RSR new layout.

[Rog (RJ)]

The idea is that the flat side of the cutters make the good cut. The other side is always chewed up, you just trim the chewed end off with the flat side of the cutters to get another good end. You shouldn't expect to be able to put track joiners on the damaged rail ends.

[RSR Engineer]

Ah, yes, good point, Rog. Fanx.

[RSR Engineer]

The southern loop tracks are wired up and tested. No real snags encountered except some rough running caused by blobs of solder on the top of the rail in places. Now for the control panel.

The work is documented on flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53775591@ ... 9557116553.
There is also a video of a test run: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53775591@ ... 488313446/.

Cheers,
Artur

[RSR Engineer]

The southern loops points are fully wired up and tested. Both northern and southern loops control panels are installed, including DPDT switches, and tested. The power supply remains a lash-up for the time being and will have to wait till I get the control panels from the old layout connected up and integrated, the reason being that the loops will derive their power from the old northern and southern ramps, and these will only be installed when the top level goes on.

The work is documented on flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53775591@ ... 9557116553.

Cheers,
Artur

Those pluggable terminal blocks have proved to be a real boon. Thanks again, Tricky Dicky.

[RSR Engineer]

In various places in the description of the RSR new layout, there have been references to a 3rd rail that was to be laid along some of the track to allow Hornby Dublo, JEP and Märklin trains to be run but it was really for the sake of the JEP 232R. With the completion of the southern loops, it was time to start on the contrun2 section, which was the first stage of the layout project to incorprate a 3rd rail.

It was only after carrying out the first few experiments that it became clear just what was involved. There was certainly more to it than simply laying a third rail (or stud contact strip) down the centre of the track. Getting through the points turned out to be the stumbling block that brought about the fall. Of course, centre 3rd rail and stud contact are perfectly viable power supply concepts - just look at Märklin and Hornby Dublo. However, their solutions are an integral part of their track systems and were catered for - designed in, if you like - from the very beginning, whereas on the RSR, a large part of the the centre conductor was to be added to existing trackage that is already installed, fixed down, lined up and wired in, and includes numerous points and double slip crossings.

Another problem is the current collection. Stud contact was selected for the visible tracks for appearance's sake. The Märklin models, of course, already have their skates but the Hornby has "spoons" and the JEP plungers, neither of which can be used on stud contact. And this is before we even try to get the collectors across the intersecting running rails. With Hornby and Märklin, the affected part of the switch rail is electrically dead; in JEP points, the whole switch rail is made of plastic. With 3-rail, that doesn't matter but such no-go areas are no use where 2-rail trains are also meant to run. And although it's possible to modify 2-rail points with appropriate switching, you can really only do that before the tracks are laid. Tracks already in situ: forgeddit.

Fitting skates to 3-rail locos should, in theory, be no problem. I never got round to trying it out but I suspect the Hornby Dublo engines would be simple enough. The JEP 232R, however, is quite another kettle of fish. She has very little "ground clearance" under her chassis; the pickup plungers jut down in front of and behind a bottom casting that accommodates the motor. The spacing of her tender bogie axles precludes a long skate there as well. (It would have to a long skate to get across the switch rails of the points.) At one point (no pun intended) I even went to the length of buying a spare bottom casting (on eBay France) to make any modification reversible.

All in all, with all these stumbling blocks the 3rd rail project for the RSR was essentially a non-starter but in the final analysis it was the failure of the experiments with stud-contact points that its sealed fate. Maybe I gave up too early but the rest of the layout was also being held up. I would very much have liked to see the 232R running on the new layout but you can't have everything.

The work is also documented on flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53775591@ ... 1263176086

Cheers,
Artur

[Steve M]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained Arthur. At least you tried.

[IanS]

Have you considered using something like the Tillig dual gauge track (HO/HOe) at your points? https://www.tillig.com/eng/Produkte/pro ... 85195.html

They have sorted the electrics (I assume) and it may solve your issue if you're happy to have a limited track run for the 3 rail locos.

[RSR Engineer]

Thank you for your feedback, gentlemen. Sorry to be slow getting back to you; been away for a few days.

Thanks for the tip, Ian, but the matter is now academic. I've given up the idea of 3-rail on the layout. The real blocking point was the the need to modify points already in situ. I wasn't prepared to risk the possible disruption.

Cheers,
Artur

[RSR Engineer]

After the 3-rail project was finally laid to rest, the work was able to resume as intended. The contrun2 section (orange in the diagrams) has all tracks laid and all point motors installed. The choice of SM3 or PL-11 was usually dictated by the amount of space available. Wiring up remains to be done.

The work is documented on flickr, pix 440-7: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53775591@ ... 3524354145

Cheers,
Artur

[RSR Engineer]

The contrun2 control panel is now installed and tested, except for some wiring that still needs to be done at the eastern end. It will be noticed that the panel does not correspond fully to the actual track layout. I decided to take the lazy way out and extend the existing former hidden loops panel rather than create an entirely new one. Compare pix 440w and 452x.

That missing wiring will be finished when the bus wires are fully installed with the power supply from the old layout. There is to be a "ring main" all around the layout, which will be "tapped" by the various control panels. This work will be documented in due course.

The work is, as usual, documented on flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53775591@ ... 9557116553

Cheers,
Artur