Just stuff

1 .Cobalts:

 Well, if you remember the post about the Cobalt switch machines, I thought about having a push button somewhere next to the turnout so I would not always have to use the DCC throttle to throw the switch.

My plan was to drill a hole through the homasote and 1/2" plywood just big enough for the push button to fit in. Then I was going to get a sheet material, either Masonite, polystyrene or aluminium and mount said push button to a piece of that. Then proceed to fasten that from underneath.

So I know you are thinking how am I going to reach the push button? I figured on using a piece of stock of some sort. I was thinking either a dowel, solid square stock or just something to make the push button "extend" to the roadbed surface to where I could push it.

So how do I camouflage it???? Paint it the same color as the scenery base color?. Maybe make it square or rectangle and paint it silver like some sort of mechanical dept box.

I just need to fiddle with this and see what works and what does not work. The main thing I was thinking about,, what happens if the spring in the push button is not strong enough to move the extension?  I will just have to see what works,,, any ideas from the peanut gallery?

2. Decoders:

I now have all the decoders that I need for my fleet of locos,,, now comes the task of installing all of them. I have all the drop in decoders done, now I have 10 hard wires to do. I am going to use the TCS CN and CN-GP model for these. Heck the other night was doing 3-4 drop ins in an hour. That includes putting on kapton tape on all trouble areas and soldering the motor contacts to the boards. I do not want to go back and work on a decoder that was already installed one time,,, total pet peave.

3. Backdrop:

 I do have the backdrop done, I used lightweight spackle to fill in the cracks and the screws, threw some paint on it,,, called it  DONE!!!

4. Helix:

 I have all material and components of the helix to start construction,,, I just need to get off my six and do something!!!! There is some final math to work on,, but I have the jist of what I want to accomplish.

Till next time, Greg