Lumber Mill and Stage II Progress

Latest project was the building and installation of 3 more code 40 turnouts for the lumber mill trackage, and pushing through on completing the rest of the trackwork there also.  Just a bit more wiring and this industry should be ready to receive it's first cut of cars in conjunction with the inaugural ops of the new layout configuration.  It's as close as I could get with selective compaction for my version of Pope Talbot.  The trackage arrangement is close comparing the SPINS diagram to years gone by (minus one track), but I don't have the real estate for accurate structure placement.  I have a temp structure set-up for now until I can get more info on how it looked vs what I have to work with.... then these stand-in structures should eventually move to the proposed Klamath Northern Gilchrist mill location on the upper deck of the expansion.  

Looking out the West end of Oakridge:

Meanwhile also got both temp staging yard panels installed.  They don't show exact track alignment as it made the ladders appear a bit confusing, so this is kind of a test for the permanent panels, but want to see how it all flows with emphasis just focusing on the track numbers needed for movements.  Staging will be where those new to the operations will board their first run, and I'm hoping to make it as seamless as possible  just to get the feel of the layout, without being submerged into the intricacies of full ops...

Here is a view of Portland Panel with arrival / departure's break down.  Note the 5 throttle slots are typically for the corresponding 5 departure tracks (top of control panel board is visible here also):

So now that all track feeders have been finished and all Tortoise wiring is completed for Phase II expansion, it was time to run the first test train through the staging yard!  

A 45 car MT lumber drag pulls out of Klamath Falls after a run through into Portland and "through" the staging yard for testing:

....only a few minor issues.  Once I added a few more feeders and filed some switch points it appeared to be pretty seamless running both ways through the yard with the first test train.  Got it wired now temporarily to run trains and verify the flow, as the booster and associated wiring for block detection etc is still progressing.  The DB150 Booster will sit on the shelf behind the new control panel board installed under the Portland yard location.  Work still progressing on the front of the panel board which will carry the support for the DB150 (power districts) and detection / signaling related devices.  Have progressed most of the way through on the Loconet connections for the new throttle racks and booster.  All throttle racks have been tested and are up and running...  

Klamath Falls Panel and Throttle Rack:

...but not without issue.  After installing the new throttle ports around the addition, we tied it into an existing UP5 with it's own PS, but the system failed to power the throttles with the DCS turned off.  After putting the LT5 tester on the output jacks of the UP5 we found that it was wired different than the schematic included with the Digitrax user manual...  The side port output was wired with the LocoNet rear jacks rather than to follow the front Throttle jacks!  No evidence of this found anywhere on the web or otherwise from anyone else, but that is what it was.  So Ray modified the UP5 circuit board for pin 6 output to configure it as per the user manual drawing, and it all works perfect now!

Optimistic the signaling gets integrated into staging soon so we all can resume our erratic schedule of Ops...     :)