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Ready for Hartford.

Temporary Freight House and Float Bridge added

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Its ready to go.

I managed to get a mock up model of the round freight house built. What a monument to geometric lunacy that thing is. It took a day to design, and a day to build. There is no detail on it at all, no doors or windows, just the basic shape of the building to fill in the empty space. The cars just clear the walls, just like the original. Its pretty cool to watch.

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It was well worth the effort to build it, what a difference it makes on the layout even though it has no detail on it.

Its a 30 sided oval with two ends of 14 sides each and two straight sections in the middle, plus the cut out to gain entrance into the centre. To make it more fun, the roof tapers into the centre. I had the luxury of a CAD system to help with the design, how they did this originally is a testament to the designers!

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On the weekend I built a temporary model of the float bridge. Again, this is a stripped down version of what will eventually be there. The proportions are correct, it is built to scale, but all the detail is missing. I wanted to be able to connect the carfloat to the terminal as unloading it creates a lot of visual interest.

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A shot of the model and the original. The prototype photo on the bottom is a bit distorted, it is stretched out a bit making the freight house look shorter than it actually was. The model I built was measured from the original builders drawings and I believe it to be accurate.

Well, that’s enough fun for one month. Now, I just have to cram it all into the van and drive it 500 miles east.

I will try to get some video of it running posted before I take it apart.

Really this time….

-T.

On to Next Section…

About the Author:

I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!

Posted by: Tim | 07-02-2009 | 10:07 PM
Posted in: Benchwork Construction | Latest Posts | Track Construction | wiring | Comments (7)

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I hope it survives the trip.

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This is the current state of the layout.

All the wiring is 100% complete. I have put the wire cutters away, there is nothing left to do. It was operational 2 weeks ago, but still needed a lot of little tweaks, the last of which I finished today.

It runs far better than I had expected. The locomotive performs great! I will post more about that after the train show.

Next, I need to make a temporary connection between the layout and the carfloat so I can operate that, I have a precarious connection there now. I would also like to make a mock up of the freight house, will see if I have time for that or not.

But at least it is working, and for the most part ready for the show.

geez, look at the time….

-T.

About the Author:

I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!

Posted by: Tim | 06-27-2009 | 10:06 PM
Posted in: CNJ 1000 Boxcab | Track Construction | wiring | Comments (1)

What makes it go.

Its a lot like a big railyard…

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As I was working on this mess today it occurred to me that the wiring under a layout is a lot like the trackwork above it. In the end it all comes down to a single wire that plugs into the wall. From there it branches out into all this….

The wiring is all finished now, tucked in place and all neatened up.

Next up is to mount the Digitrax onto a small shelf underneath and install all the sockets to plug the three sections into.

-T.

On to Next Section…

About the Author:

I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!

Posted by: Tim | 06-19-2009 | 04:06 PM
Posted in: Latest Posts | Track Construction | wiring | Comments (4)

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