Updating the Cab Bus

 

One of the new UTP-CAT5s

Up to this point in time, the 4th Subdivisions's NCE system has relied on two six wire UTP panels on the Nooksack section and my one radio throttle. With the addition of East Branch, the sceniced staging section, and the new "Phase Two" sections. I wanted to expand the Cab Bus capabilities. With the enlarged railroad, particularly the Ferndale Yard section. I needed to plan on the potential of having additional operators. I purchased two UTP-CAT5 panels using the more robust CAT5 cable to expand the Cab Bus. 

Schematic Sketch of the Updated Cab Bus

I started by replacing the UTP connected directly from the command station with one of the new UTP-CAT5s.It functions as a Cab Bus splitter with one side headed towards the other original UTP installed in Nooksack and the other side headed towards Ferndale Yard using CAT5 cable. 

Interlocking Switch and new panel near Ferndale

An issue I found with running the CAT5 cable through the new benchwork had to do with the size of the cable connectors. I had to head out to the big box store and buy a 5/8" drill bit to run the cable through the benchwork. Cutting an opening for the panel at 1" X 2 3/8" was easy; I drilled 1/4" holes in the four corners after marking the opening and then used my jig saw to complete the cuts between them. As seen in the photo, I still need to dress the loop of extra cable. As the TOMA expansion grows, the Cab Bus can continue using CAT 5 cable from here. 

Testing the components running east from the splitter

Moving from the splitter to the original Nooksack panel just involved plugging some of the six wire cable in place. Seen in this photo, I went ahead and tested the UTP that I replaced with the splitter, a longer piece of six wire cable that I had on hand, and the radio receiver. I have held on to the six wire cable from my modular days in Seattle years ago, and I was relieved to see that it has held up. 

NCE radio base station and UTP 

I used the other original UTP here at the end of East Branch. I constructed a small shelf to mount on the legs of the module in order to hold the radio base station. I used some scrap lumber to fashion the shelf that I later mounted with 1/4" bolts and wing nuts. At this point, I am comfortable that I could have another operator. I have my radio control throttle and a standard coil wired throttle as well as my PowerCab from the Ingleton layout that can work as a standard throttle.

While I still have a punch list of small electrical projects to complete before I transition my rolling work cart from electrical to scenery, this project seemed like biggest obstacle to that transition.

Something Has Been Bothering Me

 

I tried an experiment over a year ago, combining two photo backdrop techniques: one, that I call "cove the road," and a technique from Paul Dolkos of using small photographed scenes between "visual foils." I described creating this image in an earlier post of a packing house scene that I reimagined by collaging parts of it. In addition to not having suitable visual foils on both sides yet, I just have not been happy with the results. Since I am presenting a clinic on backdrop techniques at the MER convention later this month, I wanted to try to resolve my issues with it and to solve the problem that was bothering me. Basically the initial painted treeline behind the packing house scene created issues of perspective and scale. The one-point perspective of the photo suggested a different horizon line than the one suggested by the painted tree line. More bothersome in a way, the photo suggested greater distance or depth into the scene than the flat treeline that it was in front of. Part of that illusion was because the scale of the forced perspective buildings of the photo did not align with the scale of the trees in the tree line. 

While I had attempted to overpaint the tree lined ridge over the past few seasons, it took my committing to repainting the surrounding area, which I finally did just a couple of weeks ago, to nudge this towards a scene that I think is much closer to working. As the small building's dock in the front of the scene will be the structure I use, I will need to come up with a visual foil or three-dimensional object to hide the edge of the photographed section behind the dock. In repainting this section of the backdrop, I used two recent understandings (both relatively new to me). The translucent nature of white latex primer made it nearly impossible to completely cover a darker color, but helped to blend into the existing sky and to create the illusion of atmospheric haze. I ended up overpainting the original tree line with titanium white artist's acrylic to completely obscure it. Thinking about how my brown earth latex color appears much darker on the backdrop than on the benchwork due to the layout lighting directly overhead, I chose to paint the fields and hills with craft acrylics, particularly a khaki color that was similar in value to my earth brown as it appears on the benchwork. 

As I work to add scenery layers to this area, I will need to consider what to use as "visual foils" on both sides of the added photo, but now I am much happier with how it integrates with the newly painted backdrop here. Rather than bothering me, I think this scene now helps blend the backdrop into the 3D modeled area and suggests greater depth. 

Phase Two Operations Planning

Schematic of Phase One and Two

The trackwork is all working, and my plan is to work on my initial operations planning while unpacking and checking rolling stock. As I mentioned in my last post, I want to make sure everything is working smoothly and aligning with a first phase operations approach before moving into track painting, ballasting, or other scenery. 

The advantage of including the Ferndale Jct. yard and the Great Northern interchange with the mainline in Ferndale is in providing both a connection to the rest of the world and for a diversity in roles for a solo operator. Byron Henderson explicitly recommends including a classification yard with switching operation for solo operators in a post on his Layout Vision website to highlight a variety of roles with resultant "fun". When or if I move into having others visit to operate, I may want to work towards the NMRA Dispatcher Achievement Program. Their minimum requirements include "at least two mainline trains plus yard switching in simultaneous operation." Even if I am not working towards the NMRA's operations AP certificate, I find their AP programs provide structure and guidance; why not plan to meet their minimum? 

My approach is to start simple and then build complexity. This approach aligns with the fact that I will be operating by myself. Again, why not align my simple start with the NMRA AP framework minimums of "some system of freight and passenger train and car movements." 

I intend to start my initial solo operations, at least formal solo operations using a "sequence of trains" traffic control system. In an earlier post, I described how I might use Daily Train Line-up forms in such a system. Now, in order to use a sequence of trains system, I will need to start by figuring out what trains I plan to sequence. This will be based on the story I am attempting to tell as well as the industries and rolling stock I plan to use. 

In the engineer/conductor role, I plan to use switch lists to provide the information needed for car forwarding. I provided an overview of switchlists in a post from a number of years ago. At least in solo operations, I plan to just use a switchlist to provide the information needed to accomplish the car pick ups and set outs that are planned for that train's job. As the 4th Subdivision grows beyond phase two or as the operating crew grows the paperwork may expand, but for now a switch list is it for the train crew. While I have a number of these switch lists on hand, I have two changes that I might make on the master before having more printed: a more era appropriate logo and the addition of AAR codes for ore and covered hopper cars.

Yesterday, I started unboxing some rolling stock, focusing on what I call the "Rock Train." Part of this train is made up of the transfer of limestone from a quarry near Sumas, Washington on the NP line to the Olympic Portland Cement Company in Bellingham, Washington. In real life this transfer was done on a Milwaukee Road line, but in my version the GN 4th Subdivision was in Whatcom county, not the Milwaukee Road. Also in the so-called Rock Train would be covered hoppers transporting silica sand from a (fictional) silica sand quarry near the end of the branch. 

I cleaned wheels, checked couplers and weight of the four or five cars ready for this train that I unboxed. I also checked that they had appropriate waybills in their existing car cards. While unboxing them, I also gathered some other cars that are on hand, but need work to be a part of the rock train. I ordered an NP gondola from ebay to also bolster the rolling stock for this major revenue and traffic source for the 4th subdivision. The car cards and waybills will be needed for classification in the yard, even though they will not be used by the switch crew. 

Although I will be a solo operator, I see that as the system develops I will need to (or get to) fill several roles: engineer, yard master, and traffic manager or freight agent.
 

Ferndale Jct. Yard Updates

When we returned from our visit to Maine, I first tackled the second coat of floor paint. Now the basement floor under the current benchwork is painted, although not all of the basement floor is painted. I will need to do quite a bit of organizing to get to that stage. My plan is to continue with one section at a time. The workbench and storage area will be quite a procedure to avoid painting around benches and cabinets.

Once the floor paint was dry, I worked on the runaround track. I have explored prepping Peco Electrofrog turnouts here before, My first step was just that, prepping the turnout. To avoid potential kinking, I soldered an extension to a full length of flex track. I also soldered feeders under the rails before fitting the runaround in place. To finalize the wiring of the runaround I also added a piece of track and powered it leading into the turnout.

At that point the next step was to add track to the so-called drop down section. The flextrack that I ordered had arrived right before our trip, so I was ready to proceed. I did have to dig out some ballast and ties at the end of the existing track to fit in joiners, but other than that fiddly work with a hobby knife it all went smoothly. I still will need to solder those joiners for fool proof electrical connection, but they are working for now.

Today I completed the controls for the two turnouts going into the yard from the mainline. I've had the switch machines wired to power appropriate DCC power to the frogs since I installed the tortoises, but I hadn't had the switch motors themselves powered. These two turnouts are controlled by a toggle switch so they both throw together, either both straight into the yard or both "diverging" with the mainline curving to the left and the drill track set out of the yard. Down the road, my intention is to set up interlocking signals for this pair of turnouts.

Now that all the track is in and wired, as I see it my next steps include running some trains and planning my initial operations scenario. I want to make sure that everything is working well before I move on with steps such as scenery.  

Can't Decide? Start Both

In a recent post, I left off undecided about whether to continue with work at the end of Ferndale Junction Yard or to return to infrastructure work. Instead of deciding, I started both. In this past week I became a little bit sidetracked (literally, as I have been putting together the new edition of my NMRA division's newsletter, the Susquehanna Sidetracks). My wife and I were just invited to her brother's last minute vacation in Maine, so both projects will be on hold. I am posting a status report and a punch list, so I'll be ready to resume on our return.

The main infrastructure project that I wanted to work on was to continue with floor painting. I took down the temporary workbench on folding sawhorses and moved the rolling cart and storage tubs from under the Nooksack/East Branch section of the railroad. I vacuumed and washed the floor before tackling the painting. Sadly, I don't think that I will get to the second coat before we leave, but  it's ready for that second coat and storage organization. 

Here at the drop-down section at the end of the yard, I haven't made much progress on the removable coved backdrop section beyond taking some measurements. I did however work on the roadbed, which is now glued in place. I hit a bit of a snag though with laying track; I didn't have enough to extend all the tracks. I ordered what I hope is enough, but it just arrived. On our return I can get back to completing the track work and wiring. 

In addition to the trackwork on the dropdown section, I still have some work to do to complete the new runaround track:

• Prep the turnout
• Solder an extension to the runaround
• Add feeders and fit the runaround
• Decide on technique for drop down track wiring and gaps
• Mind the gap at the power district junction

Wordless Wednesday #4: Susquehanna Division Visits the EBT

 

Phase Two Mainline Extension

 

Short clip of GN 229 backing out of staging on a trial run of the just completed mainline extension.

Since my last post, I have worked on several of the steps mentioned there. This past week, I narrowed my focus to adding a small extension to connect the mainline to my existing three-track staging module. A track plan sketch from this earlier post , just as I started the Phase Two work, provides an overview. 

With the Ferndale Junction and new modules in place, I needed to work out a finished design for the extension. As I intend the extension to be part of the permanent  railroad and join further TOMA expansion later and work for now as the access to staging, I had to keep both of those parameters in mind. To complicate both issues, a nearby basement support pole needed to be factored in.  

My first step consisted of clamping a cardboard box in place and creating a paper template. The template showed both the shape and size of the extension and allowed me to test out both the placement of my existing staging and whether a full turn-back curve would clear the metal support pole.

I designed and built a grid framework on the template on my workbench in the garage. Using my miter saw and brad nailer made for fast work laying out, cutting, and glueing up the frame. Based on the template, the frame is not quite square allowing the staging track to clear the support pole. It also allows for the curve planned for the end of the aisle here once the future TOMA peninsula expansion takes place.

This photo shows the module completed, primered underneath, and bolted into place. Knowing that different modules will be attached, I used a forstner bit to create a recess for the bolt heads at the end of the module. 

With the temporary staging C-clamped in place, I was able to finetune the curved track location and then mount the cork roadbed. I also double checked for a future 180 degree turn, and it appears that this extension will work with the planned future peninsula, when I ever get to that point.

Today I soldered two pieces of flex track together before bending it into the long curve. With the iron out, I soldered two feeders under the rails before finalizing the track into position. I extended the DCC bus into this new section and attached both the feeders and the wire to the staging. After then cleaning the track I had just installed and on the staging module, I went ahead and ran a locomotive. The short video at the beginning of this post shows the locomotive running smoothly over this new section. 

I have not yet decided whether to shift to the drop down section at the end of Ferndale Junction and the last bit of backboard there or to return to infrastructure and more floor painting next. Either way, I feel pretty good about connecting the staging and being in a place to unpack some rolling stock and run trains.