Layout update

Installing the turntable inspired me to finish laying the track on the Thomaston section. To avoid having a section joint right in the middle of the engine terminal, I added a 42" long extension at a right angle to give a 9' long L-shaped section that will include the roundhouse, the car shed (the short spur in front of the roundhouse tracks), and a trestle across Mill River to the east of town.  I had originally imagined that the railroad would terminate outside of town to avoid having to cross this river (see August 2017 post), but since I wanted a trestle anyway, I decided to relocate the depot and engine terminal within the town borders.

Here's a photo of the full section. I took it it outside to paint the track:

The 9' length is a little unwieldy, but the layout is meant to be semi-permanent and it is a major advantage to not have the roundhouse tracks cross a section joint. This section is also light enough that I could imagine displaying it at shows as a standalone switching layout.

I am using traditional two-cab DC for this layout since it is difficult to jam DCC decoders into HOn30 locomotives, especially the forneys which don't have a separate tender, and I seriously doubt I will ever need to run more than two trains at the same time.  This section is divided into three blocks: one for the back track and engine terminal, one for the front track, and one for the track that crosses the creek.  Power to the two spurs is controlled by their corresponding switches, and the roundhouse tracks are selected by a rotary switch.

Here's a shot of the underside showing the wiring, switch machines, and turntable mechanism: