Time to get going on the layout again, since the last post I've been working on my narrow gauge project. They look large when on the layout, but are small in the 16mm world.
First job was the do a few jobs on the wiring, identified a couple of issues when testing. With those completed time to tidy everything up.
I've got all the track bits needed for the next stage, just need to draw the points needed.
Also managed to get JMRI working on a new laptop, it's never easy as the decoder pro worked straight way, but the layout bit is refusing to play ball at the moment, anyway it's allowed me to program the new Ruston to my liking.
I wasn’t going to start on next phase of the layout build just yet , but as the flat bottom rail arrived very quickly its time to get cracking.
This bit is quite small 8 foot x 18 inches, it’s going to have a very industrial feel with tight radius turnouts and lots of buildings crammed in.
First job was to draw up the turnouts, with a radius of 2’ 6”. The rail is code 100 from Karlgarin which gives a good representation of 60lb rail.
As the track is going to be spiked to the timbers, around the turnouts some extra bracing is required to keep everything to gauge. Using some copper clad with small cubes of brass between the rails all soldered together, this once the ply timber are in place and the ground works added the copper clad disappears. Slightly tricky to assemble the turnouts but worth the effort, and the same process using single copper clad strips occasionally on the plain track provides the power feeds which again are invisible once the ground work is in.