Hogan
Junction - Placement
After the grass and earth effects were added to both sides it was time
to lift them back onto the benchwork for final positioning.
This was actually a physical challenge, as the Lionel track pins were
pretty stiff, and they did not want to just slide together with a gentle
push - a little elbow grease made it work out ok.
You will note that Side B has already been ballasted. Applying the
ballast in 0-27 was VERY EASY compared to my previous N Scale efforts.
The ballast is larger and the rails are tall, so there is not the same
concern about whether or not a stray piece of ballast will get stuck on
the rail. The sheer size and weight of the trains makes this a
non-issue. We were able to ballast the entire side in about an hour.
You will also notice in the bottom right photo
that I have added the semaphore and grade crossing flashers, both made
by MTH. You can see the wires temporarily dangling beneath the layout,
as I have yet to make any power connections.
As the trains will primarily be traveling toward the semaphore, I
created insulated approach circuits for the grade crossing flashers, so
that the flashers would come on a few seconds before the train got
there, and turn off just as the last car cleared the crossing - almost
like the real thing! The MTH flashers also have bell sounds, with a
small speaker attached under the layout.
Project Date: 12-31-03, 7:00PM to 11:00PM |
Side "A" - in place with buildings and grass
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