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Track on the Diorama

 


I started laying track on my On30 Lockwood & San Emigdio diorama. Ties are cut to length from 1/8 x 1/8 basswood strip and stained with acrylic craft paint. The rail is Code 70 salvaged from my old HO layout, spiked down with the last of my supply of Micro Engineering spikes. The turnout is also reused from the old layout.

I had forgotten I had an On3 track laying gauge. Grabbed it, used it, then wondered why my the engine fell between the rails. Found the right gauge and relaid the track. Fortunately I had only laid a foot or so at that point. I'm now using a Kadee diecast three-point gauge that goes back to when I was a teenager, somewhere around 50 years ago. I've probably laid a few hundred feet of track with it, and the slots where the rails go are so worn that the track inevitably ends up out of gauge. If I decide to hand lay my next layout, I'll need to get a couple of new gauges.

Have to say, old Number 2 looks nice sitting on properly sized track.

So much so, it's got me thinking again about building my next layout in On30. The lap-with-branch version of the B&V track plan ought to work in On30 without too much modification. 

Would I hand lay the whole thing? It's something over 100 feet of track. That's a lot of ties and a lot of spikes to drive. (I could use old HO track on the hidden sections, I guess. That would save me 15 or 20 feet.) Something to think about.




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