Magnets, Buildings, and Pancakes. What do they have in common? Check out the latest update on the Dragonfly!

Time to update the blog with progress on the railroad. The wiring for the programing track is complete. I have also finished the wiring for the lift out section. I will post some pictures but for now I can describe what I did.

I mounted two magnets under the lift out section on the benchwork with the opposing plates attached to the bottom side of the bridge. I then attached wires from the plates through the composite bridge section (3/4" plywood and 2" of foam) to the rails on the lift out section. The magnets mounted on the benchwork adjacent to the bridge seat were then wired to the main track bus under the railroad. When the lift out section is in place, the contact between the magnet and the plate completes the circuit and power the track on the bridge. Seems to work very well and avoids plugging and unplugging jumpers... or worst yet forgetting to and then removing the bridge and the wiring too!

The Great Train Exhibit was in town this past weekend. Our son Carter and I decided to go! We had a great time! After a quick stop at McDonald's for some of those famous pancakes, we were off to the show! We went with very focused intentions- STRUCTURES. I had a list of structures to buy for the various industries on the railroad. We worked our way through the maze of booths and tables searching out and recording prices for the various kits. We managed to find some great deals and purchased 4 kits. We were able to find a petroleum facility for Standard Oil Company in Walnut; a grain elevator for L.D. Spaulding Grain Company in Walnut; and a lumber company for E.W. Houghton Lumber Company in La Moille. The boys had a great time!

Future projects on the list include:
Build some structures (something that I have not done... for a long time!)
Paint the fascia (probably Pullman Green)
Paint the track
Begin to fill out Car Cards and Waybills and begin trial operations! Yahoo!
Scenery (again, something that I have seldom gotten too on the last two railroads I have built.)

I am very please so far with the outcome of the railroad. Careful planning, patience, and proven construction techniques have built a railroad that is operationally solid. I am eager now to move on to the next phase... SCENERY. Check back often to see how that is going!

That's it!
Scott