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It turned out all right

Crosland

Entry posted by Crosland

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Moving on from the old layout has allowed me to focus and actually contemplate doing something.

 

The "something" being my first DIY track in any scale or gauge. Not for me a simple turnout, lets build a crossover :)

 

Thanks to those who gave advice on the 2mm VAG and to all involved in the "Track" book http://www.2mm.org.uk/products/trackbook/

 

Finished, still on the work board (two layers of 5mm foam board):

blogentry-1489-0-21274700-1438976170_thumb.jpg

 

I attached the sleepers to a sheet of OHP film with a minimum of double sided tape. After assembly the film was peeled off carefully.

 

A cruel close up before cleaning:

blogentry-1489-0-28329200-1438976176_thumb.jpg

 

As an experiment I made some wing rails as separate pieces, some as extensions of the switches, isolated with a piercing saw after assembly. The latter produces better results, at least in my hands:

blogentry-1489-0-11543100-1438976194_thumb.jpg

 

On a plastic chopping board for cleaning. The residual stickyness holds it in place and allows for a reasonably vigorous scrub with CiF:

blogentry-1489-0-45182000-1438976201_thumb.jpg

 

So, how do you clean track that is built in-situ, on a non-waterproof surface, too big to get under the tap?

 

The finished item, just waiting sleeper gapping, tie bars and operating unit. The sleepers are a bit uneven, but I'm well pleased with the trackwork and a test wagon runs through in all directions :)

blogentry-1489-0-19029900-1438976208_thumb.jpg

 

Go on, have a go yourself!

 

Andrew

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  • RMweb Gold
queensquare
  • RMweb Gold

Great stuff Andrew, as with many modelling projects the most difficult thing is getting stuck in and having a go. Now you know you can do it you can build whatever you like.

 

Jerry

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  • RMweb Gold
Donw
  • RMweb Gold

Nice work. A suitable sized tray might help with the cleaning. For really big pieces garden centres do a tray to hold a grow bag. But that would be for 0 gaugers.

As for the uneven timbers trim back any bit that stick out too much the shorter ends will show less when ballasted.

Don

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Ian Smith

Nice work Andrew.  I build my trackwork in situ (but then you have to when you haven't got any sleepers holding the rails together/apart :-) ).  T`he method I've been using to clean off everything is to thoroughly scrub it with a fibre glass brush (taking care not to inhale the little bits of fibre!)  A thorough hoover, and probably a repeat - note this is far easier simply because I do not have lots of sleepers against which the brush catches causing the displacement of the tiny bits of fibre.

Ian

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Ian Smith

Does the fibre glass brush work for getting the flux off? That's my main concern.

Andrew,

Yes it seems to.  But then I have longitudinal "sleepers" directly below the rail so really I am rubbing along the sides of the rails and along the tops.  As I alluded to before I have no cross sleepers or chairs to contend with.

 

I would be interested to hear what others do to clean things up with in situ built track work.

Ian

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