2008: Building the First Modules (3 of 4)

With the physical construction done, work began on "scenicking" the modules. Here is the beginning of a corner module with tunnels through a mountain.

Bob was busy laying out the track to "The Gilbert Siding" and figuring out spacing for the operating accessories that would be featured there.

The club standardized on Tom's Turnouts for sidings and passing tracks. We soldered a short section of track between the end of the turnout and the bridge track at the edge of the module. A ground throw was mounted for manual operation of the turnout.

Two microswitches were mounted underneath, triggered by throwing the turnout via the ground throw. One microswitch controls frog polarity, and the other prevents derailment by cutting off track power to the open track. If a train approaches from that direction, it loses power before derailing at the open turnout.

After the other two track lengths were soldered on, the whole unit was wired up.

It's a lot easier to do it now than after it's mounted on the roadbed!!!

Underneath the modules, barrier strips make power available as needed for the tracks and accessories on each module. In keeping with the NASG S-MOD standard for modules, there is an 8-position barrier strip at each end of each module for track power. On the other side (shown here) we followed that pattern with a barrier strip at each end of each module for accessory and siding power. The connections on the left are for buttons that operate accessories.