Track Building (1/35)

With cork underlay glued in place only too little spare time and a lack of rail spikes have prevented me from getting some track down on my new module. This week saw the post man deliver a little pack with rail spikes from KBscale and with some time to spare this weekend, I got half the track down in no time.

I took advantage of prototype practice when designing the connections of the track panels. The point where two panels met was in real life a weak point and a solid wooden sleeper placed underneath could help bring stability to the track. Dummy fish plates will be glued in place later.

Most of the track on the module are steel sleepered panels from James Coldicott. I decided to make the first half length of track with wooden sleepers and Peco code 100 rail as on the neighbouring module. The transition between code 100 and the code 83 rail used in the panels was made up with a wooden sleeper fitted with brass shims to bring the code 83 rail in height with the Peco profiles. The rail ends were soldered together. The track panels are connected in pretty much the same way. A wooden sleeper under the rail ends, a slice of thin brass under both rail ends, add heat and solder and I have what I hope will be a solid connection.

Nystrup Gravel is now a little longer! Where the Coldicott track panel needed to be bent, I removed the resin 'web' under the rail profiles.  I have dared to portray the track a bit more crooked than I have before. Testing will show whether I over did it. No ballasting before I know if the track works!