Track Laying For Thornycroft Sidings

Track laying is complete for the scenic side of the layout. Such a simple statement that hides a more complex exercise than expected.

Track is Peco SL300 (code 80) with insulfrog turnouts. The turnout to the yard is medium radius and those within the yard are small radius setrack. Ordinarily I would use at least medium but small radius is used in the yard to save on space.

Care was needed to ensure the relationship of track to buildings was correct because the track follows the outline of building profiles. A lot of fiddling and adjustment was needed to ensure locomotives traverse the turnouts without derailing, which is a particular problem with small radius turnouts and the Dapol M7 tank loco. (More about this here.) It is a bit of a worry because the track work is to be buried in faux tarmac and concrete, which will not allow us to make track adjustment later.

In the photo the footprint of buildings that are to be set below ground level are marked with temporary raised platforms of 4mm corrugated cardboard. This sets the boundaries for the roadways to be made from DAS modelling clay that will be laid between to a depth of 4mm.When the platforms are removed the buildings should slot into place.

We still need to do more locomotive trials through turnouts and adjust for smooth running before letting Ed loose with his DAS clay over this lot.

There is more track laying to do behind the back scene and loops laid for each end that make the oval circuit.

The next photo shows the business end underneath the baseboard. Five of the six Seep point motors were obtained cheaply second hand - a great deal, until I discovered that the operating pins had been cut for a lower baseboard height than ours! Several pins had to be hammered out and new pins made from straightened paper clips glued in place and cut to our height requirement. I used Seep motors rather than Peco as they are easier to mount on a baseboard.

In order to get the turnouts to switch effectively varying degrees of loose fitting of the motors helped. In other words they work better with a loose fit to the baseboard rather than being firmly screwed down, except for one turnout where I had to weaken the turnout spring. (More about this here.)


David