4mm West Halton Sidings

[James]

Back in Yorkshire, nights tonight playing with the big train set - some sleeper laying this afternoon

There's some interesting placement of timbers in the centre!

 

[simond]

James,

is the spacing correct when going from one long to two short timbers top left left?

Maybe it’s me, but it looks a bit generous on the nearer track?

atb
Simon

 

[James]

is the spacing correct when going from one long to two short timbers top left left?

Maybe it’s me, but it looks a bit generous on the nearer track

You're right, but some bits are deliberately bad! My experiences of the make do and mend of industrial track maintenance is part of the inspiration for the layout.

I remember questioning this once but the guy explained spacing between the timber and first sleeper was correct, I mentioned it meant the second one had a massive gap the reply was but the first one is in the right place! The foreman just shook his head when he came back!

So it reminds me of this time at work

 

[James]

A nice example of how industrial track can look -

Level Crossing? by West Halton, on Flickr

 

[James]

Preparing for laying the rails - Vero board pins are secured in the last three sleepers to which the rail is soldered.

Martin Wynne suggested these on another thread and it works really well, securing the rails very well indeed.



I also add a pin at the crossing nose.

 

[James]

It's been a while since the last update, summer, holidays, birthdays, etc have all taken precedent over the last few months but there been progress!

We've laid a lot of sleepers!



I did make full use of child labour too! Abbie's made a decent job of the sleepers she's laid, probably between a third and a half of this board.



My wife was helping me thread chairs as some days I struggle and she tried laying plane track. She's very good at it so 90% of the plain track on boards two and three is Kerry's work

I've been concentrating on the yard point work - one issue has been the rail I have, some lengths, have a slight vertical curve. On plain line it's fine as the chairs anchor the rail but on switch blades, enough to have the ends of the blades stood of the slide chairs so a couple have had to replaced.



I do enjoy track building but I'm also looking forward to finishing it!

 

[Phil O]

James,

If your stretcher bars are long enough to slide under the adjacent stock rail it will hold the switch rail down as it does on the prototype.

 

[MarkR]

Hi James,
Very impressed! What supplier/source are your sleepers from please?
Many thanks
Mark