Back in the saddle

Now that the Narrow Gauge Convention is over, I'm all fired up with enthusiasm get this project exhibitable, ready for the show in St. Cloud, MN on November 10th. I've placed orders for another locomotive kit, a coach kit and some rolling stock. I'm even planning a scratch building project. I have a lot a projects on my plate, but I think if I can set myself an hour a night during the week and some extra time at the weekends then I should be able to get very close.

First things first, lay the track. As the model is using Z gauge track, I'm a little wary that everything needs to be perfectly flat and level with good current contact. Even though the locomotives have magnets in them to keep them firmly on the rails, clean, flat, level track will help things a lot.

The first step was adding a track bed of 1/16" cork before laying the track. 

Cork trackbed in place

A thin smear of white glue was used to fix the track in place. As thin as possible, I didn't want any glue leaking into joints or the point.

Track glued in place, weighted down as glue sets

A couple hours later, with the weights removed. Things look OK. Twenty four hours later trains run pretty darned well. I may be inclined to try and solder a few of the track joints to help the current.

Glue set, train runs.

Step one completed. The next step will be to add a few contours to the board so is it isn't totally flat.  That will probably be a task for the weekend.

A quick update

As you know, this project has to sit on the back burner whilst I prepare Purespring Watercress for the National Narrow Gauge Railway convention here in Minnesota in September. That's not to say that things are idle on this project.

Far from it. I received some track recently and felt like messing around with it this morning to get some ideas for the models development. What follows are a few thoughts on what might well happen.

Getting things in order

You'll have noticed it's a bit quiet on the blog lately. Not that I'm not doing anything. Far from it. I've been messing with a few things that I'll report back on in a while. But mainly I've been agonizing over the track for the layout. Not so much what I need, more where I should get it from.
The Busch HOf system is pretty much unheard of here in the US and not many places stock it. Trainz.com and Walthers are the two places I've found online. But they don't have much in stock. I couldn't order all the track for my layout from both places and get everything I need. Joesmodelbahnlädle on eBay had everything I needed and at good prices but rather high shipping costs. I got my set from them so the shipping cost wasn't much of an issue. So after much umming and ah-ing and calculating and re-calculating I have ordered the majority of my track from Ngtrains.com They list a good range of stock and say they can get it quickly if they are out and the shipping is very reasonable. So I placed my order and promptly made a mistake ordering.
Busch reference numbers for the HOf track seem inordinately difficult when you need a 12432 and a 12323 and a 12332. I suffer with dyscalculia and processing numbers is difficult at times. Hopefully I have the order right now and the track will soon be winging it's way to me, so I can start proper work on the layout.
Then we'll see things happen.

Planning fun.

It's an incredible winter/spring storm here in Minnesota. Roads are closed. No travel is advised until tomorrow morning. As a result, I've spent the afternoon messing around with track planning templates to come up with a layout for the baseboard. It doesn't always go as planned, you get to the last track section and it doesn't quite line up. So, just for fun. Here's a few pictures to show that planning with templates doesn't always work out...

(all these pictures are closeups of the final track joins of some track plans)

Some thoughts about track planning. (1)

One nice thing about all the catalogues and papers I received in the Feldbahn set box was that one page in the catalogue had actual size pictures of the track elements on it. So, to aid in the planning of the model I copied the page a few times and cut out the track pieces and played with them to see what kind of layout I could come up with. As there is no flexible track in the Feldbahn system, that limits you to what can be done. 

Track elements copied.

Here's a few ideas I developed as I moved the track elements about. I want to keep it simple as a move 'beyond the train set", and creating a series of believable vignettes of minimum Gauge railways as a part of the layout.
I like the idea of featuring a siding with a standard gauge wagon on it to compare sizes of the standard and minimum gauge stock. I think an offstage exit to a storage yard, that could also double as a siding is a good idea too.

1. Adding some straights into the oval is the first basic step. Then a turnout for a siding or
offstage exit.

2. How about a triangular layout? I had hopes for this idea
but on reflection, It's my least favourite concept.

3.  I like the idea of watching a train meander down an S curve.
The whole left hand side is a meandering curve, though the Sand Hutton didn't
really feature any meandering sections of track. Quite pleasant.

4.  A little less meandering curve, and a lot of space in the bottom left. Should I
put scenery there or would that be better served by having track there?

5. So far this seems to be the best option. This uses up the space well. A nice length of curvy
section and a straight to put a small station platform on, and the offstage exit/siding.

A few first steps in planning then. Bear in mind that planing is a personal thing and you may disagree with what I'm doing, and the way I'm doing it. That's your right, but I won't listen to your opinions.

While I'm placing and moving track elements about on the board, I'm looking at pictures and seeing things in my minds eye and trying to imagine how they'd look translated to this small board. Right now, numbers 3 and 5 fit my visions best. After a bit more fettling and messing about I might come up with something I'm happy with. Or I might come up with something totally different.