Saturday, May 4, 2019

CTC Complete!

This past week, I finished the last signal bridge on the North Pierce Subdivision. With the installation of the signals controlling the west end of North Pierce, the railroad is now fully under CTC control. 

Oddly enough, the first signals ever placed on the railroad were located here. The photo below shows the original signal bridge.



























Yep- that's a kitbashed Bachman bridge. Unfortunately, I built it long before I learned about the prototype practices of the C&O. As a result, the LED's were in the wrong positions in the targets. There were several other aspects of the bridge that I never liked, so I vowed to replace it at some point.

The new bridge is an Oregon Rail Supply kit that was modified to fit the location. There are still some final details to be added and scenery to touch up, but the basic bridge is in place and operational. 





























It's been a long, long journey to get to this point, but the CTC project is finally complete. And operating the railroad with the dispatcher's panel is everything I had ever hoped it would be. A dream come true indeed!