Some finishing work - Volume 5

 Well, we have to get the control panel in at Paxinos and I am beginning to like recessed panels after what we did at Crowl. So, here we have cut out the opening for the panel at Paxinos.

 I have previously wired all the tracks and turnouts to a terminal block mounted to the frame of the layout.

 You get a good view of it through the hole

 We need to have some spacer blocks to recess the panel so I ripped some 1/4 to one inch wide pieces so we can glue it to the back of the masonite fascia.

 Here is the finished opening.

 Another view

 Now I placed the previously wired panel in the opening. I wired it while at the bench. All I had to do was to connect the pig tails to the wiring block you saw previously.

 Here is another view. One we went through the shakedown, everything ran perfectly.

 Now we have to move on to Weigh Scales. It has a shorter distance from the surface of the layout to the top of framing so I will have to come up with another way to recess the panel.

 I cut the front runner and made some plywood brackets to lower a section so I can place the panel in that area. I am sizing everything up, using clamps to see how it looks. I had to change the design as I did not get enough horizontal space for the panel with the original design.

 I am trying to set it at a good spot in the yard for ease of operation.

 This is the revised approach. I now have 18 inches of panel space. I have to cut the plywood end blocks in a more complicated way than originally planned but it should be okay.

 Some judicious cutting and the splice is finished. Now I have to wire the turnouts and blocks and mount the terminal blacks so I can put up the fascia and make it look finished.