Taking the plunge

Today is the start of a new adventure for me...into the practical realms of hand laid track. One can talk all one wants, but its now time to put up or go home (or something like that, I'm working at home, maybe I should just go to another room or something. Whatever)

The method for building track like this was developed by Graham Venning. It's main premise is to make the plan dictate the track layout, not the track dictate the yard layout, which is what you get using ready made track( also to some extent the track made using commercial templates). It takes a bit longer to do, but the end results are beautiful flowing trackwork just like the prototype (mostly. Don't tell me, I know some bits are pre-made).

The first bit of track that I am building is the electric loco siding on the southeast side of the station.

To start with, the track template for the particular point formation is laid out on tracing paper from the full scale version I drew earlier. This is then taped or pinned to a board. The first step is to mark out where the sleepers will go. I am using a sleeper spacing of 6mm (which is about 1/2 way between the 5mm-6.5mm of the prototype) which makes the maths much simpler. The first job is to measure the spot where the 2 diverging tracks are 9mm apart, draw a dotted line, and then measure 1mm behind this. The dotted line is the approximate position of the point of the frog. Mark out the position of the sleepers in this area starting 1mm behind the dotted line with 3 sleepers both sides of this first sleeper. Draw a line 9mm either side of the track center line. This will determine how long the sleepers are (Yes, I know that NZR uses sleepers in standard 1' lengths, but I didn't have much of the longer sleepering to go round, and its going to be completely buried under the ballast in the yard). Next mark out where the 2 curves (or curve and straight) intersect, and mark this. Draw another line 1mm back from this and place a sleeper plus one 6mm further away. The intersect mark is where the point blade will end, and the throwbar goes between the 2 sleepers. Next mark out 2 sleepers 30mm and 60mm from the second sleeper. They will will hold the track in position through the point throat.

Then mark in the rest of the sleeper positions every 30mm (every 5th sleeper).
This shows what it looks like when all the sleeper positions are marked.

As you can see have also marked in the line 9mm off the center line. This is where the end of the sleeper will sit (Woodworks supplies 18mm long sleepers which scale out to 7'). the sleepers can be stuck down with either paper gum or double sided selotape. Here I've used option B.

Stick down all the normal length sleepers.


I then took some longer sleepering and measured it in situ. This was cut in a vice with a fret saw.

'Whoops, wrong hand!'

These pieces are then stuck on one at a time. My friend marks the sleeper with its length so as not to be confused, but I have just labeled them from 1 (since there is not that much space to write on the sleeper).

Once you have stuck all these in position, you are ready to start cutting and soldering track.

However, since its Easter (and these posts are pre-written) I am currently sailing the high seas back to Wellington, this will have to wait till next week when I get back.
(I also discovered while moving it tonight that the MDF board I used as the base is warped. Feckity feck feck. I'll have to find something else.)