Train Layout Progress #2

Infrastructure Rebuild

One of the first tasks was to reconstruct the double deck straight section.  I had dropped this section while placing on top of the straight single deck section, in preparation for shipping.  There were multiple things wrong with it.  Several of the supports were broken and some of the track on the edge was ripped up.  I also found there was short in the track in this section.  That does not include the unfinished portions, mainly the train station area.  

First I replaced the broken supports with ones that were a little more beefy.  Previously the underlying plywood was screwed into the supports and the Homasote glued on to the plywood.  That necessitated using the oscillating saw to cut those screws, while having a vacuum right there to suck up most of the filings.  Then used my new vacuum extension to pickup the remaining filings.  

The next three pictures show the corner that it was dropped on.  The three supports that were there were broken.  Mostly it was 1X2 lumber that was glued into an L-Shape.  This was replaced with 1X4 lumber on the vertical and 2x2 lumber for the horizontal with triangular plywood supports.

The reverbation of the drop destroyed the support underneath the bridge and at the joint to the corner piece.  I used 1x4 lumber for the vertical and a 1x3 for the horizontal was already there, since it spans the width of the layout at this point.

Track Realignment

With that done, I could concentrate on the station yard.  I never like the amount of free space around the front of the train station.  While the track layout offered maximum flexibility, it also includes routes that were very likely not to be used.

Thus I changed to this. It gave me almost the same flexibility, but provided more space around the front and two sides of the train station for roadways and parking areas.

This realignment allowed for the station tracks to be extended a small amount,  Here I am setting the station tracks.  As I have shown in the past, I use a laser and a homemade jig to place the tracks in a straight line.   I use the laser line to line up the center rail nubs.

Now I can move on to the catenary and signals in the station yard.  None of this had been done before the move.