Considerations about the LED's. If we exclude the points and crossings necessary for the effecting of manoeuvres there are only six natural routes that a train can run on travelling between one station and another.

When one led of right has turned on, the platform it is connected with that of left with turned on led.

From a very early age I have always been fascinated by the game of chess. This wonderful game teaches us that when we desire something that we consider as being important then the famous English rule of “safety first” should be implemented. That is, before taking any action, think first of that which you value! One simply cannot be too careful, and thinking of that which the cabinet houses, that there will be many objects which having great sentimental value cost both money and lots and lots of time, I had to find a pleasing solution for the closing of the said cabinet. One of the rules which I would had to respect as I said on the first page was, “ As far as regards the positioning of the model I arrived at the conclusion that a good result must be easily accessible, clearly visible and enjoyable to others. Therefore: if sufficient space was available why not create a model as part of a living area?...” In view of my opinion I thought that it would have been opportune to avoid closing off something which rather should be permanently on display. But how to protect it from involuntary knocks and dust? My answer was: “with an acrylic crystal cover” better known as plexiglass. I made up a 1:1 scale model and went to Plexidea in Viareggio who, in a little over a week, made the 6mm cover that I wanted. Now I feel safer.

Something which should never happen when trains travel slowly is that suddenly they stop only to be re-started by the push of a finger. This generally speaking happens to trains having only two axles and when the train passes over the points. The lack of current to the motor depends on the fact that the wheels responsible for the passage of the current to the motor find themselves in the middle of the points, in other words, in that part of the track between the true route and the deviated one. As can be seen in the diagram it is indispensable that the current at the centre changes in base of the position of the points. Where the true route is there should be blue current whilst the deviated passage must be yellow.

The polarisation is not always preinstalled by the makers and this is a problem which, if known, recognised and one is in the position to do so, must be resolved by the modeller. It is however strange that many experts in this field have no idea what polarisation is or how important it is. Observing the Roco points closely three small contacts can be clearly seen which exit from the sleepers at the centre of the points which appear completely sectioned! With reference to the preceding picture from the LH contact blue current comes out and from the RH contact yellow current. In the central contact the correct wire which gives the current must be located.

In the instruction sheets of the Tortoise there is no precise explanation of the internal connections of the two switches, but after a couple of tries with a tester I was able to produce a diagram of the workings as regards both the polarisation and the connection to any other type of accessory. Looking at the motor from the side where the mechanism of the needle is, and keeping the 8 contacts to the bottom, the internal connections give the following results (contacts 1 and 8 are necessary for the functioning of the points in continuous current)

Figure A (switch n° 1): with blue for 2 and yellow for 3, and with the fulcrum of the needle pushed completely to the right, from contact number 4 blue will come out. Vice versa with the needle to the other side.

Figure B (switch n° 2) with blue for 6 and yellow for 7, and with the fulcrum of the needle pushed completely to the left, from contact number 5 yellow will come out. Vice versa with the needle to the other side.

With the work at an end given that the connections will be no longer visible once the gravel has been laid, I believe it only prudent to have some photographs (even if slightly out of focus) so that I will always be in a position to identify exactly where the wires that control the polarisation of the points are.