Saturday, February 26, 2011

Tracks inside streets/scenery etc

The tracks inside the locoshop, and partly outside of it, are 'sunk' into the terain/floor. In such circumstances, a smooth running train free of derailments or contact problems can be tricky, but there are various ways to get this right.
I opted to use styrene strips, cut to the right width, and glue these on the ties, between the rails, and also along the sides. Before I glue them, I tested it with a few locomotives, and some cars to make sure I don't get derailments or contact problems, and then used a few drops of CA glue (super glue) to stick them down.
After this has dried I will proceed to blend them into the landscape by applying a very thin layer of plaster (hydrocal) on the top of them and the surrounding areas. This way I don't have to use too much plaster and build up thick layers, and it gets a nice coarse surface. Of course to apply this between the rails, I'll use thin strips of styrene to put in the gap that is to remain, and and then apply the plaster. After it has set, I'll remove the strips, and don't have to resort to scraping plaster away from the rails etc.
Above is a picture of the shop and track just outside, with a test loco running through checking the clearances.
The shop also has a base coat of 'off white' painted on. It still needs several more coats before the right shade is achieved. Laying in front is one of the service doors, which will get a silver grey paint coat.
The picture below shows the original building, with a CFNR GP15-1 parked outside.


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