Another relatively busy day today. I finished all the trackbed (excluding of course the jetty board) and decided that if I am to attend our exhibition, it is likely to be just the Ashlett Creek board. It all depends what happens in the next 4 days really. If I can get a lot done than maybe I'll consider bringing some of the other boards.
So with that in mind I continued working on the Ashlett Creek board. This board had not been touched for a few weeks (yet it is still the furthest advanced out of all the boards!
I know a few of you are probably going to say "Why didn't you just get this board ready for the show?". Well, I mentioned one reason earlier, but if I didn't have a deadline to spur me on, progress on the other boards would've been non-existent! Also I'm not sure how I'd feel about having one board complete and the rest in a bare baseboard state. Knowing myself, I'd probably find it incredibly hard to motivate myself by then.
All things considered, although progress has been slow the last couple weeks, the amount of the layout complete in such a short amount of time is pretty good in my honest opinion. Sure I would like to have done more, but there are only so many hours in the day, and sadly almost everything else takes priority.
Anyway, let's get on with a few photos whilst my internet is still alive!
The real sticking point on the Ashlett Creek board was the standard gauge track crossing the narrow gauge. The standard gauge track of course being for the 5 ton quayside crane. As the rail of the SG is obviously much higher, I decided to lay the narrow gauge first. To do this, I stripped some sleepers where the two tracks joined and put in some brass screws much in the same way as I did for the board joins. I should've taken a close up of this!
The standard gauge was taken off of its sleepers completely and was soldered into place only on the brass screws.
I do plan to add some checkrails in, but those can wait till tomorrow. Oh, and yes the gaps will be cut for the relevant flange spaces needed, I will also cut the standard gauge track in the middle to prevent shorts. Whereever there is a planned cut in the rail, I have one screw either side to support the rail and stop it from moving.
More to come tomorrow hopefully!
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