siding. This total operation takes about 20 minutes. The UP No 58 Pick Pick Up, will pick up the Hanna Van and repeat the above operation, cleaning the UP tracks and leave the train in Sydney Staging (Loop). Operations like this, is what I want/need to re-create on my Main North, so the building of the Hann Van was a fantasic addition to my railway.
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

30 MPH Max Speed "Matching" of ALL my Locos.

I was reminded by Bob Stack at the MRNSW-27 Convention, that it was ages since I added something to my Blog. With no progress on the layout to report since I last posted, I thought I’d write about what I have done to my locos.

I need to Speed Match my locos for rear end banking and double heading, both used regularly as trains tackle the Liverpool Ranges from both sides, on my “Main North”.

I’ve observed that 99% of trains on exhibition and home layouts are run at speeds below 30 MPH. While the “Main North” is located in a 30’ X 30’ garage/room, it does not have any long straight runs and with many 24 inch “curves”, operating at near prototype maximum speeds is impossible. I wonder how many model railroaders operate their locos at their maximum prototype speeds.

With this in mind, and to utilize 100% of my throttle range, I’ve reduced the Top Speed of ALL of my locos to 30 MPH. This means I can double head or bank with ANY loco combination, making it safer for my crew, inside and outside of the locos. That is all locos perform the “same”, speed wise, irrespective of what the prototype does.

This LINEAR Max 30 MPH Speed Table plus using 28 Speed Step Mode instead of 128, provides whatever Speed Step is displayed in my NCE Procab equals the actual Miles per Hour of my locos. At Speed Step 10 the loco is travelling at approximately 10 MPH, at Speed Step 20 the loco is travelling at 20 MPH etc.

For speed calculations, I use my Speedo Car or a “Speed Trap”. For me nothing technical, 36 inches of straight track, a Stopwatch and a suitable Scale Speed Calculator. A good one is at Rob Paisley’s Circuits for Model Railroads at: http://home.cogeco.ca/~trains/rroperat.htm

Adjusting the decoder’s CV 5 will provide “close enough” speed matching. You may need to adjust CV2 to get a slow speed at Speed Step 1.

Most of my sound locos have Soundtraxx Tsunamis, that don’t support CV 5. For them you can reduce the loco’s Top Speed by two methods:
1. Selecting a Speed Table in CV 25 and programming CV 66 (Forward) and CV 95 (Reverse), to less than 128 – lower the value, the slower the speed. See Tsunami Manual.
2. Selecting the “User Defined Speed Table” (CV 25 to 16) and making a Speed Table.

As with all programming, especially sound decoders like the QSIs and the Tsunamis, I use Decoder Pro, selecting the POM (On the Main), Mode.


Using Decoder Pro using Operation Main Track Programmer – POM, for each of the locos, select Speed Table, “check” the “Use Speed Table” (shown right) then select “User Defined Speed Table in the line above the Table. Place the cursor on the Slider for Speed Step 28 (CV 94) and drag down the Slider to about midway (120) and then select the “Match Ends Tab. This adjusts all 28 CVs to provide a LINEAR (Straight) Speed Curve. Then select Write Changes”. Decoder Pro, programs all the appropriate CVs, in the loco.

“Time” the loco at Speed Step 28, through the Speed Trap (36 inches of track). Repeat the above sequence until the loco travels at 30 MPHs - 6 seconds for 36 inches.

Do this procedure to ALL of your locos and they’ll all run the same – speed wise, making double heading and banking easier.

Fine Tuning the Soundtraxx Tsunamis

Tsunamis “out of the box” provide a too high slow speed and a noticeable jerk between the lower Speed Steps, when using 28 Speed Step Mode. Operation is better with 128 Speed Steps.

My Tsunami adjustments are based on what Bruce at Litchfield Station posted some years ago and a long discussion on Back EMF on the Soundtraxx Yahoo group during June/July2010.

For my above Max 30 MPH Speed Table, I need to use the 28 Speed Step Mode, I’ve fine tuned my Tsunami equipped locos for 1- 2 MPH speed at Speed Step 1 & smooth jerk free acceleration by adjusting a few of the motor performance CVs, namely:
Program both CV 3 & 4 (Momentum), to “0”
Program CV 209 to “10”
Progressively increase CV 210, starting with “1”, until the loco moves, at Speed Step 1, albeit a little jerky.
Program CV 209 increasing by 5 until the loco is smooths out.
Reducing CV 212 (default 255), will further slow down the loco.

Using 28 Speed Step mode with the Maximum Speed reduced as per my method, the voltage increment between Speed Steps is about 1/3 of the default Linear Table, so the jerkiness between Speed Steps has be all but eliminated.

Steam Chuff Rate or Diesel Notching Speed Steps, may need to be adjusted if you use the 30 MPH Max Speed Table. If this is a Diesel loco, then CV 116 would have been programmed to maybe “46” so the engine “Notches up every 14 Speed Steps”. Re-program CV 116 to “7” or “39”. For Steam, re-program CV 116 to “80” and then test for 4 Cuffs per wheel revolution at 10 MPH. May be time to use the Tsunami Manual or go on line to Soundtraxx at: http://www.soundtraxx.com/

When finished with adjusting the Tsunami, adjust CV 3 & 4 (Momentum) to your desired values.

If you have not used Decoder Pro for programming decoders, for details and what’s necessary, see:

http://jmri.sourceforge.net/help/en/html/apps/DecoderPro/index.shtml


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Thursday, March 18, 2010

Murrurundi on the Main North

Adding "operations" like "banking" and "double heading" was one of the main reasons for choosing the "Main North" section of the NSWGR in the mid 60s.

Murrurundi on the southern side of the Liverpool Ranges during the 60s, had a delapidated Loco Shed and a 60' Turntable. "Down" trains required assistance up the 1 in 40 climb to Ardglen at the summit of the Liverpool Ranges as these train headed north to Werris Creek and beyond.

Discussion with one of my modeller mates Brian, about Murrurundi and some photos being exchanged, prior to his visit to Sydney in March 2010, provided me with a pleasant surprise when he turned up. He bought me a model of the delapidated Shed. Now I had to tidy up my Murrurundi that required some major re-building of the baseboard and pinching some of Newcastle (see layout plan) to fit in the re-located Turntable.

For once in my life I bought something for my layout that actually got installed within a few days - a 60' motorised Turntable with 30 degree mechanical indexing. Just what I needed for Murrurundi now that the Shed was closest to the front facia, making the only location for the Turtable, behind the Shed. To turn the loco it takes 45 seconds. I'm impressed with the Frateschi $150 Turntable from Casula. I'll need another one at Willow Tree.

The photo shows 3666 having a drink from the Parachute Water Crane. A second operator reversing 5259 out of the Shed, to perform one of it's "banker" duties for the day. A green 3635 is waiting it's turn in the Shed, while 3230 has been turned and is being serviced. A Coal Grab will be added here, soon.

With 5259 attached to the rear, both operators will drive the train "up to" Ardglen, some 40' on my layout up the grade, taking about 10 minutes at 10 MPHs. At Ardglen the "banker" (2nd operator), "disconnects and reurns 5259 to Murrurundi. Depending on operational requirements, the banker may go through to Willow Tree, where banking is required for UP Goods trains.

With Murrurundi Loco now operational, it is going to be busy here, as all trains including the Northern Tablelands Express (double headed), needed assistance going over the 'Range. Slow steam hauled Goods trains, due to the fumes and heat build up in the narrow small bore 1600 metre Ardglen Tunnel, could not be double headed, they had to be banked from the rear. I'm glad as this "banking" as it creates extra fun for us, as we operate the Main North.

So Muururundi has been partially scenicked with these "structures", but so much more to add, next a scratchbuilt Station. My excitment at having something looking a little bit like the real thing, needed me to share it with you.

Thanks a lot Brian for getting me going with the Murrurundi Shed.
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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Too much to do to update the Main North Blog

It's nearly a year since I created my Main North (mainnorth) Blog. Too much to do, installing sound decoders for others, repairs and upgrades to NCE equipment including upgrades to NCE radio (RB02 & throttles), working on the layout and actually some running of trains, to update this blog. Since I found there are a few of you watching after I visited Ray's blog, I thought I should update you with some of the progress I made in the last few months. First I had to re-new my password (forgot since it's been so long), any of you old fogies out there having the same problem. I fear going out these days as I might forget my address.



Before Christmas, I moved Sydney Staging from under Newcastle to underneath Broadmeadow Yard and included a 22 inch radius return loop. I've been able to include 4 "through" staging tracks under Broadmeadow, the longest 2900 mm, to stage my W44 Concentrate Train with a Garratt & C35.



Having a Return Loop has created a much longer "run" for each operator now. For example for the Newcastle Flyer that's staged at Newcastle, it would be run just to Sydney and "terminate". I'd have turn the loco. Now run the Flyer to Sydney then through the Return Loop and back to Newcastle, where each operator would light engine the C38 to Broadmeadow Yard, service the loco, turn it and L/E back to Newcastle, ready for the next time the Flyer needs to be run. Similar for the Northern Tablelands Express, staged at Werris Creek Station. To Sydney and now back to Werris Creek where the C36 would be turned and the van repositioned at the rear of the train.



In Febuary I modified Suphide Junction but only after I had re-read Byways of Steam 22 and realised there was something wrong with the text and what is in the track diagram, it said "Upon arrival at Sulphide Junction the ore train would cross over to the yard on the Up side of the main lines, then push back into the exchange sidings". Trouble there are was not a crossover to do this. Researched further and secured a copy of July 85 Roundhouse and found a different story. On arriving at Sulphide Junction, the wagons were propelled via a crossover to Exchange Sidings. How was I going to do this, the locos would be in the next room through Tickhole Tunnel and across the brige into Broadmeadow Yard, if I was to copy this movement. I decided to install the "crossover" in reverse and do what the Byways article suggested. When building a layout, you have only so much space and many compromises have to be made. This is one.



For an interum, I made a rough cardboard Sulphide Corporation Smelters Works, so I had somewhere to shunt to and pull out of, for the W44 and Superphosphate S wagon train. Hopefully some time in the near future I can find some time to make a better Sulphide Works, but this will do for now.



I have edited my Cards to be more specific so visitors can understand what they have to do. I'll add some maps etc, but Operating Sessions with my Card system is so much fun. To operate the Double Garratt loaded Coal train from Newstan Mine to Port Waratah, tgen back via a "sneak path" to Newstan Mine and all the BCHs marshalled under the Loading Bin, takes 45 minutes.



In the photo of Sydney Staging (right), a Sydney Fast Electric Parcel Van is getting a "road test" after installing a QSI Revolution sound decooder loaded with a U.S. GG Electric prime mover and a 620 Horn and a NSW Guard's Whistle. I've always wanted to have a Red Rattler 4 car set and now that I have "road tested" a Van, I'm investigating whether this and the 4 car set can "run" on the Main North. They could operate to the end of the photo, where I could make a "Cowan", but this could not justify purchasing them, for this short "run". Maybe a run down the Cowan Bank and into Gosford and back, may be the only "non" prototypical running on the Main North. With at least four 46s operating all trains from Gosford up the Cowan Bank, when Auscision Models release them, the Red Rattlers won't look out of place. What do you think?
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Sunday, March 22, 2009



The "Main North" is loosely modelled on the Sydney (staging) to Werris Creek, section of the NSWGR's Main North. that runs from Sydney to Brisbane. I model the steam to diesel "era" in NSW, the mid 1960s.
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I chose this era and the area, because I wanted to add the "extra" operations of changing the steam locos from/to 46s (electrics) at Gosford (Sydney to Gosford was electrified in 1959) and the banking/double heading over "both" sides of the 1 in 40 grades of the Liverpool Ranges at Murrurundi and Willow Tree, due to the NSWGR practice of trains being hauled by a single engine until they needed assistance, all this done easier with DCC.
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The walk around, double deck "point to point" "Main North" layout is located in a 20' x 22' double car garage and an adjacent 10' x 12' spare bedroom with a mainline length of approx 300 feet (100 metres). The layout is at the "final" track plan stage with only a few buildings but no ballast or scenery, at the moment. I have the rest of my life to add these. For the time being the layout provides lots of fun runnning trains.
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The layout starts/finishes at Sydney Staging at the summit of the Cowan Bank then to Gosford, Fassifern (and Newstan Mine), Broadmeadow, Port Waratah and Newcastle, all on the Lower Deck, then to Muswellbrook, Murrurundi, Ardgen, Willow Tree, Werris Creek and Gunnedah that are on the Upper Deck, with 1 in 40 grades up the Fassifern Bank and over the Liverpool Ranges, similar to the "real" Main North.
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With the release of Eureka Model's RTR AD60 Garratts about 4 years ago, Newstan Mine was added, providing "loaded" Double Garratts coal trains up the Fassifern Bank, a much photographed protototype operation, that I "had to" replicate. The installation of a "sneak path" back to Newstan Mine, provides a continuous "loads out and empties in" operations.
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A very recent operating procedure for the layout, is my form of "Cards" providing sequential running of staged trains with the turning and servicing of the locos done by the operator. This provides a 15 to 30 minute "run" for most trains.
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The Main North is operated with DCC from Northcoast Engineering (NCE) from the U.S with radio throttles that are essential for a medium sized walk around layout. NCE was was chosen for its ability to build/break up consists anywhere on the layout due to my banking/double heading requirements at Murrurundi, Willow Tree and Gosford.
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DCC provides for maximum flexibility of locos/train, no "block" control panels with the cry of "who's got my train" from operators, the addition of sound into your existing locos etc, but the level of benefit will be determined by the type of layout etc.
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Due to my, what many say, toooo many locations, the trackage and the industries and relative positions may be not be "prototypical" but will be good enouh to provide plenty of "operations" for the operators. Building your "dream" layout is full of compromises and there are many on my "Main North". One aspect of modelling a "real" location and specific era, that I have found really enjoyable, is the research that is necessary to "put" this altogether.
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The Main North Track Plans.



Larger track plans are at:

http://tinyurl.com/cwywtr

Further information for my "Main North" and lots of DCC information, can be seen at my web site at:

http://tinyurl.com/cq7sed
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