Having made all the track for the scenic section, it's time for it to bed down! As I intimated in a previous entry, I intended to use 'Depron Foam' - a high-density urethane foamboard used in the model aircraft hobby. It is extremely light-weight, stable, and holds pins etc. One thing it does not like is the heat from the soldering gun, so the first job was to place dropper wires beneath the respective running-rails. I thought I'd got away with making long runs of trackwork - but this ain't 'EM'! I'd lapped the rail joins but even so found it necessary to halve most of the sections. No problem - the droppers will link to 'bus-bar' wires beneath the baseboard anyway, and the layout is destined for DCC.

Next 'mod' was to cut the depron to HALF the width of a 'single track' (12 mm wide). Some may remember that at one time cork was available like this (ready-chamfered for the ballast shoulder). All the modeller did was to mark out the track-centres and lay the inner face of the cork strip to that line. Easy...

I 'modded' the idea slightly with regard to the double-track main line. laying a 24mm-wide strip between the marked track centres. Where curves were required (on the approach to Potley Lane Bridge), the strip was sliced on the outside of the curve and 'darts' removed from the inside face (prevents distortion as it bends). It was then laid, using model pins to control the flexing -

Using 3mm Depron at baseboard ends is not a good idea - so -

3mm ply to the rescue!

Once the centres were laid, the outer (shouldered) strips were then added. Where the quarry line joins the 'up main' a little infilling was required (sorry - no image!).

Worried that the white trackbed would show through when the track was laid and ballasted, the bed was then painted with 'Mud Hut' (not as bad approximation of the pinkish granite from Meldon Quarry) an emulsion from the 'Dulux' kitchen range. Buy a litre at £7.99 - not likely when they do trial pots for £1.50... Not content with that the 'cess' was painted with 'Warm Grey' from the same source.

Once dry, the relevant holes for the droppers were drilled and the track then glued into place with 'PVA'. Once all was aligned, the whole was scattered with sifted bird-sand (anyone got any use for a load of oystershell fragments??) and left to dry. The loose sand was then hoovered brushed off (my little computer dust-buster chose the wrong time to give up the ghost!).

The 'quarry track' in situ - the 'main lines' are under weight to the right.

Once all is firm, I'll be attacking the track with weathering - a mixture of airbrushed acrylic, & weathering powders) to try to replicate the afore-said Meldon granite. However, thats for another time...

As you may remember, my actual house has been in a state of flux for the last year. However the light at the end of the tunnel now glows more brightly - just some skirting to be laid and we'll have two proper guest bedrooms, a study, dining-room & gym (OK 'rumpus room')! This means that my stint as project manager/chef ('Fat Friday' for the team every week) teaboy (4 times per day) and decorator (I NEVER want to see another dub of 'Brilliant White' Emulsion...) is coming to an end. Serious modelling time calls - but I'm already behind the ball with three commissions.

So time to get some structure back in my life. I now have a magnetic white board on a railway room wall - even more organised it has a monthly wall-planner on it! Personal modelling for the next few weeks will be an evenings-only occupation, with each layout given a week's slot. Starting tommorrow it's 'Ambridges' Turn to get some TLC. Commission work (Rich) will be a daytime occupation!

Now as I only have two layouts on the 'go' it might reasonably be expected that 'Box' will feature the following week... However, I've become somewhat narrow-minded in the last couple of weeks thanks to my involvement as a 'volunteer' at the Didcot Railway Centre. There, they have a 16mm 'Narrow Gauge' layout (behind the 'Gents' loo's if you've not seen it). I've been asked to get involved in its gestation (supposedly representing a Welsh slate railway, it's a bit 'flat earth' at the mo'.

Where's all this leading to? Well, thanks to Bob Barlow's 'Narrow Gauge & Industrial Review', 'Bridport Town' of this parish, I've been bitten! The intention is here -

http://ngrm-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/7458-pilton-yard-or-eating-an-elephant/

Go on - follow the link if you dare (its a whole new world out there!)(Mikkel - apologies in advance - but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery)!

So next Sunday(hopefully) there'll be an update on the 'Ambridge' blog (Stu - hopefully it'll be all about steam-operated saws -your comment on the 2012 comp bears fruit at last)!

Right - off to do the ironing (got to keep the missus looking respectable - I need her wages!)

Regs

Ian