Palmer Divide Raceway (PDR) v3.0 Updated 02/18/2015

[SlotCarCorner]

[dreinecke]

Yew Sir, are acorny person!

[dreinecke]

I had a little time to work on the driver's stations and a shelf for the timing PC and power supply.

I've never had driver's stations before, and always wanted something to hold a few cars and a beverage. I've got some beverage holders on order and will drill the tops of the stations to insert them once they show up.

I also want to put tape out and not a scuffer at each as that is already 15 feet away in the shop and I can just see spilling an adult beverage onto it anyway...

I'm no Dan Dyke when it comes to scraps, but all of the lumber is re-used from the first two iterations of the track. The stations are white melamine that the previous home owner left, so I figured I'd used them. I rounded the corners so no one gets seriously hurt if they run into them. I'll paint the edges sometime when I get a fascia on the track.

Slot Car Corner controller holders work perfectly for these!





The shelf is also scraps and holds the timing PC, the power supply, and a small panel with the AMP and Volt gauges. I never had those before and really wanted them. I also have a small light that goes between them so I can see when the power is on.

[Fast Co.]

I don't know how I missed this thread, but PDR is one of my all-time favorite circuits. It's interesting to see how you grafted the new section of track to the old. Something I have been giving thought to for my own track. And I'm VERY interested to see how you use the static grass on your layout. That's something I saw recently at a train show and was blown away by. Ember's photos look superb!
Steve

[dreinecke]

Steve - thanks for checking in - I feel the same way about your track!

The static I used last time was short - I'm going longer this time like Ember did. Should look much better.

I'm noticing that the new paint is "grabby". The first time around it was like ice...

[ourwayband]

Looking great David.Another master piece in the making!!Like seeing that ol' Lionel transformer too..I've ran a many of train with one just like that..

[Fast Co.]

[masmojo]

That looks awesome, very inspiring!

I hope for something similar in feel if not size!
:music-rockout:

[dreinecke]

Thanks gents! I hope to show some minor pictures in the next week. I just got timing system and light bridge dialed in. Not much scenery-wise but it is good.

Mas - I can't wait to see yours come alive!

[Gameover]

Doc love the track. Hope to someday come take a spin on it!

[JESIV]

I am watching this closely DR... I know once the scenery starts happening you are going to do ....things...things that upset my little people and have them demanding condiments and yelling "why can't this track be more like PDR"...and well... you know what you did :lol: Seriously, I can't wait to see what you come up with on the scenery front.

[dreinecke]

Tell the little people to settle down - I can't start full landscaping until I paint the room first...the color is making me batty...

[dreinecke]

In early 2000 I purchased my first real timing system - Virtual Race Systems, or VRS. I was participating in the Online Racing Series and needed something solid. The system is simple but bulletproof. I've used it on my HO layouts and all three of my 1:32 layouts.
While recently visiting Minnesota for business, I was able to race with a great club and their system was pretty slick allowing fuel stops as well. I came home to setup my VRS system as I was about to run a leg of the RMS Maverick Proxy and discovered that the lighting in the new house is great - just not over my photocells. Knowing I needed more light to trigger the photocells, my options were a light bridge or a desk lamp. After attempting to figure out how to make a desk lamp integrate into the scenery, I elected to build a simple bridge to hold some type of lighting.



The bridge is simple bass and balsa wood. It will need a bunch of decor and a ladder for the officials to get up there a bit easier, but this works for now. I wanted lights that did not run hot, so incandescent were out of the question. I found a 5 meter roll of Flexible Strip Warm White LEDs with the power supply for under $14 shipped on eBay that several model railroad folks had used for various projects.

Once the lights arrived, I discovered they were even better than I imagined! They can be cut every third light and have pre-fluxed spots to solder wire to in order to use several strips side-by-side for maximum light. It worked like a charm! I stuck the strips to a piece of plastic and soldered the connections. Once installed it works beautifully! I can also connect the lights to a bus and use other strips of the lights to light structures in the future.









Due to my fascination with the fuel-use strategy I saw in Minnesota, I decided to try Race Coordinator. It is a really great program with a zillion configuration options for races. I'm still figuring out some of the settings, but it is counting laps perfectly!





I also took the time to build a quick monitor stand in the corner that is attached to the track if I should ever need to move it again.



My great friend, Jim T., sent me the awesome Camaro picture for my man-cave wall!

[Gameover]

Looking great doc!!! Love seeing the progress.

[dreinecke]

Thanks! It occurs to me in looking at these pics how BARREN my track is now :(

Well, the white stuff should be flying soon...wait - we are painting the basement before I can start that again.