The entire lower level of the California Southern layout is wired up and under DCC operation. Only one switching area off the mainline still needs to have switch machines installed. Scenery work on the lower level has continued to progress over the last few months with new work on areas of the layout including Wingfoot, Malabar, Norwalk, the Engine Facility, Malin Yard, East Malin, and Reyes.
Lower level lighting options are currently being experimented with to make a final determination on how the layout will be lit. As soon as the lighting issues are resolved work will begin on the spline-board sub roadbed and associated frame work for the mainline portions of the upper level. The results of the first lighting test can be seen below. Six 4 foot long 32 watt fluorescent bulbs lined up end to end have been temporarily installed over the Hadley and 9th Street portions of the layout. The effects on the layout are significant, including a more evenly distributed light, brightness improvements, and ease of installation. Cardboard sheets were cut to act as light baffles for the time being.
Below are a bunch of photos from our successful 2008 DCC crossover including three (top row) from a later cut in session and eight from our "Big Cut" on Saturday, January 26th as over 50 pounds (1500+ ft.) of 5-10 year old copper wiring, cord and DC buss cables were removed from the layout.
