It is now nine years since I had the bright(?) idea of building a layout. Originally conceived for DC operation, I upgraded it to DCC, but inadequately and this year, as mentioned in a previous post, I made the drastic decision of ripping up the whole track and relaying it with a multidude of droppers and bridges across rail joints in places. I think I can now say that I have solved the electrical problems, but soldering droppers and relaying the track has left a few imperfections to be sorted out, since my three steam locomotives with light pony trucks and bogies are susceptible of derailing, whereas the heavier electric locomotives take things in their stride.
I have discovered two places with faulty rail joints, one was easy to correct because the soldered droppers were a fair distance from the joint and there was enough play to be able to remake the joint, but the other is more problematical, being at the end of a half curve with the droppers in the middle. I don't fancy having to cut the droppers and then turn the layout on edge again to resolder them.
Anyway, to-day I got out my three coach and locomotive push-pull unit of the Class 450 type introduced in Spain around 1992 for suburban commuter service and it worked well, even at speed step 1. I had done a quick track clean with IPA, but there were still some spots, mainly on the points, requring rubber treatment. Once I have sorted out the track problems, I shall have to start on some serious scenic work since, having replaced the foam underlay with cork, I shall now have tol lay ballast. I have some of a blue colour, but I would prefer to have a grey coloured ballast. I shall also replace the Hornby buffer stops, which clip in place, with some Märklin ones, which are held down by a screw. I know that the scale is different, but since I have both 00 and H0 stock, it doesn't make much difference and I prefer to have the buffer stops permanently fixed.