Just a quick status report...I fastened all 26 of the 3-wire junction blocks under the platform and hooked up all the switch machine pigtails. You can plainly see the Euro Style junction block at work and how the wire ferrules integrate with it.
Then I was able to connect and test 7, 3-wire cables from the field and terminated them to the other side of the barrier strips. Here I decided to install the hot leads individually into the buss bars since it simplifies the task a bit by being able to connect all of the ferrules with the wires out of the control box. I just will double and triple up the hot leads in buss bar to accommodate all 26 of them.
It went very quickly since I'm getting so good at it. I predict that one or two more good working sessions will complete this project phase and there will be trains running.
Here's 6 of the switch controllers powered up. As I noted in the last post, the labels are from their previous life on the old layout. I will re-label them based on which direction of the switch would be considered the main line, or, as in the case of the reverse loops, I'll use some other indication showing the straight and diverging direction. The layout is simple, but has some complexity and will require rehearsal to run it correctly.
In all of these pictures you can sort of see through the panel front. That's because I can't close it completely... yet. Once all the wiring is done and tested, I will insert a piece of heavy twine under all of the cabling at the hinge line. I'll then get the grandsons to lift the wires above the hinge so I can push the panel fully closed. At that point, you won't see through the panel.
