NZR track and more

Ok, I realise this blog has had very little in the way of actual modelling from myself. However now I've finally got most of the garage unpacked, I've started dreaming of what it could look like. Enter modifications to the first (and so far only) module I've built, courtesy of SCARM:

Boring.

Basically all I've done is added a track at the back of the module, which will eventually form the main line. The depot trackage remains the same, apart from the coal siding back-shunt which has been truncated. Here's an idea of what it looked like prior to the new track being added:

Thomas in Kiwiland.

As you can see, the trusty Thomas the Tank Engine test locomotive is on the current depot tracks. There was 10cm at the back the module to add in the new mainline, so I removed a strip of the ground cover and some of the camping mat. PECO code-100 flex track in place at the moment doesn't look right, but more on that in a minute.

First, I added in a new strip of camping mat. This idea comes from an article Peter Ross published in the Journal a while back. It's a cheaper alternative to cork, which I've used in the past, and more pliable. The only downside is that it forms these awful beads, but this can be overcome by using a sharp Stanley knife. The camping mat I've got is about 1cm thick. I bought it at the Warehouse a few years ago for next to nothing.

So, I cut a strip of camping mat and put it in place, then applied PVA liberally onto the baseboard. I then put assorted books to weigh it down while it dried (yes, I mainly have NZR books in the garage):

The Spirit of Tracklaying...

Don't worry if there's PVA leaking out the sides, the bond will be stronger that way.

The PVA takes a few hours to dry, so in the meantime I set about making some NZR track using Online plastic NZR sleepers. Here's how.

First, take your bog standard flex track. I use PECO code 100, mainly because I find code 83 twists too easily.

Before you ask, my nephew(s) broke the tractor.

We need to remove their out-of-scale and badly coloured sleepers. Second, I run my Stanley knife down one side of the ties to cut them off the rail.

Try this at home. Just be careful with the knife.

Third, remove the rail that you've cut the ties off, then break the sleepers off the opposite side:

Now you've got two sections of nice Code 100 rail to feed through your Online NZR sleepers.

For some reason Blogger restricts posts to 7 images, so here's Part II.