Time! I never have enough of it. Lots of things done today, especially on Mrs. Woody's job list for me, but very little time for model making activities! I shouldn't grumble as I probably do, over the course of a month, spend a good few hours in my man cave producing things that will eventually end up in a skip! However that will be someone else's problem, so in the meantime I carry on.
Back to my Last Great Project 00 gauge layout which has made some progress over the last few weeks but not as fast as I had hoped. Progress is progress though but I am getting to the stage where this particular job of getting the track laid, wired and ballasted on the removable section is becoming a bit of a chore. I may need to divert onto something else for a couple of weeks and come back to the layout when refreshed and keen to progress again. I do admire those people who can work on a project for months and years without deviation but I cannot do that and as it is a hobby its has to be relaxing and fulfilling so I do it my way!
Anyway that does not mean I am not thinking about what I need to do next with the track laying/wiring/ballasting on the 00 gauge layout and I have made sure that stocks of necessary materials are available from the WMD Stores when needed. Sometimes it is the small things that cause delays but make a difference to the model. There are several points on the removable section. They will be operated by under board point motors but in real life points were operated from on the ground systems. Basically there are three ways of operating a real point. Firstly by a lever next to the point. Secondly by point rodding leading to a remote lever on a lever frame that could be located in a signal box. Thirdly by an electric motor controlled usually from a signal box. With the first option the lever has to be next to the point so you need to walk between points which would be fairly exhaustive in a large yard. With the second option there is a mechanical limit to how far point rodding can effectively operate so the levers need to be in the vicinity of the points. The last option means that a point can be operated by a signal box literally tens or hundreds of miles away from the point. That last option is the modern way that railways have gone. On most model railways there is usually no above ground point operating system modelled but it is one of those little details that makes the difference if modelled. Point rodding looks great but it is a real pain to model. I therefore have decided I will model the electric motor point control which makes life easier and saves time for me - working smarter not harder as I get older! Suitable model point motors have arrived in WMD Stores together with a kit for a couple of relay boxes where in real life all the electrics and control relays for the point motors are contained.
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