jeff train

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Thursday Update

Here it is mid-October and I realized I haven't posted any new posts for most of the month!
Stic has come by for two work sessions - we removed the track and after thinking about salvaging the foam board sub roadbed I decided to duplicate the methodology we used in rebuilding Randolph - basically replacing the foam board with new plywood. None of that was very fun but the result is a much better foundation for the track. I'll write it off to "what I should have done in the first place." Currently the only foam board sub roadbed still on the railroad is in Waterbury - that section is also ballasted so I'm more than a little hesitant to take it out. I think I'll leave it be for now. 
The photo above shows the current state of the new Richmond scene. I'm still in the process of figuring out the track arrangement "full size." 
This is likely old news to everybody but me, but I used to cut roadbed (cork, homasote, or whatever) by  the old "lay in the tangent piece and then place the curved section and slice to fit" method outlined in the old Atlas track plan books. Remember those? 
I never had a great deal of luck getting the cork cut just right. Then it occurred to me to take the wider sheet of cork (which is sold to be used under yard tracks) and then trace the turnout on that and cut it to fit. I've already made enough "tie blocks" for all the turnouts I'll need for this scene, and then some. 
The other task I've just about accomplished is in the workshop. I installed a couple of more shop lights and added an L-shaped extension to my workbench. I still need to add some pegboard to the back (mostly to cover over the shiny silver insulation!). 
Don't let the clear surface fool you - also on the agenda for this weekend is "clean up the other half of the workbench."
Off to watch the Pats game.