New Video: Installing working signals on your layout

I've had a few emails over the last year asking me about my working signals on the layout.  Well, the last email from Philip H. got me motivated tot do a how-to-video.  I get turned off with the block detection and JMRI concept of controlling the signals.  Lots of work to get it to operate and expensive components.  I've added toggles on my fascia to control the signals on the layout.  Adds another component to running trains!  Let me know if you have any questions!

Settling back into summer modeling

Last week was the first week off for me as a teacher this summer.  I really did not get a break as I had a track camp for little kids most of the week, a summer school workday Friday and a train show Saturday.  Quite busy.  This week started off with a project for a client of mine I have done cars for the last few years.  I'm about half way done with his cars.  I have found some time to work on my layout a little and added a new signal to BY and weathered a old freight car.  I got my lumber and materials for the end of the lower level and I have waited to do after the freight car batch.  That is my top priority now.

I sold a lot of my On30 items at the train show Saturday and picked up a few items of need.  I did find a guy selling signals and I knew I need a few more.  I had to replace the 3 over 3 at BY because I accidentally shorted out a few included all important red.  So that needed replacement.  On a whim I bought a B&O cpl that I was thinking I would put on the Orange line.  But why not BY?  it looks good.  I hooked all my signals to toggle switches to be changed by the dispatcher.  That's usually me.  Makes it a little more operational.  This one I hooked up to 2 toggles so that I could use all the position lights.

In with the new, out with the old.  I moved the signal back a bit for switch possibilities.

Medium Approach

Stop

Approach

Approach medium

 I'm not a signal expert but the above signals are from a web search of B&O cpl signal meanings.
Signal aspects of the B&O Railroad

Tried a different method of weathering today.  Almost done but needs to be darkened a bit.  A boxcar you do not see everyday!

Scenery rush and another dilemma

Spent the last week working on some scenery items on the layout.  In my last update, I replaced 2 turnouts that would help out the layout.  I finally got the Old Dominion Foods turnout installed and it looks great and more importantly it works great.  So after I got the turnouts in and wired, I was ready for some ballast.  I had a whole bag left and a little in another to work with.  I use real rock ballast and it looks great.  A lot better than the walnut shells Woodland Scenics has.  I used the little bag first and then opened the second bag.  It was not the ballast I needed.  It was super fine!  This ballast was bought from a vendor at local shows.  The vendor, Brazos & Pecos owned by Gene Browning, died earlier in the year.  I thought I had enough to finish the layout, but I did not since I bought the wrong bag last year at a show.   So I was at a stopping point.  I ordered some Highball ballast online last week and it arrived on Friday.  It was the wrong color and was not even close.  Hard to order ballast online especially when your trying to match what is down already!  So, on Saturday I was a vendor at the Lynchburg Railday train show.  I always do this show.  It's a great small show in the area.  Last time I was there, I bought the ballast from B&P.  After looking around the show, I found a vendor who's been clearing out in the last 2 shows there.  There and behold, I found not one bag, but 2 bags of the ballast I needed.  I got the 2 bags, 4 coal loads and a bag of granite loads for $9.  I was very thrilled!

Last night I finished ballasting all the mainlines on the VM.  I just glued it down a few hours ago.  It feels good to finally seeing this layout getting finished.  At least for the ballast!  I also put in an order to Scenic Express for a some grass mats and other items.  The only ballast I have left is two spurs that have no industries on them.

Add all my switch timbers last week while waiting on the wrong ballast.

The turnout at Old Dominion Foods works great.

Virginia Central trackage is drying.  Real stone ballast will always be darker when glued down.

The VM mainline is complete with ballast.  The spur to the right will be a pulpwood loading area on the VC.

Another view from the Battlefield Yard area.

I also did some work on the Battlefield yard crew house.  I used Monster Model Works concrete sheets for the parking lot,  Cannot wait to add the rest of the details.

Operational Session with Norm Wolf

Yesterday I had a planned operational session with Norm Wolf on the layout.  He's been wanting to come over for a while now and yesterday our schedules worked out.  He ran the V100 which runs out of Battlefield Yard (BY) to the Fredericksburg Flats industries.  He took 8 cars with him and returned with 8 cars.  Not an easy task but Norm did well.  The flats have 3 trailing industries and 3 that require you to run around your train.  The layout acted up a little but 80% was operator error (running through switches).   You can guarantee that your layout will have some shorts, a derail & a pull apart when you want to show your layout to someone.  It's Murphy's law! This stuff never happens when it's just me.   I ran the other trains that came out of staging to BY and did the switching in BY.  We ran a total of 3 trains on the layout.  The V100, a G200 grain train from Orange and the F&NN local. Here are the pics:

RF&P #124 brings in the rest of V100 train.  Norm had to wait on their arrival before he could head to Fredericksburg Flats.

F&NN power brings their small train (3 cars) into the Battlefield yard.

VMID # 292 is the yard switcher today.  He's making the RF&P's train up and just complete the F&NN train.  The F&NN train is at the top waiting to head east.  The Virginia Central cars sit on track #4.  The Virginia Central was not operated today.

Norm catches up on paper work while the F&NN train passes.  He had to clear up for the train heading east.

The G200 grain train comes into Battlefield yard.  This train came from Orange and power had to run around it's train to get into Battlefield Yard.  Older power leads this train with VMID #256 "the Red Baron".

RF&P #124 has it's train assembled behind him.  The G200 power waits in BY for it's next assignment.  A H/W load sits on the engine track.

Norm finishes up his switching since he has no other trains coming through his switching.

RF&P #124 gets an approach signal to leave Battlefield yard. 

Some of Norm's pics:

It's me switching in BY.

A B&O sand hopper bound for the VC.

The G200 grains train prepares to run around it's train.  The VC depot is in the foreground.  Norm's engine #281 sits in the upper left corner and in the clear of G200.

The BY engine track has a high & wide waiting on it's assignment.

West end signals are installed and working/ other projects

Finished up the last signals on the layout over the weekend.  All my signals are controlled by toggle switches on the fascia.  Since op session only consist of 2 people, I'm the one who will throw them.  I installed 2 Tomar regular 3 light signals and one BMLA searchlight signal.  The 2 Tomar signals are going into Battlefield Yard and the other is right across the track going west to Orange (hidden staging).  The searchlight signal is different and controls trains coming off of the Virginia Central branch line.

The other pictures are other things I'm working on this week:

The two Tomar signals.  There will be another bridge between the signals and the other overpass.

 

 

These BMLA signals are very detailed.  Definitely different on the layout.

Got another Alco, this time a RS1.  She will work for the F&NN and will be patched.  Really liked the black and yellow!  It has a Tsunami in it and was the most challenging one I have ever had the pleasure to put in.

A high and wide load.  Gotta have a interesting load during some op sessions.  Finally got the brass wire I need for tie downs.

A side dump for a MOW train.  Gotta get some VMID lettering on it.

No this is not HO but an On30 Forney getting a new tender.  One more good days work and she will be complete.  Maybe 2 with the paint!

Short Video of my new signals

Here a little teaser video from my layout.  Not big fan of showing unfinished areas on videos by wanted to show that working signals do add a lot to a layout. 

Soldering and signal frustration

Well after about a month or more of doing other things, I decided to install more signals on the layout.  This did not seem to be a long task but a tedious one.  My signals at the crossing have been put in for a few years now.  I installed them with on-off-on toggle switches.  I did the same with these.  These toggle switches have 6 connectors in the back to connect the correct wires.  I did myself a favor and ran the 2 main power wires all the way around the layout when I first thought about the project.  So that was done.  Those connect in the middle connectors on the switch.  Then the LEDs are on one (with the correct resistor) and the common is on the other.  Simple as that, right!  Solder them in and your done right!  Wrong! If the common and LED were switched connections, they would not work.  I found this out the hard way.  Soldering them in: not working, clip them in: working.  I went through toggle switches.  This was the obvious choice.  Went out and got some heavy duty ones like the other switches.  Then I found out about the common and LED thing.  Talk about frustrating.  I spent most of the day trying to get these to work!  The positive:  I did go several hours of soldering work without burning myself.

Soldering is something that if you are going to be in this hobby, you are going to have to learn.  It used to be painstaking but I found something that makes it so easy.  Tinning flux by Oatey is sold in Home Depot and other hardware stores.  Before this, my soldering was bad but this makes it so easy.  Put some on the end of the wire or connector and the solder bonds instantly.  No preheating!  I use and old soldering iron that has a little indention that holds my melted solder.  Works for me!  I use Micromark's Soldering Iron Stand instead of the little one that come with the iron. I use the same method on decoders and those expensive Tsunami decoders.

On with the progress:

My working (frustration) area above my desk.  The signals would control exiting of Battlefield yard.  Gator clips are great for testing connections.  Lots of tedious soldering work.

This is the larger signal that controls the VM out of Battlefield Yard.

Red signals coming out of the yard.  The one on the right is the RF&P connection that leads to hidden staging.  Need to lean it to the right some

Green Signal on the VM and an approach on the RF&P connector.  I wanted to wire the toggle to show a red over green or visa versa and it would not let me do that.  I'm sure you could but I could not figure it out.  I was happy they are lit!

Toggles are set and the fascia did not fit back even but that might be for another day!