between the track(s)...
Update - It's been a strange time of late...
The following tale of woe's hopefully describes what's been happening here in sunny economic disaster ridden Spain.
Having remade the mini sliding traverser beneath the dries covered area which serves as the loco release, this was wired with a very Heath Robinson kind of affair, which thankfully will be hidden from view and work then turned to redoing the inset track...again.
Having failed last time using a clay product I found in an art shop here, I decided a new approach was required. Firstly the trackwork was reconstructed and instead of using easitrac I opted for code 40 soldered to PCB, mainly so I could insert a check rail. The plan was to use card for the outer track areas and some kind of filler (be it Sculptamuld or clay) for between the check rails. I revisted the artshop and rather than purchase the same clay as last time I opted for something different. 'It just needs to be fired to make it dry said the very helpful lady...so you can put it in the oven if need be'...then followed my description, in Spanish, of how an IKEA 1100mm long LACK shelf, wouldn't quite fit in our oven
Here's the clay opted for...
This time...a redish brown colour rather than the off white used previously...
So I set to work, carefully applying the clay to the inset between the checkrails and here is how it looked before turning in for the night...
The clay was kneaded into place without water...
When I awoke the next morning it had all cracked again... I decided to re-read my last blog entry from the disasters before...why did I not do this before I started the clay again...
Cracking shot...
I had not coated it with a layer of PVA before...I had not put a first lower layer prior to adding a top level...I had not drunk enough Gin-Tonics...what was I doing? Nevertheless, I decided that if I sanded it all smooth, with a little sanding paper, I could reduce the level and then add a second layer...right? ...wrong! As soon as I started to sand it, it started to split into separate pieces, between the sleepers and became loose and unsettled...so, it all had to come up...again...
After the Jack Hammer gang had been deployed...
So, time for a rethink. Was it the clay? Probably not, although some peeps hinted that using DAS would have avoided this. Undeterred from this, I decided to visit the local DIY shop and bought a tube of flexible wood filler. A small test on this revealed that it did not crack, however rather than fill between the checkrails with all filler, I decided to cut 1mm strips of white artists card and insert between, with the idea of filling the gaps left with filler. Close examination of the track at Moorswater shows a thin line between the rails and concrete where the concrete has cracked and weeds are forming...a precedent! The sides were then added in the same 1mm white artists card secured with superglue.
Card infills in place..crude or what?...
Before I added the filler, I thought I had better do a quick test to see that the trains still trundled up and down...and disaster struck Only one track worked...the controller was showing a short circuit. Then followed various tests, before I realised that perhaps one of the sleepers which had been pre-gapped, had closed up again...or summat. So I ripped up the infill to that track and began attacking the sleeper gaps with a blade, and just after a got to the other end, it was tested and was working again...hurrah!
Card re-inserted again and the flexible wood filler then applied, firstly carefully working around the joints...and then moving at a more rapid pace and opting to clean up afterwards. I removed the offending filler between the rails and first thing this morning I ran a test class 47 into the area...and not surprisingly it coughed after the turnout and struggled to progress. Then followed me attacking it sanding, scraping, skimming, dusting, cleaning, sanding again (the rails must be code 30 now!) until the locos would run...and now they do
I attach a few photos of how it is now. It's not pretty, but I think it can be worked with paints and weathering to achieve the concrete appearance...and the locos appear to work okay on it. So, finally it looks like I can get back to developing this board further as the inset area was hanging over me like a grey cloud.
Plan shot following scraping...
The surface will need some colouring to enhance it...
But overall, its hopefully starting to convey the 'inset track' look...
In other 'local news', I somehow managed to drop my stockbox yesterday, prior to testing, and sent nearly a dozen 2FS locos flying to the floor, dismantling bogies and various bits and pieces in the process. Rather than tackle it yesterday, I calmly gathered it all, reboxed it and will take a look in a few days to asses any damage. Perhaps my eyes need a retest again to be working in this scale...
Is now a good time to mention I have purchased a bit more 7mm scale stuff?
- 10
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