My ongoing blog about building a small 6' x 1' 1/2 switching layout and a 4' 1/2 staging/Interchange in a Condo in Toronto.

As we approach the Holidays and we expect guests, I want to get going on the scenery and building construction. However, the layout is light and small enough (6' x 1' 1/2) that I can pull it off the shelving support and store in the closet in lieu of my progress.

Scenery: Culvert/Pond Scene

Here is a photoshopped demo of the Culvert/Pond scene i've been working on:

Either side of the culvert will be a retaining wall and the South side of the pond will be a steep back fill from the pavement of the transfer facility.

Because the foam board was only an inch thick I had to cut through the entire thickness of the foam and put a support under neath, which is the same thickness as the other supports, the thickness of the under side of the foam and the top shelf of the shelving.

In researching Culverts on the Walthers website, I liked the options, and i'm torn between a newer culvert and an older 'historical' date stamped one. However the producers I don't recognize and the shops near me don't carry them. But... I was happy to see in the latest issue of MR that Blair Line have new culverts, the newer looking ones and they are date stamped! Sold.

Now, because stream goes under the tracks, I only have under 3 inches of clearance for the stream on the North side of the tracks. Plus 1 inch against the back drop is the layout framing. So I decided to have an abandoned spur on the North side of the tracks assuming the stream lets out past the backdrop.

Electrical and we have train.

So I wired up my will be DCC buss and feeders and soldered the wires to a DPDT switch to toggle from DC to DCC operation. Currently i'm in DC operation. Everything worked out fine. Here is the wiring:
 

(note the brown support to the farthest left is for the pond bed as noted before).

And here is the wee red switch unlabeled. switching to the right is DC, to the left will be DCC.

Yesterday I performed my first switching duties. I swapped out two cylindrical hoppers at one industry and two tank cars at another and delivered a gondola to a back track. Progress!
 

Of course the photos will be better with lighting, structure completion, scenery/ballasted tracks and a better camera!

Thanks for reading.

Brad