C&S Leadville Branch line Trackplan Update
Recording the progress of building the Denver’s RailRoads N Scale layout
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C&S Leadville Branch line Trackplan Update
I have been giving a lot of thought to the Leadville Station spur and realised that what was required was the ability for a locomotive to run around it’s train and couple to the rear. The following change to the trackplan – the addition of a second crossover on the right – provides that ability with a minimum of track changes. I have ordered the two extra right-hand #4 turnouts which hopefully will be received by the end of next week.
As can be seen I have started work on the 6″ extension to the layout to make room for the Leadville Station spur. Next stage is the installation of the 2″ deep foam roadbed and filling in the gap between the old and new foam, which could be challenging.
Kato Test layout (aka C&S Leadville Branch line) Update
Back on 20th May 2019 I introduced the test layout on the Blog page and detailed a number of objectives, mainly relating to using the test layout to test a whole raft of electronic options. Initially as part of the layout build I installed a number of NCE BD-20 block detectors and DCC accessory control boards. At that time I did learn a lot about using such devices.
However now that I am going to build the layout as a functioning switching layout I do not think it is worth the effort and cost of installing a lot of electronic devices on such a small layout. Signals would look nice but along with block occupancy lights they are quite unnecessary on such a small layout, where you can see at a glance where all the trains are.
Consequently I am going to remove all the BD-20s and save them for the Denver’s RailRoads layout, which I hope to restart early in 2021. That layout will need a lot of electronics to function as planned. The Kato layout only needs a number of of SPDT or DPST spring toggle switches to change the built in motors in the turnouts. It has a single circuit breaker which should be adequate for such a small layout. The Wye/reversing section could cause a few challenges, but we will see.
Making the electrics simple will free my time up to build a complete operating layout before Christmas (2020) that will provide interesting switching challenges. Furthermore there are 3 or 4 kits to build and some interesting mountain scenery to create. I have already installed the two #6 turnouts between the red and green lines which will improve operations considerably. The next task is to make a cut along the white dotted lines (on the updated track plan below) and raise the 3 tracks at the back by an inch or two. That will improve the scenic look of the layout and maybe also raise the track level equal to the back board of the layout making it much easier to add the 150mm (6″) extension to the layout.
