Tracklaying in the Passing Loop

Although it will still be a while before the right hand point to complete the passing loop will arrive, I thought it worthwhile to set out the final track alignment.  One reason was to make sure I don't need to order any additional track pieces.  Also, I wanted to tidy up the remaining ballast in the ballast pile, so it made sense to move some of the ballast to where it would be needed anyway.

I used some spare curved pieces laid on top of the existing track where the point will go, to set out the curve to link up with the existing straight portion of the passing loop, then removed the track pieces and laid weed mat along the alignment.

Weed mat down ready for an initial layer of ballast.

After mulling things over for a week or so, I decided to bite the bullet and remove the 3 m straight track where the right-hand point will go, and replace it with spare 10 m radius curves to mimic the geometry of the future point.  

Spare curved track now leading into the passing loop.

The straight portion of the passing loop has now been extended using the 3 m straight track removed from the future point location, but there is a gap of about 300 mm remaining to join up the passing loop track.

To fill the gap, I cut the end portion from another spare piece of curved track, and drilled new holes for the bolted track joiners.  The slight additional curvature, about 1.75°, pretty much corrected a slight angular misalignment where the curved and straight tracks meet.  

The buffer stop which was removed from the former end of track has been reinstalled just ahead of the loco in the photo below, on the main track. All that remains in the short term is to level and fully ballast the new track.

The plan now is for the passing loop track to remain as the through track until the new point arrives.  

Driver's Eye View

This first video was filmed with the camera mounted in the cab of the Planet 2 locomotive, to give a true "Driver's Eye" view.  The train was travelling in an anti-clockwise direction around the main line loop.

This video was filmed in the clockwise direction, with the camera mounted on the cab roof of the Planet 2 locomotive.

"Golden Spike" Ceremony

On Friday 1 March 2024, we had an informal "Golden Spike" ceremony to mark the completion of the main line, witnessed by friends Tricia and Richard who were visiting at the time.

The "Golden Spikes" were actually M6 high tensile bolts which had been spray-painted gold for the occasion, and were installed in place of four regular bolts at the final track join.

Unlike the actual Golden Spikes which were used at completion of historic railways, the gold-painted bolts can remain in position with no risk of being stolen.  Most of the real Golden Spikes end up in a museum after the official ceremony.

Front "MU" Connector for Planet 2 Locomotive

After receiving some advice and wiring diagrams from Mini Train Systems, I fitted a connector to the front of my Planet 2 locomotive to allow easy connection of the tethered control panel for reverse running.

Front mounted 15-pin connector for the tethered control panel.

Previously, I had been using a 15-pin "VGA" extender cable (Jaycar Part No. WC7500) temporarily running around the outside of the loco for this purpose.  This worked but wasn't very convenient.

The motor controller, inside the loco, actually has a spare 15-pin socket intended for a connection of the control panel at the front, so it was possible to permanently install the existing extender cable inside the loco with the connector emerging through a gap behind the front dummy radiator.  

Running the cable was a bit fiddly, as a had to remove the top from the "engine" compartment, as well as the front battery and some of the screws securing the radiator panel.  To get to the motor controller inside the cab, I also had to remove the cab roof.

I was able to 3D print a mounting bracket for the new connector which clipped onto the top of the front buffer beam so I didn't have to drill any mounting holes in the loco.

While I had the loco in pieces, I replaced the supplied headlight, which was somewhat feeble, with an e-bike headlight the same as I had previously mounted to the roof of the cab for reverse running, and wired both headlights to their respective wires from the motor controller.

The Mini Train Systems controller is quite well thought out, and using the intended method for connecting the control panel at the front meant that the single headlight switch automatically operated either the front or rear headlight, depending on which end of the loco it was plugged into.  Also, when plugged into the front, the sense of the direction switch changes so "forwards" is always away from the driver even through the loco may be running cab first.

And with the control panel plugged in ready to go.

Trial of Point Indicator

As a trial, I made a simple Point Indicator using inexpensive LED lamps available on eBay which are intended as side clearance lights on trucks, trailers, etc.

As a housing, I 3D-printed a new front panel for a plastic "zippy box" including protruding shades over each LED.  For the initial test, the lights change based on the polarity of the 12 V supply to the linear actuator.  Despite only drawing about 5 mA from 12 V, the LEDs are quite bright and visible even in bright sunlight.

To provide an indication when approaching the points in the "trailing" direction, I also mounted a single LED indicator in a low-profile box which mounts next to the left hand rail, and below rail height.

The next stage will be to fit limit switches to the point itself to prove that the blades have moved across completely, and not jammed by a stick or piece of ballast.

Dimensions of the LED lamps

Points set for the main line

Points set for the siding

A more distant view

First Stage of the Passing Loop

After completing the main line, there were enough track pieces left over to form a siding near the dam.  Another point (right hand) is on order which will eventually be installed where the track runs between the two trees in the background to form a passing loop.

Temporary hook-up of a 12 V battery and linear actuator for controlling the point.  In due course, the battery and solar panel will located in a sunny spot halfway along the passing loop with 12 V power fed to both points via conduits buried in the ballast.

The spacing between the parallel straight tracks is 1.5 m.

After ballasting and installation of a buffer stop, the siding is complete for now.

Some parked wagons to "test" the siding.

Completion of the Main Line

Ballasting resumed in the opposite, anti-clockwise, direction from the former end of track near the fruit trees.  The meant a much shorter trip from the ballast pile near the front gate.

Part of this section required extra-deep ballast as the ground is low-lying and boggy in winter.  The width of the weed mat was increased from 600 mm to 800 mm to allow for the extra ballast depth.

By late afternoon and, with a little pushing and shoving, the track was finally joined to form a complete loop without requiring any cutting, which was amazing.  Even though there was still about 10 m which wasn't ballasted, it was possible to drive a train across the gap for the first time at low speed.  

A momentous occasion!

The next day, the last few metres of track were ballasted.