Since my last post, I’ve spent the majority of my time tuning my wiring and track. I haven't made much structural progress, but I've spend a lot of hours adjustments to my track to ensure my engines and rolling stock run as smooth as possible. As this is my first layout, every aspect of this project is a huge learning curve.

When I originally laid my track, I did not realize how extremely important it was to ensure track was perfectly level, especially through curves and grades. Even the smallest inconsistency in track level is often enough to derail an engine. I found that these deviations were most common where two pieces of track joined together. To solve this, I made sure both adjoining pieces were perfectly level then soldered them together. I then lightly sanded the joint until it was perfectly smooth. For areas where the actual trackbed wasn’t level, I used thin foam shims under the track to keep the track perfectly level.

I spent a lot of time running each of my engines back and forth over several section of problem track, closely watching each wheel to make sure it wasn’t lifting off the track. I managed to work out all the problem areas I was having and everything runs a lot smoother. I also had to make a few small adjustments with my wiring, but nothing major.

I am now into the planning stages of building the actual ground terrain and elevations of my layout, which I hope to have completed by the end of May. I’m also trying to find the best way to build the standards for my trackside signals to mount to.

As this is my first layout, almost every aspect of the construction of model railroading is new to me. Most tasks are trial and error and the amount I’m learning is extraordinary. At the same time, I’m also seeing where I went wrong, and the biggest error so far is the grade leading off my trestle down to the 60 degree crossing. This has been a huge issue since I first designed the layout. Engines would get high centered at the top of the hill and the engine's cattle guards would catch on the grade crossings, always causing a derailment. This grade had to go, so back to the drawing board I went. With a little better planning, I managed to take the grade from almost 11%, down to just over 6%.

I removed the entire grade to start fresh. I took two things into account when redesigning the grade. The first was that I needed to try to make the distance from the 60 degree crossing to the end of the trestle longer. Second, I had to decrease the height of the trestle. These two items were essential in making a more successful grade. 

To do this, I removed about 4 1/2" of the track structure leading up to the trestle, thus allowing me to move the trestle further over to the right of my layout. Second, I had to lower one end of the trestle. The trestle had almost 3/4" clearance above passing trains, so with a few modifications I lowered the trestle about 1/2” on one end. The trestle now has a down grade of about 2%. 

For the rest of the grade, I used a 4% foam starter grade from Woodland Scenics. This allowed me to easily transition from the crossing level up to the edge of the trestle. I then used custom cut foam shims to support the new grade and to make it as smooth as possible. I added foam roadbed and one continuous piece of flex track to ensure a continuously smooth track. The end result was flawless. No more derailments and no more high centered engines! 

Calculating and Working With Grades

Most prototypical modelers will tell you to build nothing with a grade over 2%. For small layouts such as mine, this isn't always possible. This is especially true if you want a layout with lots of visual interests such as tunnels, bridges, mountains and curves. To calculate grade, use the following formula:

 

(rise / run) x 100 = slope %

For example, say your track needs to go from point A at 0.5" elevation to point B at 4.5" elevation, a height difference (rise) of 4", and you have a 200" distance (run) between point A and B. Take the rise and divide it by the run (4 / 200). Now take that number and multiply it by 100 to get your grade percentage, which is 2% for this example.

 

As you can see, you would need at least 200" (16.6 feet) to raise your track 4" in elevation at a maximum grade of 2%! Unless you have a massive layout, this just isn't possible without going above 2%. Most often, you should be able to get away with grades up to 6% without many issues, though these are no longer prototypical. Keep these points in mind when planning your layout and grades:

1. Plan first and know your limits. When designing your layout, try to give yourself as much room as possible. The more room you have to get from point A to point B, the lower the grade will be and the less headaches you will have. There are physical limits to how steep your train can travel, especially with rolling stock. 
2. Keep your grade as consistent as possible with smooth, gradual transitions at each end. This is almost more important than the grade itself. Transitions into and out of your grade that are too immediate will create sharp humps and valleys, resulting in engines getting high centered at the top and bottoming out at the bottom. The longer the locomotive, the more of an issue this will be. Sharp transitions can also cause rolling stock to uncouple. 
3. Grade crossings require level track leading up to them to prevent couplers and cattle guards from catching on them. If you have a road grade crossing on your track grade, make sure the grade is no more than 2% for at least 8” before the crossing. 
4. Experiment and test often as you build. Play around with different grades with actual track and engines before you make anything permanent. Allow for adjustments, and if it doesn’t work the first time, find what’s causing the issue and retry.
5. Don’t let anyone ruin your fun. The 2% rule is the standard for prototypical models that mimic real life track grades, and even in real life there are exception to that rule. The Pennsylvania Railroad operated by Madison Railroad has a grade of 5.89%! Make a layout as you see fit, after all it’s your train and your imagination. Do what makes you happy and proud.

The last thing to do was to create a method to lower my control panel under my layout when not in use and to raise it back up when needed. For this, I decided on a winch system. Simply turn the winch to raise the control panel into place and reverse the winch to lower. Because the winch is self locking, it holds the control panel up right when in use.

The system was quite easy to build. I purchased a mini-winch, a couple cable pulleys and the hardware to fasten it to my benchwork. For the cable, I used 1/16” PVC coated aircraft cable and aluminum sleeves to create loops at each end. I planned a path for the cable then drilled the necessary holes through my benchwork for the cable to run through. I used two small pulleys to guide the cable from the winch to the lift point over the control panel.

I used a fixed pulley which I bolter to the underside of my table, right over the control panel. After running the cable over the pulley, I attached it to a U-bolt that was fastened to the control unit. The cable is rated for 95lbs safe working load, so it’s more than enough to lift and hold the unit.

My wiring and control panel are finally complete! My challenge this past week was to move the control panel down to my basement and connect it to my layout. 

I first attached the back of control unit base to the three 4” hinges with six 1/4” bolts. This allows the control unit to fold under the table when not in use. However, I have not yet made a final decision on how the unit will latch when in its upright position. For now I fastened it in the upward position with three screws.

I ran the leads from the control unit and hooked them up to the corresponding terminal screws on the previously installed terminal strips. The terminal strips made it very easy to detect any crossed over wires, and even easier to correct the problems as I only needed to swap the crossed wires to the correct screws. Remember, it doesn’t matter how organized or well planned your wiring layout is, mistakes will happen, so leave room to make corrections!

I kept the layout wires attached to the benchwork using small metal cable fasteners. These can be purchased at any local hardware store. I purchased mine at Canadian Tire for $1.99 for 20, which compared to other products and retailers I found, is a pretty good deal. Small zip-ties also help to keep wires organized and looking neat. 

While testing my control unit, I realized that I needed a higher powered AC power source to power my switch machines, separate from my MRC Tech 4 280 power pack. For this, I mounted an older MRC power pack to the underside of my benchwork and ran the new AC line back into my control box. This second power source can also act as an additional 12V DC source in the future. You can see it in the top right corner of the image above. 

To provide reliable safe power to the different components, I installed a surge protected power bar below my benchwork. This is then connected by and extension cord to a 120V wall outlet. 

I originally didn’t plan a master on/off switch into my control panel design, something I definitely should have done. Now I have no way to turn my components off, including the power packs. To solve this, I purchased a rocker switch ($2.99 from Princess Auto) rated at 120V 20A, which I tapped into the cord on the power bar. 

I then mounted the switch into a standard light switch cover panel. I drilled a hole into the front of my benchwork beside my control unit so the rocker switch panel could fit flush against the bench. This switch now cuts the power off to the power bar so I can leave my layout plugged into the wall outlet at all times. 

The track signals are still all displayed together on a temporary paper panel. This is purely for testing and making sure the signals work correctly when switching tracks. They will eventually be positioned on standards in the necessary positions along the tracks. 

Other than a few small required adjustments, everything works great as far as the electrical system goes. The dual cab control works awesome and I couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out. The next step will be to find a method to easily raise and lower the control panel and latch it when it’s upright. I’m also going to start smoothing out flaws in my track work and most importantly, take out the steep grade coming off of my trestle. 

Also check out my Design and Planning page for updated schematics for different systems on my layout so far!

The last 2 months have been insanely busy for me, so up until last week I haven’t had much time to concentrate on my layout. My goal was to complete my wiring and control panel by the new year and even though it’s now January 6, I’m not that far off from my goal. My first a most important purchase was a power pack. I decided on a MRC Tech 4 280 dual cab controller as well as 4 Atlas snap-relays to power my x-section, track signals, and corresponding control panel indicator lights. 

My control panel and controller need to be able to fold away under my layout when not in use do to the limited space in front of my layout. I purchased a 1/2” thick hardboard panel to use as the base to which my control panel and controller will bolt to. The rear of the hardboard panel will attach to hinges located under my bench work, allowing the entire unit to swing under the layout when not in use. I used L-brackets bolted to the sides of the control box to fasten the control panel to the base.

Once the base was cut, I cut a large opening to allow access to the inside of the control box. I also drilled holes at this time for the controller wires and power cables. A scrap piece of aluminum the same colour as the control panel was used as the base for the cab controller, and glued to the base. I used small black metal eyelets around the drilled holes for the main power leads to make them look more appealing. At the same time, I attached my 4 snap-relays to the bottom of the base.

Only the first 8 inches of the base will protrude out past the layout while the majority of it will be covered by the control box. To cover the visible hardboard, I attached 3/4” titanium L-molding around the edges, just as I did on the control box itself. I used PL Ultimate construction adhesive to glue the trim.

While the trim dried, I used this time to start wiring everything together. The first item on my wiring list was to connect all the leads from the 8 turnout signals to my resistor board. I also started connecting leads to all of the LED lights and volt meters inside the control box while it was still detached from the base. 

The leads from all of the LEDs were then connected to their appropriate leads on the resistor board and all connections were soldered together and insulated with electrical tape. As I made connections, I tested each circuit to make sure everything worked. One advantage of having all the resistors together on the PC board is that it was very easy to test each resistor anytime I had a short circuit. I also decided that the resistor board would be mounted outside of the control box due to space limitations inside. 

I then mounted the control panel to the base panel with 4 bolts through the four L-brackets on the control box. I mounted the resistor board to the bottom of the base using brass bolts. I used brass nuts and foam blocks to support and cushion the PC board. I also made a schematic of my resistor board, making it much easier when testing.

The cab controller also needed to be attached to the hardboard base. However, it did not have any brackets or holes to mount it. With a little research and testing, I discovered that the MRC cab controller is quite hollow and the printed circuit is located right below the top panel, leaving the bottom entirely open. 

I started by drilling two very small holes through the bottom of the controller to inspect and make sure I wouldn’t hit any important electrical components. I then drilled larger holes to accommodate a large threaded screw. I drilled two holes through the hardboard base, passing the larger screws through and into the pilot holes in the controller. This worked great and securely attached to cab controller to the base. I ran the power cord through a hole in the hardboard so it would not be visible from above.

I spent about four entire days wiring everything together. This included making all the connections, soldering, and insulating. Once each circuit was made, I needed to individually test them. Everything worked well with the resistor board for all the LED lights on the system, with only a few shorts that were located and fixed relatively quickly. I spent a lot of time setting up all of the snap-relays as well, making sure that the correct indicator LEDs and switched were lit when the switch control was flipped. 

One of the most frustrating shorts I had to deal with had really nothing to do with my wiring at all! It had to do with the actual Atlas controller, selectors, and switches on the top of my control box. It turned out that the screws supplied to attach each lead to each Atlas device protrudes further then the base, which in turn contacted the aluminum cladded surface of my control box, thus causing a large system-wide short. I resolved this by making a small copper washer for each screw. 

Testing everything as I went along took a lot of extra time, but was worth it in the end. Problems could be fixed immediately and were easily identified, opposed to having to sift through everything if it was completed. Another problem I encountered was with my switch overload indicator lights. This led back to an issue on my resistor board. I didn’t take into account that when one AC lead was powered that the second AC lead would also be powered. This was because both leads shared a common connection on one of the bridge rectifier posts. This was easily resolved by putting diodes (see below) into each converging AC lead, preventing current from traveling down the other lead when either was energized.

I temporarily fastened all of the turnout signals to a cardboard holder so I could easily view them when testing, as seen below. They all worked great and matched the corresponding positions perfectly. A switch on the control panel turns the center amber lights either on or off. I then attached an accessory 12V rectifier to the bottom of the base with brackets. This 12V DC power source powers all of the future accessories and LED lights. 

I used small brackets to fasten all the cables to the bottom of the base. There was such a large amount of wiring that it was sometimes difficult to keep everything organized. All the control panel wires that connect to the layout run off the back of the control panel base. They will then connect to their appropriate screw on the layout's terminal strips under my table. 

Now that the control panel and all the wiring is complete, I plan to have it attached to my layout by the end of this week. Once I complete this, I will post part two.

While I wait for a few last parts to arrive for my control panel, I’ve started on wiring the underside of my benchwork. I purchased three 10 position terminal strips off eBay and attached them to the underside of my bench along one of the support beams. I then connected a power lead from each track power block to the corresponding terminal connector. 

All of the switch machine and turn-table power leads were also wired to a terminal. The common DC and AC ground leads also attach to terminals on the strip. Once the control panel is attached to the benchwork, the power and control leads from it will pass through the large hole to the right of the terminal strips, connecting to their appropriate terminal on the terminal strip. 

Terminal strips were very helpful in this situation as it gave a common point where my control panel wiring and layout wiring joined together. Furthermore, the strips keep everything neat and tidy. I tried to keep the wires as organized as possible. However, since I wired the layout in stages the final wiring resulted in lots of connection points along several individual leads. For these connections, I used high quality male & female connectors, wrapped in electrical tape to prevent loose connections. 

I have also decided to build my own track signals from scratch. I purchased the small LED lights and black display faces off eBay for a very reasonable price ($5.00 for all of the LEDs and 8 black display faces). I used super glue to attach the LEDs to the display faces. I then soldered all the grounds together and ran one common ground to all 3 LEDs. I then soldered individual wires to each LED. 

These wires will then go to the control panel and their corresponding relay switch, which will control what LED is lit up depending on the turnout position. I used standard telephone cable for my leads, which worked perfectly as there was a black, red, yellow, and green wire which matched perfectly to the LED light colours. I still need to figure out how I’m going to construct the rest of the signal structure, but I’ll save that for the new year.