Elmer Lane 25 - Module End

 DB returns:

A little progress has been made in recent days at the north end of Elmer Lane. I finally made the decision to install the 'Greymouth platform-to-loop' turnout here. The original thought was to have this on the next module, thus keeping the 'Hokitika line' track, which runs in front of the depot and then circles around behind it, clean and clear of complications.

After a bit of measuring of my current, and extrapolating out to my 'desired' TranzAlpine, I reckon it might have been a bit tight. Moving the turnout onto this module probably gives me two extra car lengths if required. You can never have enough storage space.

Installing a turnout at this late stage also requires putting in a control rod after all the other tracks are well in place and ballasted. The rod runs just beneath the surface of the baseboard in a plastic tube and seems to work fine in tests, although I haven't attached the spdt switch to power the frog yet.

But I did cut a strip of copper-clad PCB, scored and drilled it in the right places, and attached it to the edge of the module. The platform road, loop and depot access track were then soldered down to it, and some feeder wires put in place. With the extra track, the track spacings are a little tighter than I like, but there is plenty of room in tests with my largest vehicles (SpaceRacer, GT, DM)

With that done, and the last of that track paint squeezed out to cover the new sections of rail, the last of the visible tracks could be ballasted.

The day ended with me 'pottering in the garden' to the west of the Hokitika line, planting a few trees, bushes and grasses.  While a few of us have bemoaned the closure of various 'local hobby shops', it seems that a slight salvation seems to have come with a resurgence in wargaming and kitmaking. There are now three or four gaming or art shops in Dunedin that now carry paints, glues, decalling supplies, tools and scenic materials. I've picked up a few packs of 'Gamer's Grass' recently. Its like the old Silflor tuft stuff, (I still have about 80% of that Silflor left) and Gamer's Grass available in a reasonable variety of realistic, plus a few fantasy shades, and different lengths too. Its a lot cheaper than Silflor used to be too, at between $12-15 Pacific Pesos for a section a little less than 20x10cm.

I like being able to mix the various shades and lengths in a given area. I believe you can make these blobby grasses yourself on a piece of wax paper if you have a static grass machine, but for the rest of us, the occasional visit to the hobby shop can't be beat.

I like using these tufts to make cabbage trees too, using old twigs, or in this case, bits of a Woodland Scenics brown plastic tree armature with bits of blobbygrass attached to the ends. As was learned on Moana many years ago. Four little cabbage trees were added, and here's the worst of them: