Where the switchback meets the base (above left) is directly over a support. The slot has been cut with a steak knife to the width of the roadbed. The completed switchback (above right) reveals the transition to the reload yard. Working on a second level above fin-
ished work (below left) can lead to a less than perfect surface to the laminated sub-roadbed. This can be cured with a power planer and filling the grooves with Fast ’n Final. The final sub-roadbed (below right) is level. Any remaining valleys will be filled with DAP.
thought, we turned to DAP® nal®
Fast ’n Fi-
. This is a lightweight spackling compound that can be used to fill in the grooves. After its application, we sand- ed the area flat when it dried. We have found many uses for Fast ’n Final on the railroad. It also makes great as- phalt highways.
We left the assembly alone for sever- al weeks to make sure we liked it be- fore we completed lamination. We had done many feet of lamination before, but never six feet off the floor, with a railroad underneath. Everything had to be done standing on stools. One of us would put the hot glue on a strip of hardboard, three feet long, hand it to the other person, who would then put it in place. As a result, the top surface was less than optimal. We knew from experience that dips in the top surface
RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN
were okay, as they would be filled in with adhesive caulk. Pieces of strip sticking up are not un- common. They can be cured with the help of a power planer. However, work- ing the power planer that high, over the already built railroad, was tricky. We worked slowly, with one of us hold- ing the power cord out of the way. The bag attached to the planer was essen- tial, as it kept the dust contained. We ended up with several deep grooves in the sub-roadbed. After much
There is one turnout located in the spline portion of the trackage. The No. 4 turnout for this spot, made using Fast Tracks tools, was put in position so we could locate where the points would be and a ¹/₂″ hole was drilled through the sub-roadbed to accommo- date the switch linkage. Laying the cork roadbed and track went quickly using DAP Alex Plus® caulking compound. The Micro Engi- neering code 70 flex track came next. We pre-bent the track to the approximate shape of the roadbed. The rail on the in- side of the curve is always too long, so these were cut to even up the ends. Mi- cro Engineering rail joiners were slipped on and then soldered. The entire line up to the switchback switch was laid as one piece, three feet at a time. Once every- thing had set, expansion gaps were cut in the straight sections. Wiring was a little different on this part of the railroad. Everywhere else, the DCC and switch machine busses are supported by cup hooks every two feet or so, with the two wires for each separated by 2¹/₂″ on the two T-girders. The shelf brackets that support this
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