what are people doing on their layout right now

[crewearpley40]

Every time andy the memories come back. Glad the layout is still live and keeping one busy

[AndyRA]

A long time building it, so it gets at least several operating sessions a week to keep it ticking over 

[Malc]

Bought a 3 pack of Arduino Nanos and just finished adding automatic signals and a set of traffic lights.

[Trainfish]

I think that loco needs a drugs test 


I've been putting people in phone boxes, sticking a pallet on a forklift and making oil drums from old sprues. I have also fitted 150ft of hedges and fencing but I don't have a picture of that. Or the backscene which is sticking to a board as I type this:

[KevTheBusDriver]

Walsall Long Street Goods; I've spent the past week replacing the 1997 'card mock-up' with a 'proper' version - it's coming along quite nicely, I think!

[Greygreaser]

This is my final version of Reedham Norfolk or it will never happen.  Its based on the old track layout before Feb 2020 and will have semaphore signals and all the point and siding tracks.
The baseboard, flat top, is 39" x 96" in old money or 990mm x 2400mm in EUs😉 it will be on two equal bases so i can split the top to get it out of the workroom if needed - exhibit?
Trains operate between 3 termini Norwich Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth with the latter served by a single track.  The 'fiddle yard' is a triple loop so trains can arrive and depart on the correct up and down lines except the branch which is single track. Points and sidings mostly reflect pre Feb 2020 when the whole station/junction was relayed.
More pics and details of snags and errors to follow, stay safe all, cheers chris

[dannyboy]

Hi Greygreaser and welcome to the forum. Your track plan looks interesting, but not sure just how the reverse loop will work.  (Somebody will be along who can explain it to me  ).

[crewearpley40]

I would opt for two running lines with gentle curves and sidings rather than the loop

[Dancess]

Track laying a passing loop using DCC, only trouble is I keep getting short circuits on diverging tracks!

[Trainfish]

I have limited knowledge of DCC but it sounds like you may not have fitted IRJs on the points maybe?

[Greygreaser]

The plan is to have 3 controllers - a two track Gaugemaster for the up and down main lines and a Colworth for the GY branch. There are switching and isolation issues which I have planned to address by the control board, IRJs, track sectioning and location of track feeds. I'll see if my 'electrics' diagram makes sense and then post it in a future missive.
The layout will be DC and the control board will try to mimic the Reedham junction box plan as shown. I hope to be able to run up to three trains simultaneously, following 'railway rules' which will be interesting to watch as the branch line train on an 'up Norwich' route has to cross the two Lowestoft tracks. In the 'old' track formation it fed across two sets of points but to avoid multiple isolated sections I've reduced this to one set and a crossing.

[manicmick]

Hi
I've just joined  and am in the process of trying to build a model of Eastbourne. I enjoy scratchbuilding model buildings which is just as well as there are lots of them!
Mick

[dannyboy]

That's an impressive looking building Mick. 

[KevTheBusDriver]

If by 'right now' implies 'today' - well, this morning I was ballasting a bit of 4-track main line which was pinned down in 1982 (yes, really) and this afternoon I was working on a block of flats which were demolished (the prototype) in 2009. It's a long project...

[Greygreaser]

 
My rolling stock date from the Hornby factory visit around 1983! Also some 'cheap' purchases from a hobby shop in Ipswich which was 'getting out' of model railways.
Consequently I have some track which appears to be from the Rivarossi? Or early Graham Farish? or early 'Peco'? I've a complete Hornby Minitrix Class 27 passenger set and a Lima Class 31 goods set - both boxed and unused as yet!
Since the '80s I've bought odd bits and pieces when I've seen them for pennies not pounds as i never thought I'd get a space to build a layout. (Originally i was going to build something based on Barmouth in Wales) I bought a GF tank loco and a DMU in need of repairs and bought the spares to repair both from GF in Poole for less than £20 inc postage.
Just hoping arthritis and eyesight hold out till i get things running
Cheers to all and stay safe👍😀