.................................. Return to Sumner's Home Page....

Return to N Scale RR Main Menu........... Return to Building UP's Canyon Division Menu

=========================================

...............Previous Page.............................Next Page If There Is One

=========================================

… …...........--- Hidden Coal & Staging Tracks Pt. 2 ---

============================================

I needed to fill in a couple areas of the track surface that are under the foam board. They are areas next to the hidden track from the coal complex that the train with the empty cars uses to proceed back to the hidden staging. I have access areas next to that track that are wide enough for me to see up into and also wide enough that I could reach up to retrieve a derailed car or to clean track. I'll also be able to lift the landscape off above the hidden track if I need to do something in that area where I really need to get to the track.

I made a template and cut a piece of 1/2” plywood to fill part of the area next to the hidden track and retrieved a couple of the risers I had made when I build the benchwork and track surface.

Two risers were put into place and the filler piece attached from below.

If you are considering building a layout or adding to one take the time to see the approach I'm using with risers ( HERE ). Risers are normally used to raise sections of track above the base layout. Usually one builds benchwork and attaches the track surface directly to the benchwork.

Later that benchwork can be in the way of adding switch machines or other items that attach to the bottom of the track surface. By raising all of the track surface with risers, even if it is all flat, can overcome that problem. The risers are only attached to the track surface from below. If you ever find one in the way unscrew it from the benchwork and the underside of the track surface and move it out of the way and reattach it. Simple and effective.

In my case it has already been a big help as I've move along with the layout and have had a clearance problem under it. The problem has been solved by moving the riser. Again give this approach some thought. It is easy to do and gives one a lot of flexibility down the road.

Since I had access to the hidden track from the other side of it I decided to close this space in. It will be easier to build the mesa landscape above the area with it closed in.

.

.

30 minutes or so of work and the area above was filled in and I can glue the foam board to the filler piece.

I need to build the turnouts for this section and I wanted two crossovers back to back from the outer main line to the one next to it. The track wasn't long enough to build the two crossovers back to back in the straight section there. I could of built another double crossover to fit in the space but this will be easier and faster to build. I'll use two straight #6 RH turnouts just to the right of the picture above on the straight section and will build the cross over above that will be a curved-straight crossover. I needed a templates so started with what is shown above and finished with one shown two images below.

It took a couple steps to build this as my printer can't print a template as long as what is needed. I could of run up to the community college and they would of printed it but tried doing it with the sequence shown above and it worked out fine.

I've been working on the staging area on the layout part of the day and building turnouts the rest of the day so will get to this soon and look forward to it.

If you came into the build here you can find the main index for the build ( HERE ).

=========================================

...........................On..............e.........Next Page If There Is One