Roundy Test Track

[noctilux2]

Having seen my roundy test track, a very small Kato N gauge oval, hung on a nail on the shed wall for longer than I remember and then coming across the laser cut baseboard kits from Grainge & Hodder, I thought why not scenic it ?  A distraction from my current 00 build.

 

Bespoke size board, all 24" x 15" of it, duly ordered; construction simplicity itself and built in less than ten minutes....highly recommended for the carpenter challenged builder & delivery from order within six working days. Generally try to have water on my main layouts so first thing was to cut a suitable shaped hole, build a river bed & suitably decorate.

 

Once this is completed I will fix the track down permanently.  The intent is to use a number of the Farish mine buildings surplus from an earlier layout & add a few rocks.  All may well change of course once the build starts in earnest !

[noctilux2]

Having a bit of spare time over the weekend, I cracked on with the scenic side of this mini roundy test track.  The track itself has now been weathered as have the sleepers. The high profile Kato track, some 5mm above baseboard level, has also had ballast spread over the plastic. Whilst this depth is somewhat awkward to fill there is a slight benefit.  It is the same height as the 5mm foamboard I use for roads etc & scratch built buildings so levelling track with road / yard surfaces is a doddle.  Having a slight bias for North American stock, & given that this is purely an N Gauge test track, I am opting for a rocky terrain. This will be based on polysterene blocks cut & shaped & then covered with plaster bandage.  I have a few spare Woodland Scenics rocks for earlier layouts & I may scatter these in appropriate positions.