Going Around the bend

Yes slow progress but in the last week I have well and truly gone around the bend!  I have finally laid the track around the Snug Cove area and up to the end of the next two baseboards.

Track is finally laid up the hill.

The cork underlay has been used mainly to form a shoulder for the ballast rather than for sound deadening properties. In the yards and on the siding in the picture the track is laid directly to the baseboard as this is how yards are, usually no ballast and no shoulder.
The droppers have been soldered on ready for hooking up to the dcc bus once it turns up. You know buses have a reputation for running late, well at least here in Sydney. I am using the wire in tube method for operating points. I figure if you are going to walk with your train, then the point will be right in front of you. Very cost effective.

The un-named siding finally gets some track.

I also need to install the micro switches to control the frog polarity, these have worked well so far at Eden.

The coal unloading siding will run off to the right

In the above photo the NQR is at the end of the private siding, the elevation the track climbs is shown as well. The point sits at the end of the baseboard right on the join. The tracks have also been slightly superelevated on the curved tracks. They haven't been tested under power as yet, so hopefully it will all work okay.

Looking the opposite direction from the previous photo

The bit of white foam sticking up is covering the end of the point throw rod, I'm sure without it I would have been stabbed with it. Must have the OH & S in place.

A passenger tries out the new track

The above photos shows some greenery appearing. Trust me I didn't put it there, we have so much rain the last month here in Sydney and now the tail end of Cyclone Debbie giving us a lashing that I reckon the greenery has just grown from all the moisture in the air. Doesn't it look better already?
The blackboy (or if you want to be pc = a grasstree) was a Modellers Warehouse product I got from Dave at the Forestville Model exhibition early this month.
Trust me, making baseboards, laying track, wiring etc is the most boring bit in modelling but has to be done in that order before the best part, the scenery can be done. That's what brings a layout to life. So you will have to put up with that for a little while longer.

End shot of layout

I still have to complete the curved point and fit the throwbar and also make it electrically okay. Once that is done then the microswitches have to be fitted and then a hook up to the bus and we will be ready for testing the first train under power.

South Coast Rail - HO

It has been quite a while since the old HO layout has been around and it was a really enjoyable time and many an operating session was held.
Part of the sadness is diminished when you are able to look back on the many of photos taken while in construction and operation.
A collection of some of the better shots still exist here on this Flickr site: South Coast Rail HO
Older posts herein will cover more photos and the trials and tribulations of the building the HO layout. (The possum is now gone)
Please enjoy what was, we now move on to a new world and to see if I can improve on the former.
Until then, happy modelling!