Sugarwood Blog

Work on the layout proceeded a bit slower this week.

I having been working on Sugarwood Siding and had to build the two industry turnouts for McFoods and Olie’s Cold Storage. These two turnouts are now installed and connected to the west end of Sugarwood Siding.

I am stilling deciding on just how to connect the east end of the siding and the industry tracks.

My current thinking is to use 1/8-inch x 1/8-inch strips and take the spline roadbed approach. Another approach I am considering is to create a template and cut it out of a plank of basswood.

The benefit of the plank and template is that most of the work could be done at my workbench, the reason I am using 1/8-inch basswood/plywood for my roadbed, but I think there would be a lot of waste using the plank and template. I will have to think a bit more.

In the meantime, maybe I will work on the yard tracks.

Until next week.

For information about me check out the About page on this blog.

Sorry I didn’t get a blog posted last week.

The events of the week before, a lose neutral on the electric company side of the meter to our house, caused a lot of stress. We lost several surge protector power bars, a transformer on the furnace and a transformer to our alarm system. With the resolution of the power issue, life returned to the new normal and with the stress relieved my diverticulitis acted up and as a result I spent Friday before last and that weekend with a fever and pain in my gut. Not to worry, my wife insisted that I get tested for COVID and as expected the test came back negative.

That week, I did manage to install all five turnouts frog switches and their point pulls. I chose to go with crank type throw. This allowed me to have all the turnouts aligned to the straight route with the nobs pushed in and the diverging route when the nobs are pulled out.

Here are the parts that make up the switch and pulls. The green parts are 3D printed by a friend of mine.

This is a DPDT slide switch that flush mounts. Another friend of mine directed me too.

The assembled switch.

Under the layout the assembly looks like this.

A crank and sleeve ready to be installed. Once the sleeve is installed the crank in installed then bent and connected to the slide switch.

Installing the sleeve. A drop of Superglue as the sleeve is pushed in to hold the sleeve in place.

Installed Top

And Bottom all wired and installed.

So that was the end of last week.

This past week I completed the main line and installed east Sugarwood Siding turnout.

Trains Roll

Next step is to complete Sugarwood Siding and added Olie’s Cold Storage and McFoods sidings, then finish the yard track and on to scenery.

Until next week.

For information about me check out the About page on this blog.

This week has been full of interesting things.

From power issues in the house to actually getting trains running, oh yea, there was Canada Day On July 1st.

I have the turnout to the Service/RIP track in and functioning as it should. I am now working on the yard ladder. Then the entrance to the yard then the sidings west turnout. With those working in can turn my attention to building the two turnouts for McFoods and Olie’s Cold Storage and then laying the rest of the track for this area.

Here are a few pictures, I hope to have a video and an explanation of installing the turnouts next week.

Join the Service/RIP turnout to the yard ladder

Facia Control Nob

Slide switch that routes power to the frog

The trowbar

Until next week.

For information about me check out the About page on this blog.