Town Planning

Now that I'm back at it I've decided to tackle some of the tricky things I've been putting off first, and top of that list is figuring out how I plan to build out the main station area.  Since the inception of the track plan I had planned to build a town here, but I've been troubled by some logical issues with access and roadways.  Call me a curmudgeon, but it always irks me to see layouts with buildings with no plausible road access.  The modern world is all about the automobile and a house, industry or workshop without road access is just  wrong.  My station is ringed in by track, it's an island... so what to do?

Before I go any further I should mention that all the images below are greyblock quality only.  Buildings are placed in approximate locations, roads are drawn in with a sharpie, hills and elevations represented by foam blocks and plywood- I'm just trying to lay out the key objects in the space, to find the right balance of density and appealing sight lines.   Also, as always, just click on an image to see it in high res.

Step one was building a level crossing.  I found some miscellaneous bits and bobs and took a stab at it.  Still needs paint obviously:

Next I took a stab at my main street.  I'm planning an elevation (represented by the plywood) with a road extending from the level crossing, leading up and along the back wall.  There will be a T intersection, and from that my town's main street, heading into the depth of the image below:

The foreground is slightly older structures.  As you go up the hill, much as in the real world, the real estate improves.  Out past the station is a freight warehouse, and a freight unloading platform, as well as the signal tower I previously located on the other end of the room.   It has bothered me for months that the tower is a closer match to this station than the one it was previously paired with, so tonight I finally made the move:

Here you can see the new freight platform and the warehouse behind it.  I'll probably look for one more industrial type building to block off the street and bridge the space to the line running in the background.  You can also see my planned spot for the semaphore signal.  I'm happy to report that wiring this is very easy, it will attach directly to my switch machine and operate automagically!

The station area is still in flux.  My largest concern in that I am now using three different styles of platform!   I'm really not sure how I feel about this, it was not entirely by design, but of course in the real world we see things like this daily.  Perhaps it speaks to a narrative of expansions... First there was the passenger platform extending from the station, then a freight platform was added, and then as traffic increased a second platform was needed... I'm just not sure. Please, let me know what you think:

Front right: passenger, center left: passenger, back right: freight.

The old church site is now a farm:

And the former site of the signal tower now has a small platform.  A new signal tower is on order from Euro Rail Hobbies, it will go on the opposite side of the tracks, and so make much better use of space that the previous arraignment afforded.  While I'm still not entirely happy, this area now feels significantly less cramped.  I've photoshopped in a picture of the new signal tower in it's planned space:

A new platform now sits where the old signal tower once resided.

Finally, you may have noticed above a bunch of new structures.  Sharp eye Sir!  I've been busy building a number of new structures, many of which were Christmas gifts.  Those of you responsible, you know who you are, and I thank you.  I only wish I could have got to them sooner!

Faller 232234

Faller 232245 (Apothecary)

Faller 232245 (Bakery)

Faller 232235

Ballast Update Infographic

Click to Zoom

Visually much progress has been made, as my ballasting now covers all the territory where some  landscaping exists. I will hold off on ballasting the rest till there's a more defined sense of what it all shall be, because at present it's little more then plywood with a quick coat of green paint. This progress looks pretty good but it is somewhat misleading. The track marked as green above is not yet operationally sound.  in fact, most of it is now pretty dismal. The tedious job of picking out stray gravel, polishing all the rails and making sure the turnouts are free to move has yet to be completed. Worse still, this operational handicap and my recent work schedule has prevent any operations for many weeks, rendering my underground and tunnel track is poor shape too.  I need to get some trains moving soon before it all becomes a quagmire!

Blasted Ballast!

We have normality!

I the game I've been working on for the past four years is on the verge of complete, we have submitted it to the publisher and I once again have time for some life outside of work! 

In the past week I've built myself a newer and bigger storage shelf for rolling stock and resumed ballasting my track. I've also picked up some old Fleishmann signals and semaphores that will be going near my main station.   I'm not sure how prototypical they may be for Switzerland but I don't really care, I'll be the only one who knows better and seeing a moving semaphore responding to traffic is just too cool to pass up!

Sleeping Dogs

Work on the JaggyBahn has ground to a halt as I finish my game, Sleeping Dogs. I say "my game" but it's not, I'm a cog is a big machine that's been working on this for years, yet in a sense it is mine too, as it's taken over my life. We just hit beta and have a few weeks to go till it's in-the-can.  Until then the trains shall be silent I'm afriad.  I do however look forward to some serious comp time to follow and will be getting everything in order ASAP.

Here's the game, for the curious:  http://sleepingdogs.net/

Automation

Click for full size

This is the main view from TrainController Bronze.   The top of the image shows my layout, as the software knows it.  Track is divided into logical blocks (the yellow boxes) and is monitored through feedback modules informed by vertical mount reed switches.   Top center you can see there's one locomotive on the table, which is currently idle.  Were it in motion you would see track ahead reserved for it.  Bottom right is the currently defined roster.