Welcome to JRail Layout

I will post images and construction comments for my new N scale layout.  In Japan, the term is Diorama.

Commenced construction:  April, 2012.

Looked around for some clean Bandai logo images.

Combined into this:

Both Parent and Sub-branch logos

Tool tidy mini-project

Inspired by the Armchair Modellers workbench tidy.

barrack-model.at.webry.info/201406/article_1.html
 
Purchased storage bins and desk organisor (x2) from KMart - total $20
Spare 7mm ply sheet and 19mm stick and assembled with a few bolts and screws.

Japanese Artist and Modeller - Ichiro Hirai

Ichiro Hirai - Armchair Modeller

He has drawn a manga story including himself as a scale-model sized man fixing trains.  His wife is normal sized.  Typical Japanese sense-of-humor.

Armchair Modeller - barrack-model.at.webry.info

First Run of a train and Testing

Time to power up and test all-circuits.  Connected my old DIY controller to the CONTROL PANEL. I have a new Morley controller but did not wish to blow it up during testing. Most circuits were good. Needed to remove a few metal peco joiners at locations where I intended isolated track. I put feeders on all tracks pieces and turnouts to ensure solid power coverage.

Vesta N - morleycontrollers.com

First Train !

little heavy on the glue :-(

The Shinkansen blur

Wiring the first stage of track

The power bus consists of three pairs of multi-strand wire.
Main [M], Loop [L] and Signal power [S]

This "Loop" designation is for the complete loop-circuit.  I can run one train on this circuit while operating another on the rest of the "Main".  Later, I am referring to the reverse-loop wiring which is part of the Loop power bus.  [clear-as-mud]

The feeders were spliced into the bus wires using "suitcase" connectors.  They squeeze the inner copper core but do not cut it.

bottom view of layout

The CONTROL PANEL was a lot of work.  [subject for another post]  It provides isolation blocks for the 9 track segments.  The rest of the segments are directly connected to the Main or Loop bus wires. The Loop & Main circuits (labelled MAIN on the panel face) and reversing-loop section (labelled LOOP) can be toggled in polarity so that operator (me) can turn the train completely.  The yellow toggle is for splitting the power into two areas, Loop path and Main tracks (the rest).  In the ONE TRACK position means the controller is connected to all tracks.  TWO TRACKS means a second controller will be powering the Loop path.

The design is based on single operator.  I park a train in a block and isolate it using the mini-toggle.  I then place on-line another block with a second train parked on it and operate that train.  I did not wish to go down the path of DCC controlled chips.  Bandai [BTrain] models are tiny.  Only spare room for lead weights.

Control Panel

closer view of rear control panel

Blank Canvas - start the work

The foundation work completed.  Frame, diorama box, lighting and track design completed.
First step is to mark the key track geometry ie road centers and turnouts from the full-scale [1:1] drawing onto the foam. see drawing to the left of the layout.

Next - glue down foam road bed and flexi-track [recycled peco 80].  All the track was washed with degreaser, pre-wired with feeders, primed with gray paint.

my old peco code 80 with some new bits

The reversing loop has down grade to the rear main line.  Needed a gentle cutting of the foam, and filled with spack.

The cat supervising me.