Ops session tomorrow afternoon. Should have about 6 or so operators. Focusing more on delivering freight cars than just running laps.
Spent about an hour cleaning track and running a track cleaner through the tunnels. Track is so reliable, I can let trains run all night and they would still be running in the morning.
Fun.
Ops session went off just fine. Trains ran for miles and miles with no problems. Got into some deliveries to the industries as well as bringing some folks back into the hobby after a decade of being away from it.
I installed a crossover near some industries on the layout to make switching freight in and out of a little easier. I installed the track a week ago and ordered a Digitrax DS64 with power supplies. They arrived today and I installed them on the layout then ran Tortoise machine power and push button control out to the crossover, about 25 feet away. Got the Tortoise machines synchronized then installed the push button. Those worked, then I ran wires from the Tortoise machine to the frogs to power them. To test it out, I ran a long train through the crossover, backward.
I have another bridge to build and install. Have to create the gap first.
First step is remove the track. This is the two lead tracks to the main yard. I have access to the yard from the other end, so the railroad won't come to a complete halt. This whole piece of work took about 1 hour. That included looking for a drill bit and another saw blade for the DeWalt saw.
Cut the benchwork away. Being careful not to cut across wires underneath.
Cut some more wood up to build up the banks of the river bed.
Add some wall plaster to dry over the next day.
In the mean time, I'm thinking of how to design a low profile bridge to install.
I stopped by the hobby shop today and picked up the material that I would need to build the pylon supports for the bridge.
Some 1/4" square plastic stock, some 5/16" plastic tube stock.
Cut it into shape and use plastic weld to put it together, then give it a concrete paint color, then set up the spacing on the bridge and weld it all together.
Let the plastic weld set up then check how it looks