I hate wiring. But the layout is at that stage. Today I drilled a few holes for the feeders, cut some wire, and stripped the ends. Next I need to solder those feeders to the track and tie them all together. Hopefully I'll get that done before the end of the year. I think I'd rather go get a root canal....
I hear ya !! I have 8 more street lights to wire in town. I find all kinds of other things that need to be done...to avoid wiring !
I am with you. Everything is within a 30 inch reach so all turnouts are manually thrown, none of the structures are lighted, and none of the many street lights are lighted. The harbor is not lighted as far as the buoys and lighthouse. I use Kato unitrack and it's plug and play system. The several power feeds are connected to one Kato multifeed which connects to the power pack. What little wiring there is is attach to the underside of the layout using double sided tape. I don't operate with the lights off in the room and being an old geezer generally go to bed with the chickens. I had a water tower that was lighted but it soon failed and is now dark. Plus the fact that I am old, have arthritis and have had a stroke also affecting movement thus the easy way out. Use Kato's power routing thus no need of DCC and it's problems.
Well John, I have most of the same issues. Replace the stroke with military service and I find many far reaching practices to much. So wiring and DCC has become something of a past for me as well. Oh well! Just keep moving on the best possible way.
I'm one of those cats who likes wiring. I agree completely completely with your post. Not only has age brought physical challenges, but I need a lot more task lighting than I used to and it's tough to set up under a layout. I try to prepare things on the bench so as to make it easier down there. With me it's scenery I don't like working. Not sure why, but it's an element of the hobby that I kinda put up with. I love seeing other's scenic work.
Used to not bother me but after I messed up my quad tendon, it's a pain to get under the layout to do it so now I have moved to the "hate it" club
Trackwork and wiring has always been my favorite pert of model railroading but it has become more difficult due to physical limitations as Dan mentioned. Laying a new siding, wiring it, and watching the first loco/train move on it has always been satisfying. Scenery has always been my least favorite part. I wish somebody had invented spray cans of "Scenery Be There" in "grass", "dirt", "hills", "mountains". etc. versions. Doug
Working under/inside all these kitchen cabinets I am using as a base for my layout is now a pita !! Wasnt so bad 9 years ago...but now.... Scenery has become my go to enjoyment. It's all done from the top ! Leaning over the layout does make the back sore for a day but it's way better then my knees, back and arms hurting for weeks from being on the floor and all contorted getting under there.
I feel your pain... literally. The smaller of the two layouts I have at home is built on a hollow core door. Wiring it done by drilling a hole, pushing a wire through a straw, and then using duct tape to secure, yielding this: The advantage is that I can tilt the layout up against the wall with a brace to hold it out far enough to preserve the scenery so I can work wither standing up of sitting on a roll around stool. The larger layout is built differently and requires trenching and tunneling in 2" if construction foam.
I must say that I find the use of duct tape to be problematic. In my experience, duct tape is only good for binding a woman. It certainly isn't code for using on ducts, and in any house a few year old that has used it, you will see it coming off the ducts. And the wood is a porous surface and duct tape isn't good there. Of course it would be less of a problem if the wood were painted, but then so would the track work as well. I have only used screw down clamps for holding wireing.
I hope so.... still, an emoticon might have been helpful. Just my 67 cents worth. In any case, the layout rests on a banquet table with folding legs. The slot you may just see on one of the narrow ends of the layout is for the modular control board that moves back and forth between the two layouts as needed, since only one is out at any given time. It slides into that slot, and the top of the control panel rests against the underside of the layout. For that reason, I chose duct tape, since it would allow for the smooth insertion and removal of the control panel.
Yeah, i am right with you. Running trains is so much easier than scenery. But then, scenery looks so good. Can't win
I agree that duct tape does deteriorate over time and exposure to ductwork air but, how long will the layout stay the same or be exposed to such? But hanging the wire with p-clamps allows access to it for attaching other things easier. The tap can be trimed as well. Oh well. To each there own.
If it is fragile and expensive, it's motive power. If it is messy and in the way, it's scenery. And if it doesn't work, it's wiring.