This blog is to document the building of a model railroad, the Paducah and Lake Erie. The free-lance design is set in the current time, and meant to replicate the coal-hauling roads of southwestern Pennsylvania. This version of the P&LE is a bridge line that derives its name from my wife's home town (and well known to Illinois Central buffs) and our former long time residence about 50 miles south of Lake Erie.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Leads Going In


The lower level leads are going in on the Paducah & Lake Erie. I have also finished connecting the long siding to the main line on the lower level. It's an interesting process; since we hooked the leads to the buss wires prior to fastening down the plywood sub-roadbed, I now look underneath to see where the leads are attached, drill the holes for the leads, drop foam roadbed pins (about 3" long) down the holes to make it easier to find the holes, and then follow the pins out of the holes with the lead wire up to the track, rather than the normal solder-to-the-track and fish down to the buss wires ... a long explanation for a relatively simple task. As soon as I get the remainder of the leads in, I plan to build Attica (my hometown in Indiana) Yard on the lower level. The four-track yard will be about 17 feet long and will have on/off switches to each track. Then it's back to wiring the Tortoise switches to power the turnouts.

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