Main Line has Begun Work

Work crews finally began construction of the main line! 

After months of planning, changing, analyzing, and more planning, the main line work has begun.  I have gotten the first straight away and about half of the big curve laid down, both roadbed and track. 

The above picture show the main on the right and the yard on the left, with only the straight part of the main line. 

The turnouts are Atlas #6, one for the passing siding (left hand) and one to go to future industries.  All mainline and industrial track will be code 83, mostly all Atlas product.  I used code 100 in the yard for reliability purposes.  Depending on this layouts success, I will most likely use code 83 for all future setups.

Here you can see the beginning of the curve.

Now you may be wondering "why is he making such a big deal about this curve?  It is just a curve."  You are mostly correct.  However, this is my FIRST flextrack curve.  The only curves I have laid before this were sectional.  So this is actually a big deal to me, and kind of scary since it has to align with a specific radius to make the plan work.  So go me for taking a new step!

So how did I go about making this curve?  Well, being an engineer by profession, I used my smarts (que laughter).  I built a radius tool and cobbled some supports together.  The tool is made using two nails, a screw, a pencil, and some leftover, small trim wood.  I nailed the pieces of trim together to be longer than the radius I needed (>42").  Then I drilled out a hole in one end and taped in a pencil.  On the other end I put the screw through the board at exactly 42" from the pencil tip.  Then I laid the board seen below on a shelf unit to act as a pivot point support.  Then I simply pushed the screw down in the board and ran the pencil between the straight lines guiding the main.  It worked like a charm.

Pencil end - being used

Pivot point support

Pivot point screw

Securing nails - watch out that they don't catch you.  They are pointy.

The pencil end.  What a quality taping job...

Now I need to finish the curve off.  I am following the recommended practices of connecting a soldering track as you go around the curve to keep a smooth connection point.  I will post again once that gets done.

And to finish things off, I want to start a new thing of ending posts with some proto shots I take on whims.  To start it off, below is PTRA 9609 crossing E Loop 610.  I got the shot while my wife was driving 70MPH so I am glad it came out as well as it did.  The unit is an MK1500D rebuild, and was hauling empty flats and gons from a pipe yard on 6/29/2014.

 

Until next time!