One weekend I did what I never wanted to do: I just took all my material and laid down the tracks in accordance with the plan. Well: close to the plan. Since I did not have a printout of the plan, I just laid them out as I remembered it. And it worked – and looked pretty much like I envisaged it. Since I don’t had no digital camera (at that time), I don’t ave any pictures to post.
What is still missing is the exact layout of the “Schattenbahnhof”. So far I just have a loop… I guess that is the next step. And then I can start cutting the wood for the bridges and for the loop line up to Lummerland.
Schattenbahnhof
Now the layout of the Schattenbahnhof is done. Maybe now is the time to have some words on what a Schattanbahnhof (or SBf for the lazy of us) is… Literally translated it’s a “shadow station” and refers to a station that is invisible in the bowls of the model. SBfs are usually used to park trains off sight to bring them into view without needing to assemble them by hand.
And this is the design – quite simple, really -: two S-loops (from the level 0 to the level -1 on which the SBf is located are leading to four parallel tracks. Not too much – but then I am running out of points (or turnouts) and space. Anyhow, the clever bit is that I was able to close the two S-loops at each end of the SBf allowing trains to make a U turn and return to from where they just came. Neat. The diagram below shows the layout (the blue hexagons indicates the points.
Finishing the Schattenbahnhof
The Schattenbahnhof is ready – concluding Phase I. All tracks are screwed to the base plate and the wires are all connected. And it has been extensively tested (and my wife starts making fun of me…).
Now I can build the Ramp (see below) that connects the SBf with the rest of the layout.
Too steep a Ramp…
A serious setback occured fairly early on – as we all know: bad planning will bite you… But hopefully it can be rectified. Here’s the story: After finishing the SBf , I started to put up the wood for the main level (on which Jamballa Station will be built). Works fine. But when I also built of the two ramps joining the main level with theSBf level, disaster struck. It’s far too steep – especially when taking the curves into account.
I have 15 cm difference in level and around 2.30 metres for the link-up (so it is a 1:15 ramp). And that is far too much – at least for the kinds of trains I intend to run with the engines I have. So the ramp will be dismantled again and some of what was planned to be level will now form part of the ramp. Luckily I have enough (head) room for that… When my calculations are not completely wrong, the ramp will now only have a 1:30 incline. Which should be enough… I hope…
The solution
One weekend was all that was needed to fix the problem. After cutting many(!) pillars (from an old wardrobe) and ramp surface (from newly bought plywood), the two ramps connecting level -1 with level 0 slowly raised the angle to a 1:30 incline still steep but acceptable. Well, it has to be acceptable…
And it is: all locos now make it up the hill – even with their intended trains… Phew.
Pictures of the tracks laid
Once all tracks on the main level have been screwed to the wood, I was able to take some pictures. Doing that meant, of course, drilling many holes to get the cables for all the rail segments – remember: I am building analogue (!) -, for the points and for the semaphores (or signals – but since I am modelling the 60ies, I am using semaphores instead of “light signals”) through into the underworld. The holes for the semaphore cables are still missing: I want to get them fixed first. But I don’t have screws as small as I need them…
Next steps?
Well, I guess it’s:
- Get the semaphores set up (i.e. position them, screw them in, drill holes for the cabling);
- Get all the Wiring fixed (what a horror…
- Test the whole – my wife would call that “go and play with your trains”….
- And then the building of the Landscape comes. And that is where I am really suspicious about: I have never done anything like it. It’ll work…