Yesterday, Tuesday 21st, instead of an evening meeting, Colin, Pat and myself had a day up in the hills of Carmarthenshire at Mikes farm, to give him a hand with the big layout.
As I mentioned in a previous post, Mike had no details of the layout - how it was operated, point control, signal control - not even a wiring diagram... There are input sockets for eight controller positions, a power pack (large plastic box) with seven transformers and an H & M duette inside. Several assorted socket outlets, none of which were identified...

We had managed to identify the power supplies for the controllers when we first set up, but the DIN plugs/sockets were an old type, so before going up yesterday I wired new DIN plugs onto 4 controllers, and pre-wired six matching DIN sockets.

After coffee and cake on arrival, we went out into the long garage, and set about our appointed tasks. Me doing wiring, Pat and Colin laying fresh track on a bridging board, and Mike tracing wiring and laying more track.

Here we see the gandy-dancers hard at work with quite a bit of muttering (I'll hold it, you hit it... etc):

Half way down the layout I was working on the inlet sockets (or I would be, if I wasn't taking the picture);

And at the far end was Mikes work station, him being absent - gone to prepare lunch:

The three right hand lengths of track had to be put in, as the original lines had dissapeared some time in the past (we think the layout could be at least thirty years old)

Below is a long shot of the layout, which also illustrates the size of the garage which Mike built back in the spring:

Several empty squares are the bases for assorted buildings that came with the layout, but are stored separately for the time being.
We adjorned for lunch at this stage, and enjoyed a splendid cold meat and cheese salad put up by Mike back in the house.
Another couple of hours work in the afternoon, with a final half hour playing trains testing the days work.
Home by six, after a thoroughly enjoyable day out.

Hwyl fawr,
Shaun.