'Challenge Wednesday' went by the board this week as I was at the REC Monday to Wednesday working on 'Netherley' the 7mm layout. So... spent all day today at the bench instead! First job was to lay in the viaduct track-bed with its 'split-level'

The 'running line' is descending on the right whilst there will be a 'track remnant' on the higher level. I got the idea whilst riding the 'Brio Train' (aka the 'Docklands Light Railway').

This is the only section that will have a 'normal' trackbed - but (for Mikkel) I've managed to work beer in here!

Our club has a licenced bar and one day we took delivery of some rubber bar mats - which the bar staff didn't need. Hence the track underlay! Its rather like the old 'Exactoscale' underlay - a high-density rubber which cuts beautifully and with it's cloth face, glues down easily.. Plus it was free!

There then followed a quite hectic few hours of track-making in various styles -

The track for the viaduct - 'C&L' GWR 2-bolt chairs & sleepers

'Tannery Lane' - laid on PCB strip to represent the lighter 'industrial rails' The wider sleeper strips are actually 7mm, but will be buried under the road surface

The 'Sewage Works' - again rail soldered direct to PCB sleepers cut to 8' 0" length, except close to the baseboard join where I have a length of 9' -0" sleepers so the 'Big Railway' can deliver a 'workman's train'.

So in overview -

and from the Sewage works end -

All the copper-clad has been double-gapped - and yes an 0-6-0 loco (an '08' diesel) DOES go through that wickedly sharp bend on Tannery lane!

A slight hold-up in that I've run out of PCB (hence the unfinished 'Sewage Works' and abbatoir sidings) however I'm going to the South Hants show at Portsmouth this weekend where I will (grudgingly) hand over cash to 'C&L'!

So next week will be - finish off the trackwork, paint it & lay it. Electrics will be almost minimal, with the positive feed to the droppers passing through section switches to make several breaks. I'm also going to arrange the electrics so it can be operated from either side - that way I can use 3-link couplings.

BFN

Ian