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Tuesday 16 January 2024

O Gauge test track

We are still renovating the house and this has really impacted my opportunities to set up my O gauge layout. This is really frustrating as I have several O gauge projects that are nearly complete and I need somewhere to test rolling stock, especially the DCC sound fitting to the O gauge diesels. So over the last week or so I decided to build a small O gauge micro layout/test track. I had a 5ft scenic box that I purchased from Tim Horn several years ago - I had made the box up, but had gone no further. So I dragged this out of the garage and started to arrange some track. I was keen to see what track I could get into a 5ft box in O gauge - the answer is not much!!! However, I added in two points, wired in the polarity switches (Gaugemaster), and used the Express Models Powerbus kit all soldered up. I also added in a small internal light and added a control panel for the NCE powercab on the front. By the end of Sunday it was operational - fantastic. I cut out some simple paper templates of buildings to see how things could fit, and  I now plan to add a couple of buildings to the layout, alongside a backscene and some simple scenery to provide a photographic plank, as well as a fully operational test track.

Test track operational. This is with the lighting unit switched off, showing the real benefit of O gauge and coach lighting.

So now there are now excuses for not finishing off some DCC diesel detailing projects. I am determined to finish off the Class 25 project this week and reassemble the locomotive. I cannot wait to try it on the test track. Otherwise wagon building and painting continues, with a Conflat now ready for transfers and the SR pill box brake van and the SPV being painted. Lots of fun and a satisfying weekend... I plan to spend this evening building another wagon!

Aerial view showing the very limited track layout.

The internal lighting is visible to good effect in this picture.

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