HCD group

Wow! I can't believe I haven't done any real layout work since late September.
I cut the door skin with an oscillating tool. It made very clean cuts.
I installed the parallel connector and terminal boards then started landing the track feeders.
IIRC this little DC HCD layout has 16 blocks. I have some double pole, five position rotary switches I may use for control.

 

Looks like you are repurposing an old SCSI computer interface.

 

I purchased some military surplus switches, terminal boards, crimp on connectors, rotary switches and other stuff from a store going out of business back in the 80's. The parallel connectors may have been in with that stuff.

There may be simpler ways of doing things nowadays, but I already have this stuff on hand so I'm going to use it.

 

Running the wiring on the bottom side of the door would be easier, but I want a flush bottom side of the layout so it will slide over a blanket covered wooden handrail.

My layout sits atop free-standing plastic shelves. I clamped a 24" wide HCD to the top of the shelves, then put the 30" wide HCD layout on top of the 24" door. Now I can easily slide the layout around for access when working on it.

 

Didnt say I didn’t like it, or that it wasn’t a good idea. Those connectors were great and durable, and would serve the purpose of a model railroad just fine!

 

Don't fret Massey. I didn't take it that way.

 

Phase I wiring complete. Time for some more testing.

Last night I finished landing all the track feeds to the door mounted terminal boards. I jumpered all the rails together keeping the poles electrically isolated.

I temporarily mounted the bare, temporary control panel just to use as a shelf. It was nice and sturdy.

I wired up a wallwart to an old hand held MRC Tech II throttle, grabbed the first loco I saw, an old Minitrix Fairbanks Morse switcher, opened up the throttle and . . .

. . .CRICKETS! NOTHING! ZIP! ZILCH!

I quickly abandoned the untested wall wart and replaced with an old Tyco power pack. With a little angst I slowly reached for the throttle, gave it a slight turn and nothing. I turned it a little more and heard a slight growling. Turning it a few more degrees the tired old switcher briefly shook like a wet dog then began to sputter and lurch down the track!

The smell of ozone and the sound of noisy gears brought back memories.

I was like a little kid under the Christmas tree!

 

...I love the smell of ozone in the morning

 

This morning I ran an Atlas Shay over the entire layout. Electrically it was good. Even with dirty track it ran okay. The most important thing is that there were no shorts when transitioning power blocks.

I encountered one small problem with a No.4 turnout. Uneven rail heights at the gap in a closure rail is causing the loco to slip at slow speed.

The turnout is at the top of a short steep grade along a spur to a coal dealer. The grade is compounding the problem. A few stokes with a fine grade slip (very thin abrasive stone) will probably fix it.

 

Mock up removable control panel and mounting hardware. Control panel needs to be very quickly and easily removable to allow room for workbench stool.
For now, right side plugs in, left side is supported by a thumb screw. When the finished layout front panel is eventually installed the parallel port connector will be flush with the layouts edge.

 

Hey, I remember that Tyco power pack! I had one from an HO trainset I got for Christmas as a kid. Mine was yellow with dark blue markings.

 

Just came across this post. I too have an HCD layout. I am now up and running. Here is my thread on TrainBoard. https://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/door-layout.130804/
And here is about where I am at now. Also here is the track layout itself on the door. It is great to see that there are others who decided to go this route with the HCD for their personal layout.

 

I was thinking about using a HC door. Couldn't find a 8 foot door that was 35 inches wide. No matter where i went no such door. Hospital and some government buildings use them but are not HC. Solid doors not what i signed on for so i went with foam

 

HCDs are 80 Inches Long in varying widths - 24, 28, 30, 32 and 36 IN. No 34" is available. I bought mine from Lowes; Home Depot had none of any size.

 

I do have one that is 84" long and one that's 78" long. Both 36' wide. An 8' would probably be a thicker exterior door. Thicker outer layers for lock security.
I have seen them in use but good luck finding one new or used for sale.

 

Here in Missouri we have what they call a Resale Shop, or Habitat For Humanity. Spread out across the state you can find the resale stoes the have all sorts of household items, like used doors. all sizes from HCD to solid, AND they usually range in price from $20-30 dollars. Pretty good deal I think.

 

The Habitat for Humanity is were I got half of my collection of hollow core doors. Also Menards used to have a selection in the new door section. But here most contractors don't turn them in anymore and 2 of 3 Habitats are closed. Good luck.

 

I'm sure glad I found this group. I just happen to have a couple HCD in the garage just begging for some kind of new life.

 

I used my first one for a desk and hobby work bench. I put edging on it, stained and varnished and then put it on two file cabinets with two file drawers and on shallow pencil drawer. I still have it but use it as a work bench in the garage. It's been in use since '93.