Trackwork

The above are the track joints between boards 4 (to the left) and board 3 (to the right) and here I encounter the first real problem.  The furthest rail at the top of the picture has actually broken and initially I thought it would mean lifting the point as well but looking closer the damage relates to the concrete sleepered section on board 3 so it should be possible to cut and drop a new piece into this one (once I have some spare concrete sleeper track – I have a quantity of wood sleeper but no concrete sleeper).

When I drop it in I am probably going to have to build it up with some card under the track as it is not overly level and I am not sure why as board bolts are in place.

When I get to the next joint between boards 3 (left) and 2 (right) the track simply does not have a gap and this is unlike elsewhere where there is a gap.  I am not sure why but I think the layout may need lifting slightly at this point to ease the spacing.  I also suspect that the top track on the right is going to need a section replacing.

This shows the joints between board 5 (left) and 4 (right).  I thought these were all going to be relatively straightforward as they look as though they are all in alignment.  Until I managed to slide a joiner completely off the retaining rail and not on to the other one so it is lying separately on the board at the moment – but not at the time this was taken.

This is going to need the baseboard bolts loosening and may mean I have undo the joiners which are in place on 13 of the 14 joints.  Rude words were expressed.

So most of the boards are up and connected – there are a few loose connections which I will do up once everything has had a chance to settle.

I connect all of the leads from the boards to the main panel and then I plug in the two power supplies.  By and large I can hear points moving as I plug it in – which proves that some connections work.  One board (6) has no moving points – but the lead is not plugged in.  Once that is done points move.  There is definitely one point not moving at all at the fiddle yard throat which will need investigating in a lot more detail.

I start by looking at the damage between boards 5 (to the right) and six) which is where the main station might eventually end up!  Above is the situation I found on unpacking – some track has clearly been bent and kinked and lifted away from the base.

I tackle a couple of the more aligned lines and after a little pushing and shoving the rail joiners slide back into place.  On the tracks which have lifted I get some wood glue and attempt to resecure the track and then push the rail joiners into place.

A book is used to provide some weight to hold the reglued track down.

After the work and whilst one track looks slightly messy all of the joints actually allow smooth running by that coach.  Missing sleepers need to be added and a lot of the mess will hopefully be hidden by ballast.

After each track is aligned the coach is pushed over the gap – free running – and it does not derail at any of the joints – but this will all be rechecked tomorrow.

Progress is being made.