I’ve now started laying track. I’ve decided to use the new Peco Bullhead track but it is very fine and delicate.
I started off by laying the points which will lead into and out of the small yard. Holes have been drilled for the point motors which will be fitted eventually when I make a start on the underside of the board and the electrics.
Power feeds and isolated switch feeds have been soldered to the underneath of the rails in the hope that these will eventually disappear under ballast and I won’t have any visible lumps of solder on the edges of rails as this is so often seen on many layouts.
Magnets for the Sprat and Winkle coupling system have also been sunk into the cork and held with super glue. The cork helps this to be done.
There is much to do yet but the track is going down steadily and with a lot of care. I want this to be good and reliable so I am not rushing it. The track is stuck down with PVA glue and weighted down until it dries. Further ballast will help to keep it in place. I like the idea that you will not see any unrealistic track pins on the scenic area.
Once the track is in place, I shall start to add the scenic details that need to go down before the ballast and hard standing areas appear. These will include buffer stops, point rodding, ground shunt signals and some rather special lights. I’ll save those for another day though!
Princes Street Station 