Building a DCC Programming Plank

DCC Programming Plank

As a side project whilst trying to finish off my TT:120 Minories layout, I decided to build a DCC programming plank for my N gauge locomotives which I'd started to collect. It needn't be very big, as I wanted to have it permanently connected to my desktop PC so I could program using JMRI. I also wanted to try out the British Finescale Code 40 track whilst doing this as such short lengths were relatively undaunting, never having built any of my own track before.

 

In another post, I described how I built a small baseboard out of foamboard and shortly after, how I built a British Finescale turnout kit and flex track. All that was missing was the DCC gubbins... 

 

Some months before, I bought a bulk job listing off eBay from Rails of Sheffield. It included a few different things:

• PiSprog board and enclosures
• Various power supplies
• Sprog IIv4 and power supply
• Peco track cleaner 

I have a weakness for eBay listings like this, where I can figure them out and get several end products out of one purchase.

Naturally the Sprog IIv4 would be perfect for my DCC plank. I then picked up a cheap Raspberry Pi3 and Android phone (I went for a Samsung Xcover 4 for less than £10!) and after an afternoon fiddling - I then had a full DCC command system using JMRI, with a 4.3amp power supply and control via either computer (using a VPN for remote access) or using the free EngineDriver app. I intend to use this in a future DCC layout so for now it's packed away but ready to use.

I digress. For my plank layout, I also wanted to try out wire in tube control for the point I'd built. I ordered a kit with some brass tubing and piano wire but this didn't turn out to be suitable. In the end I bent a bit of the wire and glued it through a mini slide SPDT switch. This was then wired to switch the frog polarity.

The track was layed on some spare cork, with some foam added at the end of each siding to protect against any accidents.

Whilst I may finish the layout with ballast and scenery in the future, for the time being it's now serving it's purpose as a programming track.

 

British Finescale Track - Part 2

British Finescale - Flex track

As well as the turnout kit, building the scale 60ft lengths of straight flex track was far more straight forward - it simply involves threading two lengths of rail (making sure to get it the correct way up) into the 3D printed webbed chairs which are securly held in the jig as shown below -

 

Above are my first attempts to solder two 60ft sections together after fitting the metal rail joiners (far fiddler to fit than the traditional peco ones!) and then adding dropper wires. In hindsight, I should've used smaller gauge wire as soldering 16 AWG is difficult due to the comparatively smaller surface area of the code 40 rail underside.

British Finescale Track - Part 1

British Finescale N Gauge Track - A5 Turnout

I recently built an A5 turnout using one of the British Finescale kits. As well as the turnout kit, I also ordered some flex track, rail joiners and a jig for constructing lengths of straight track. I previously ordered the introductory kit for 2mm FS (some code 40 track and a kit to build a 16t mineral wagon along with a book all about the scale) but found that the track was easy to distory and hard to keep straight. After coming to the decision that 2mm was a step too far for my skills and interests, I still wanted to try out building my own track, albeit using one of these kits.

 

Below are some pictures taken during construction of the turnout -

 

If I was doing it again, I'd take more care cutting the lengths of rail - particularly around the frog area as I didn't get these quite right which resulted in them coming free/moving later on, particularly when adding the soldered dropper wires.

Dabbling in a few new things

Foamboard Baseboards

When I first got back into the hobby in 2022 I assumed timber was the only way to go - but then I came across an excellent layout thread on RMWeb.

Around this time I was also looking into various DCC systems and the British Finescale code 40 N gauge track system so naturally one thing led to another and I decided to build a small plank layout for DCC programming purposes which could fit on my desk in front of my monitor.

A trip (or two) to Hobbycraft later and the following materials where acquired for the project:

• A1 sheet of 5mm foamboard (almost always on offer!)
• A1 sheet of 1.4mm mountboard (not listed on their website)
• Tacky PVA Glue

Then armed with a boxcutter, ruler and pen I marked out the pieces I'd need to assemble my plank. It's quite difficult to cut the foamboard neatly but it can be easily squared off and tidied up later.

Some suitable weights were left on the assembled structure overnight and the result is a lightweight but strong box - a perfect base for this project.

 

I'll post again about the track and trackplan I'm intending to use as it's a whole topic in itself, but you should be able to get a flavour from the pictures above.

Ta ta for now