11-16-2009, 09:42 PM
I was going to wait until later this week to post up some progress photos but couldn't contain myself...
First a couple of things...I tried the flex track...I really did. I laid down four lengths of it and did not like it. Nadda one bit. So I pulled it all up and placed an order for some wood cross ties which arrived last Thursday and I started doing what I found like doing best. Hand laying. Now I know a couple people will probably tell me I should have given the flex track another College Try. But I just wasn't up for it. I like the freedom that the hand laying gave me on the last incarnation of this layout, and I'm liking it even more. Plus I really like spiking down track and have found that this time around, I'm actually quite good at it. So on with the show. Beside, now I have lots of fresh track I can strip rail from if I feel some of the salvaged stuff doesn't make the grade when it comes time to lay down some more rail.
![[Image: DSC03392.jpg]](http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee118/tetters73/DSC03392.jpg)
This is a shot of my double x-over just around the bend on the west end of the layout bench work. There are three turnouts just off camera, which you can't see. I am gluing down the third one off camera and it is weighted down until the adhesive cures. Wiring up the x-over was ridiculously easy with the HFJ. Four wires, one from each frog to an SPDT micro switch each on the unit plus the appropriate track feeders and voila! Done. I also used hot glue to help mount the torts this time around. The glue stays liquid enough to make adjustments and hold it in place. Much easier this time around and more accurate in terms of Tort mounting. (I did have a picture but accidentally deleted it...I'll post a shot next time.)
![[Image: DSC03395.jpg]](http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee118/tetters73/DSC03395.jpg)
A shot of the curves going around the bend. I think they are roughly 22 inch radius, although I think they are a bit broader then that. Just because the internal radius on the curved turnouts I have is 21 inches and it is a lot tighter then the curves here. The two center tracks which pretty much run the length of the layout are code 83 rail. All sidings and yard tracks are code 70.
Now, to answer a question some might ask. I'll be painting the ties and the rail, Rail Road Tie Brown with my airbrush all at once this time with ballasting to follow. I'll clean the tops of the rail with small squares of plywood soaked in lacquer thinner and then buff them with a Bright Boy. Once the ballast is down I will paint some rust highlights on the rail bottoms and make the center of the track work a bit dirty with some thinned down Grimy and Oily Black paints...should give me the effect I'm looking for.
![[Image: DSC03396.jpg]](http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee118/tetters73/DSC03396.jpg)
Last shot is of the beginnings of the yard before the wharf/pier section of the harbour area. The yard tracks are code 70 rail soldered to small rail joiners squashed and filed to get a good match for the top the rails and then soldered in place. There are three yard tracks each about four to five each which should give me plenty of room to store and move rolling stock. The outer most track is the one which the rail road will use to access the truss bridge at the end of the pier.
After all this I went through 1000 wood ties doing just this track work alone. However, I think the 2000 I have left should be more then enough to finish off the remaining track work. The yard here is what ate up a good portion of what was in the first bag.
Needles to say I've been working like a mad man since this past weekend hope to get lots more done before the end of the month. At this current rate I should get most of the track work on "solid ground" done before the end of the month. Then I can turn my attention to the pier and finish off the truss bridge I started a month or so ago. With the holiday "interference" along the way, I don't know how much I'll get done, but I'll keep plugging away whenever I get a chance.
Stay tuned.
Edit - I called this the East End of the layout when I should have referred to it as the West End.
First a couple of things...I tried the flex track...I really did. I laid down four lengths of it and did not like it. Nadda one bit. So I pulled it all up and placed an order for some wood cross ties which arrived last Thursday and I started doing what I found like doing best. Hand laying. Now I know a couple people will probably tell me I should have given the flex track another College Try. But I just wasn't up for it. I like the freedom that the hand laying gave me on the last incarnation of this layout, and I'm liking it even more. Plus I really like spiking down track and have found that this time around, I'm actually quite good at it. So on with the show. Beside, now I have lots of fresh track I can strip rail from if I feel some of the salvaged stuff doesn't make the grade when it comes time to lay down some more rail.
This is a shot of my double x-over just around the bend on the west end of the layout bench work. There are three turnouts just off camera, which you can't see. I am gluing down the third one off camera and it is weighted down until the adhesive cures. Wiring up the x-over was ridiculously easy with the HFJ. Four wires, one from each frog to an SPDT micro switch each on the unit plus the appropriate track feeders and voila! Done. I also used hot glue to help mount the torts this time around. The glue stays liquid enough to make adjustments and hold it in place. Much easier this time around and more accurate in terms of Tort mounting. (I did have a picture but accidentally deleted it...I'll post a shot next time.)
A shot of the curves going around the bend. I think they are roughly 22 inch radius, although I think they are a bit broader then that. Just because the internal radius on the curved turnouts I have is 21 inches and it is a lot tighter then the curves here. The two center tracks which pretty much run the length of the layout are code 83 rail. All sidings and yard tracks are code 70.
Now, to answer a question some might ask. I'll be painting the ties and the rail, Rail Road Tie Brown with my airbrush all at once this time with ballasting to follow. I'll clean the tops of the rail with small squares of plywood soaked in lacquer thinner and then buff them with a Bright Boy. Once the ballast is down I will paint some rust highlights on the rail bottoms and make the center of the track work a bit dirty with some thinned down Grimy and Oily Black paints...should give me the effect I'm looking for.
Last shot is of the beginnings of the yard before the wharf/pier section of the harbour area. The yard tracks are code 70 rail soldered to small rail joiners squashed and filed to get a good match for the top the rails and then soldered in place. There are three yard tracks each about four to five each which should give me plenty of room to store and move rolling stock. The outer most track is the one which the rail road will use to access the truss bridge at the end of the pier.
After all this I went through 1000 wood ties doing just this track work alone. However, I think the 2000 I have left should be more then enough to finish off the remaining track work. The yard here is what ate up a good portion of what was in the first bag.
Needles to say I've been working like a mad man since this past weekend hope to get lots more done before the end of the month. At this current rate I should get most of the track work on "solid ground" done before the end of the month. Then I can turn my attention to the pier and finish off the truss bridge I started a month or so ago. With the holiday "interference" along the way, I don't know how much I'll get done, but I'll keep plugging away whenever I get a chance.
Stay tuned.
Edit - I called this the East End of the layout when I should have referred to it as the West End.