More progress as been done, but not without difficulties.

When doing research and finding articles , pictures and videos, it's not always black and white. Picture of the final results are not always explanatory, articles are sometimes, (or almost always) written in terms of specialist and not common everyday people and videos don't always show exactly what as to be done. This is why questions need to be asked. But again, lots of answers are often vague or off subject.

I wanted a system which for now could run my trains without having to undo what I had done. At a later stage I would like to have my layout linked to a computer, so toggle switch was out since a toggle switch can't toggle if action was done on a computer. A push button would solve this (seen on a video), but how?

I read that NCE had a push button board that could accept 8 push button which then linked to a switch8 could activate 8 tortoises. GREAT, but how does all this work and how to wire all this together? More reading and I then find out I need 2 push button per tortoises, the reason why the button board has 16 inputs. PROBLEM...... I don't want two buttons, I want one, now what?

More videos, pictures and reading, now I want LED's to be activated on a control board, but how do I do that? There are single LED's, Bi-color 2pin and 3 pin, etc etc. I need help!!!

After posting for help here, my hangout group, on Facebook and on the NCE Yahoo group, I finally got all the answers needed to continue. Like I said earlier, I get all kinds of answers, like I'm talking about push buttons and I get an answer on toggle switches, but I do appreciate the help.

I've been working on my hardware board as shown here:

The square hardware is the button board, I need two, therefore 16 push button. I did get the answer for installing one push button instead of two. All I need to do is reprogrammed the board, which to me was WHAT????? It ended up being very simple. "Setting CV548 = 1 will cause each push-button connected via the ‘Button Board’ to ‘toggle’ the switch machine output, i.e. each press of one button will alternate the switch’s position. Thus only 8 push-buttons are needed; each is connected to an ‘N’ terminal, so less wires in the control panel. Setting CV548 = 0 disables it. (Factory default = 0)."

The two identical rectangular hardware are the Switch8 which will activate the tortoises, that one was simple.

The rectangular piece at top is the circuit breaker

You can see my push button that is temporarily installed, I tested the system and ran a train with 2 LED's for the future panel and everything WORKED as I wanted. For me this is a great step forward since when it comes to electronics or electricity, I'm illiterate.

Half of my staging area is completed, that includes, soldering, wiring, tortoises. Hope to have the rest finished by year end, except for the control panel as I'm waiting for more LED's.

Not much to show, but lots is getting done.
Thanks to those that took the time to help me
Later

Almost a month, so time for another update.

Work as been started on the last part of the layout, roadbed has started and a bit of scenery.

Framework for a wall which will separate the layout from my workbench and the dispatcher.
 

I build this little trolley for my desktop so I can bring it wherever I'm working.

This is my gorge which is work in progress. I want falls on either side which will meet at the bottom in a lake.

This is a shale cliff. I made it with ceiling tiles.

Started on the roadbed of the staging area. Easy when you have nothing on top, but having to install it under your main level is not recommended. I never knew I could bend in so many ways.

Well, that's it for now. Before year end, I would like my staging area to be finish, which would include the tortoises and all the wiring.

Already a month from my last update, I guess I'm due.

     Not to much as been done in the last month as I didn't touch the layout before going on vacation, then I was on vacation for 2 weeks and when I got back, I didn't know where to start, but I did get one good week of work.

First, here's a picture of our vacation in Mexico

 

Picture 1 - Now here's what I've been up to in the last week. I finally hooked up the yard to the rest of the layout. 

Picture 2 - I decided on having a gorge  with two trestle bridge to be build later, once I find all the necessary plans and info to build it.

Picture 3 - The storage tracks for the coop is also completed.

 

Picture 4 - The top track splits once the train as gone over the bridge. The main line is in the middle and the top track is the feeder for the future brewery. The bottom track is the second main line. At the bottom, it will be the machine shop.

 

Picture 5 - One of the main line splits for the tunnel towards Montreal (staging area)

What's coming next?

- I need to work on the base of the brewery so that I can do the track work.

- Finally moving my wife's office upstairs.

- Start on the last phase of the layout.

- More buildings to start working on.

- Track wiring, LED strip wiring and more wiring.

- Start installing tortoises.

This should take me till December 2017.....lol.... just kidding

Later

Refinery and propane facility

It's been two weeks, so here's the latest update.
I'm still working on the refinery and also working on my propane facility.

     The refinery build is almost finish. I will not be able to assemble everything until I have my backdrop done. Everything is build in section for easy removal. The base is also removable for easy access to weathering. Once the backdrop installed, I will secure the base and work on blending everything together. Once that's finish, I will assemble everything together. The same technique was used for my cement plant and now my propane facility.

Here are a few closeup pictures of the refinery and propane facility.

 These next two are the aerial view of both facilities.

The next picture is an overall view of the area I've been working on.

 I'm done for the next 3-4 weeks. I need to get a bit of work done before going on vacation for 2 weeks.
I'll see you all in October.
Later.

Petro Canada Eh!!!

Can't get anymore Canadian than this EH....lol
My first try at decals and rust weathering

 

Later

Still working on the refinery

Hi everyone,

     Two weeks have passed since my last update and yes, I'm still working on my refinery. I've received my flashing red, yellow and orange flashing lights to install in the refinery furnace. It's not exactly the look I wanted, but it will do.

Here are the steps I've taken to build my refinery.

1) I knew I was going to have a refinery on my layout, but didn't know how it was going to look. I did buy a few kits such as the United Petroleum Refinery, Refinery Piping, Extra Piping, Aral Oil Tank Farm, Aral Small Tank Farm, Tank Farm Piping & Filling Plant and the Wide Oil Storage Tank. This is the area of the refineries.

2) I then mapped out the entire area and designed what I thought would be a nice layout.

But like we all know, a first design is not always the final result. I had to switch the entire top of the design around so that I could fit a little road. Sorry no design, but you'll be able to see further how it will look.

This is what I would need to fit in the design of the refinery. (piping not shown)

3) I then cut out the area on 1/8" masonite so that I could work off the layout. The first thing I build was the bund walls around the oil tanks.

4) I then put in place some of the parts to make sure it would fit ok.

5) I then brought everything over to my work bench to work on the piping. I needed to connect all the tanks to the refinery plant. But first, I worked on each separate tanks.

6) Now I need to connect each sections to the main refinery plant.

This is the area which will be on the top part of the refinery area.

     That's it for now. In the next few days, I'll be working on connecting the pipes, weathering the bund walls and tanks, printing decals for the tanks and hope to start on the bottom part of the refinery layout.

     In the mean time, I would appreciate comments and suggestions on how to finish the grounds. For example: what would finish the interior of the bund with? (gravel, dirt and what color) What about the rest of the grounds around the plant and outside the bund walls?

Thanks for dropping by

Later

Refinery done with

I just finished part of my refinery, here are 3 pictures of it.
I'm so glad that part of the refinery is done. It was the toughest kit that I've done so far.

I still have to do some touch ups, a bit of weathering and waiting for some flashing red, yellow and orange light to come in and install in the furnace.

Later

Working on a few little projects

Hey everyone,
I've taken a break from the framework and did a bit of everything. I'm still working on my refinery and here you can see that I've added lights to all the chimneys.

 I've also did a half load of lumber for my center-beam flat car, now I just have 3 more half's to do. They are all separate loads because they're different lengths.

 I've also worked on preparing the side of the lake so I can start working on the lake.

 I needed some sort of shed to store wood for the JAG company and since I had bought the Walton & Sons Lumber and have no more use for it because I now have a paper mill industry in it's place and because I have no more room for it. So I kit bashed it smaller.

 Here's what it looks like at JAG Outside Wood Furniture.

 For the next few days/week, it will still be the same, a bit of everything and I should have 2 "How to" videos out

Later

Brewery plant

     I spend a few days designing my brewery which will be over the helix. As you can see, it will be a huge industry, measuring 8' by 8' by 9' (triangle). My intention is to have the tracks fix on plywood and the building on 2" Styrofoam so that it can be removable.

     I got the idea from the Coors plant in Colorado, the only difference is, I wont be building that particular building as it would have to be 40' x 20'.

This project will probably start in 2017 as I still have to finish my layout.

New video update #4

Hey everyone, here's my latest update.
I explain the in's and out's of my layout, update on the progress and what I'll be working on in the next few weeks.
Hope you enjoy, subscribe and comment.
Thanks

Moving along nicely

Lots of work was done in the last 2 weeks. Both frame work and track work were the major items.

      The track work in the Hawkesbury yard is 85% completed. The rest will be done later, but first I'll need to finish the entire staging area, which is barely started.

     The second peninsula is now finish, it will hold the ore mining company on the right side and a paper mill on the other.

     Along the wall is the entrance to the helix which will be a tunnel, on the edge is the two main lines. In the back is the machine shop. The track in the middle is still not done, this track will be rising to reach my brewery plant.

 The valance as been completed for the entire section of the 40' x 15'.

 I've been so anxious to put out my rolling stock, so here are a few pictures for you to enjoy.

     What I would like to do in the next 2 weeks is connect the tracks from the left wall to the rest of the layout. (see the third picture). But first I need to decide if I want to build a gorge with a trestle bridge which is not part of the plan. If so, I'll need to redo part of my framework.

      I will then take a break from frame work and tracks and install my RGB LED under the valance. This should be another week or two, which will take us to September.

Later

PS. Also been working on 2 videos, now if I could only finish them.................