Crossover and single slip

Between Lydiard St and the Armstong St bridge is a complex series of points as the 4 tracks through the station reduce to just the Up and Down lines. The trackwork on the layout hasn't matched the prototype, mainly as curve under the Armstrong Street Bridge is a sharper radius and then the running lines are straight through to the platforms when the tracks curve again.

After running operating sessions on the layout for a few years it has became apparent that I needed to be able to run trains out of platform 2 onto the down track, particularly as the exit from the Ballarat yard is onto no.4 track. Down Goods trains that pause at Ballarat to detach or pick wagons have had to do this on the one of the mainline tracks or alternative run into W and Y tracks (arrival and departure roads) to detach the loading and then reverse back onto the mainline to continue the journey to the west or north west.

Single slip and crossover in position allowing trains to depart on no.4 track and cross across No.3 and No.2 tracks onto the down mainline. I'm yet to complete scenery  on this section of the layout. Ballarat station is partly completed in the background. The cardboard building  on the right is moch-up of Ballarat B box to try to get the positioning right. 

I altered the tracks by replacing a large left hand point with a single slip and then moving a crossover and left hand point to create a connection from the platform 2 / no.4 track to the no. 1 track / down mainline. I wired the single slip and the no.2 track so that they can be switched between Down and Up controllers. I also to the opportunity to fit a switch to the feeder wires from the Down controller so that the power to the No.1 track / platform 1 can be switched off allowing a passenger train with loco to be stationary while other trains pass via no.2 track.

Looking towards Armstrong Street bridge from the no.4 track. In the foreground is the crossover on no.3 track allowing trains to cross from no.4 to no.2 and no.1 track.

Drivers view from no.1 track looking towards the Armstrong St bridge. The co-acting arms on Signal post 31 can be seen above and below the bridge.

I still need to paint the track and ballast but I'm going to give it a few weeks to ensure that it meets my needs during operating sessions before completing the scenery. So far it seems to working well making running trains like the 9155 Melbourne - Mildura Fast Goods that shunts Ballarat to clear Ballarat loading for the Maryborough line much easier.