Some drawer slides and a prefab wooden shelf make a great slide-out shelf for my DCC system. For the NS&T, I’ve mounted this near the base of the interchange yard peninsula, as this will be a central location when the full layout is built.
Over the past week or so I’ve made significant progress on my S scale version of the Niagara St. Catharines & Toronto Railway. All track is in, all track wiring is done, and all track switches are operable (although some still require their permanent fascia controls). In short, I can now serve customers in St. Catharines (otherwise known as the Garden City).
The junction where the spur to Ontario Street meets the main track through the Geneva Street terminal. I had some concerns that the short but steep grade on the Ontario Street line (right hand track) would cause problems for freight motors climbing out of the Woodruff’s Siding, but they have no problem hauling a few freight cars up the grade.
In addition to identifying necessary track tweaks, testing turned up a few surprises. I had to cut back the length of the platform canopies on my mockup by one post because the canopy roofs interfered with long or tall equipment. I can live with that adjustment.
I’ve started testing. I typically run a train from Merritton staging (the elevated track in the background), up to the junction switch, backed down to Woodruff’s, then switch the various spurs for McKinnon’s on Ontario Street (foreground). I’m pleased that the layout is performing well and that the operating sessions are enjoyable!
I’ve run a few test trains and tuned all the track – hopefully, for good. I’ll do more testing – but pretty soon, I’ll start adding backdrops, terrain between the roadbed, and more structure mockups.
Lifelong model railway enthusiast and retired amateur shepherd who trained a border collie to work sheep. Professional writer and editor, with some podcasting and Internet TV presenting work thrown in for good measure.
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