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| So there you have it, that is the FGW, but there are always little things to tell about a layout that just don't fit into any major category. This page will tell you a little more about the planning stages, the staging yards, the power system, and anything else I can think of that someone might want to know about. |
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I did my planning the old fashioned way, with graph paper, a pencil, and a track template. It has worked out surprisingly well so far. I have had very few problems with track and switched fitting in where I planned them. In fact, I have usually ended up with a little more room than I planned. Here is a copy of the lower level plans. |
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Here are plans for the upper level. |
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The staging yard is located below the city of FitzGerald and contains eight tracks. It is reached via the large helix and is nearly twenty-two feet long. This photo shows the yard from the yard throat switches. |
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This is the panel I made to control the seven switches in the staging yard. They are controlled with Tortoise switch machines. The panel itself is mounted on a hinge that allows the entire thing to be stored up and out of the way when it is not in use. |
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Here are six of the seven switch machines mounted under the staging yard throat. Getting these installed on benchwork only a foot or so off the floor was a bit of a challenge, but well worth the effort. |
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I use Digitrax DCC, which stands for Digital Command Control. In this system, their is a digital code that is sent through the rails to all the locomotives on the layout. Each locomotive has a circuit board that reads the data and responds if the message applies to it. All other locomotives ignore that information as it does not apply to them. I have been very fortunate to have a friend who is very talented with electronics. He helped me set up my system and made boxes to house the different componants of the system. Here is my main power box. To learn more about the main power box, and to see the inside, click on the picture. |
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My system required a few smaller boxes which hold the systems for dividing the layout into power districts and reversing sections. Dennis made two power manager boxes to hold these componants. The first is located under the city of FitzGerald and above the staging yard. It is mounted sideways. Click on the picture to see the inside of this box. |
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Here is the second power manager box. This one is mounted vertically and is located between Coleman and the smaller helix. Again, you can open the box by clicking on the photo. |
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I also needed to mount two AR-1 reverse loop contollers on the layout. These were mounted much closer to where they were needed. To keep them protected from harm, either by being bumped or covered with wet scenery materials, I mounted a screw lid from a small plastic jar to the benchwork, then mounted the AR-1 on the lid, running the wires through the lid, and then screwed the jar onto the lid. This was really my only contribution to the entire system, as Dennis did the rest. Many thanks to him, as I could not have done it without him. |
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Typical of most midwestern layouts, my layout is located in the basement. To that end, it is very important that I keep track of the humidity level to prevent track problems. I have a dehumidifier in the layout room, and a simple little meter that helps me keep track of the humidity. Available at any home center, it has made tracking the humidity and temperature in my basement a snap. |
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