hi
I want to make a portable programing track that when not in use can be put in a 27x28" space. It need to be able to split to fit in the small 15" gap I have between drawers and wall. I need a layout design that may be able to fit or stack on top of each other. My height is 36". Any ideas?
thanks
If you aren’t planning on running any Big Boys or Erie Triplexes, the whole thing needn’t be more than 15" long. A small chunk of wood, like shelving material, a couple of pieces of track, and a DIgitrax PR3 will make a standalone DCC programming track that fits in a 15" space. If you have more length, get a 15" wide piece of shelving material, even 12" is PLENTY wide, maybe 2’ long, that wy ANYTHING wqill fit. Here are pictures of mine - it also has Kadee coupler gauges at each end (have to gap the track, they are the metal ones and thus a dead short) and I also added a label marked off in NMRA recommended weight.
(or not, I actually never took a picture of the finished product. But here is the work in progress sitting on the first bit of benchwork. The PR2 is mounted to the board in one small corner with velcro tape, so it all fits on that shelf board. That one is about 3’ long, I think 12" wide (they come out as odd sizes, it might actually be 11x35 inches)
–Randy
Take a piece of flex track and cut it to length. Nail it to a scrap piece of 1 x 3 lumber of slightly longer length.
Solder rail joiners to one end.
Take a 1" segment of sectional track and solder feeder wires to it. Connect these to the programming track outputs of your DCC unit. I leave this part permanently connected and hanging down behind the power pack stand on my layout.
When you need to program a loco, slide the 1" piece of sectional track into the rail joiners at the end of the flex track. Clamp the 1x3 to something solid (I use the edge of the power pack stand) to prevent accidents, although you could also set it on a TV table, sawhorse, or other removable object. Program your loco, then remove and restow the 1x3.
:Mine doesn’ t connect to my layout but is similar to Randy’s. I also have Kadee coupler gages at each end and a pair of rerailers to help get the locos on the track. I also included a 1k resistor across the rails that is turned on/off with a toggle; this is needed with some of the Bachmann decoders. I have the inches marked off from one end so I can determine NMRA weights and my digital postal scale is sitting right there to make the final adjustments. A very convenient part of the model railroad maintenance program. I do have Big Boys and other articulated locos so mine is about 24" long. That is a NCE decoder tester on the right side and I have since mounted the Digitrax PR3 on the left.
-Bob
I took a little bit different approach. On my workbench I have enough space that I laid some track, added switches and short tracks and installed a power station just for the programming track and for tracks to test new equipment. That way I can test equipment for coupler drag, tracking through switches, all of this powered by the NCE power station, plus an isolated programming track. It does not connect to the layout at any point and also provides me with a replacement/backup booster if one of these toys fail on the layout itself. (I have three power stations on the layout).
Anyway it makes for a convient workbench DCC support.
Bob