Hand Laid Track

To hopefully add a suitable backwoods look and feel to the layout, all the track for Britannia Creek is hand laid, using hand cut sleepers and short Microengineering rail spikes. The rail is taken from various Code 100 Peco track already on hand.

I had noticed that the slats in our wooden venetian blinds were made from a suitable wood so I stressed some excess slats then used a cutter to cut them to size.

The raw sleepers are glued in place.

An ink wash is used to colour the sleepers (After these first pictures where taken I found it much easier to colour them prior to gluing them in place).

A spike applicator makes placement easier. I use the Spike Insertion Pliers from Micro Mark. Testing for correct rail separation is carried out frequently as our Bachmann Shay is very, very fussy on this issue. Initially I find it better to only spike on every fourth sleeper in case adjustment is required. Looking at old photos of the Britannia Creek area I have decided to place four pins on every second sleeper, which seems to be what was done for real. This is done once smooth running of the various locomotives is confirmed for the section of track. 

The rails are painted various rust colours prior to laying and touched up afterwards. The spike heads are also given the rust treatment. Sifted soil is used between the sleepers, which is glued in using a PVA/water mix applied with a syringe or small light spray applicator.

October 2005: I have just finished my first section of hand laid track work and found it quite enjoyable. After a while it becomes a very relaxing process. It's a while since I read any "how to's" so just set about it my own way. I am quite pleased with the results.

March 2006 update: With my initial hand laid track I felt that I had laid the sleepers (ties) a little too close so redid it as shown in the photo above.

July 2007: Further track laying continues along the right hand arm of the layout.

August 5th 2007: The second and final reverse loop of our dog bone has been spiked and wired, thus completing phase one of the layout and enabling proper use of it. Locomotives are now able to run around the two reverse loops and between them along the single track and the sidings. We have left a turnout free for additional track to a raised area still in planning.