Bottom of the "U" - Track Laying and Wiring

In continuing the track laying through to the bridge at the bottom of the "U," I tried two new techniques and found that I needed to improve on my basic track-work. As I was learning and practicing how to do this, I will present it in how-to format.

Mainline and Other than Mainline Track

While trying to troubleshoot a mistake in placement for my feeder wires (details will follow later) I found myself remembering the article, "Mainline and Other than Mainline Track," that I had just read in the March 2017 NMRA Magazine. In the article, David Heinsohn discussed a take away from clinics put on by Stephen Priest and family. In short, he suggested treating the mainline differently from other than mainline tracks. To accomplish this he suggested removing random ties and treating the ballasting differently in non-mainline track. As I was going to have to remove a tie from the middle of the spur to correct a mistake, I elected to follow this technique on the spur involved. The tools I used are shown in the photo to the upper left: A hobby knife with a chisel blade, a pair of needle nosed pliers (made here in my hometown), and a rolling die for randomness. Later, when I turn to ballasting the track, I will revisit the article for ballasting and weathering ideas.

Sequence is Important for Under the Track Feeder Usage

So, I learned the hard way that the steps in powering the track with under the track feeders should follow a specific sequence. It is also important to double check between each step!

1. Measure and cut each piece of track to the exact length. Flex track must be bent in its final shape to mark the correct length for each rail. Remember that powered frogs will need insulated joiners; the rails will need a slight gap to accommodate them.
2. Remove the ties and file the rail ends to accommodate the joiners. The bottom should be filed flat, the end filed perpendicular, and the web of the rail filed clean. 
3. Bend flex track into place and identify approximate feeder location. Check under the roadbed: is the area open and will the bus be accessible? Also, if possible, use already existing voids in the plastic connectors between ties.
4. Mark the exact location of feeders on each rail (with a Sharpie) with the flex track bent. Also mark and remove any plastic under the rail. The marking should be correct with any bend in the final track position.
5. With the track in place, mark the location for the holes through the roadbed and benchwork directly under the marked rail feeder locations.
6. Go ahead and drill the holes slightly larger than the size of the feeder wire.
7. Solder color correct feeders long enough (too long is easier to fix than not long enough) to reach the bus. Remember that the track is upside down; my rule of "black out" did not apply in this case. Also remember that one of the rails may slip side to side. Make sure that the location between the ties is correct, not just the location on the rail.
8. Drop the feeders through the holes and slip the track into place with joiners installed. One fix if it is close but not a perfect fit is to remove the track and enlarge the holes through the roadbed.
9. Once satisfied with the fit of several pieces of track, connect the feeders to the bus with suitcase connectors.
10. Check visually, with a multimeter, and by running locomotives before soldering the joiners.

Using Tortoise Switch Machines to Power Turnouts

Doing as much of the soldering as I could before
installing under the layout was one of my goals.

Here at the bottom of the "U" and on the upcoming Willow Springs side of the layout, I will be using switch motors rather than just throwing the turnouts by hand. While I have used Tortoise switch machines in the past, I have not used the internal SPDT switches to power frogs. The process I used on wiring this wye seemed like the way to go.  In general, I will not be describing every aspect of basic Tortoise installation, but focusing on wiring the switch motor.

First of all I created an installation template by cutting out the master from the instruction sheet and mounting it to .080 styrene with double stick tape. Using the template I was able to mark the underside of the layout for the mounting screws. I drilled the holes and mounted the two #4, 1/2 inch screws on the opposite side of the Tortoise location.

The next step was to solder the power wires and the feeder wires to the appropriate pads on the Tortoise printed circuit board before installing the motor under the layout.  As the plan is to control the turnouts with Berrett Hill's Touch Toggle system, I opted to run 18-2 thermostat wire from the turnouts to the future location of the control panel. One issue with this option is that the holes in the #1 and #8 pads had to be enlarged for the #18 wire. Before soldering the red and black feeder wires to the #2 and #3 pads I had to use a multimeter set to ohms to determine which feeder should connect to #2 or #3 to make the internal toggle connection to pad #4, where the green feeder from the frog will be soldered after the Tortoise is in place. First, I determined that in this application, with the throw-arm screw to the left, the frog will need black power and with the throw-arm to the right, the frog will need red power. Then I was able to use the multimeter to determine which pad should be red and which should be black. At that point I was able to carefully solder the four wires to their respective pads. Care must be taken to not cross any of the pads with solder.

Wye Tortoise in place, although the frog feeder wire
could be dressed.

Then I moved to under the layout. First, the green feeder was soldered to the #4 pad under the layout but before installing the motor. By soldering before installation I was able to avoid soldering over my head. After installing the Tortoise and adjusting the fulcrum for solid point contacts, I was able to finish up the wiring. I connected the red and black wires to the red and black track bus wires with suitcase connectors. Finally I drilled holes through the benchwork and ran the turnout motor wire through to the location of the Touch Toggle control panel. 

 I am feeling much more confident about the wiring and track laying for the balance of the layout after fine tuning and practicing my techniques on this wye and spur track at the bottom of the "U."