I plan on using the Atlas (formerly Walthers) lumberyard kit for the first, and its foundation dimensions are helpfully available online. So, using full size template I mocked up where the siding leading to it would go. I needed to leave enough room for a forklift to maneuver, and trucks to arrive and depart with their lumber. The scene will be cramped but I can make it work.
For visual interest I wanted the siding leading into the lumberyard to be lower than the main line. Because the layout's base is 2" foam it was an almost-simple matter of marking an outline around the temporarily placed track. I expected to use my newly-acquired hot wire tool, but an issue with its power supply thwarted that. So, instead I cut down with a utility knife along the track and hacked away the middle bits
I did a lot of test fitting as I went along.
I actually cut too much away, so the next step was to use wood shims (pieces of paint stirring sticks) to set the height and cross elevation of the siding. I didn't want it leaning or dipping too much. Lots of caulk and weights held the track it in place until the adhesive cured, and a bubble level made sure it was where I wanted it. Note: at this time the track isn't glued down. It is just laying there.
Then, I generously covered everything with brown paint to protect the foam from any future spray paint.
After installing feeder wires to the undersides of the rails, the track was finally glued down to the wooden stirrers with caulk.
However, the track was pretty wobbly at this point because it was resting on only a pair of wooden supports. To fill in the cavern beneath it I used some cheap black sand from the craft store I had on hand. No point wasting good ballast on this job as it will all be hidden. The sand was poured in and brushed around, and I tapped the track to help it settle into all the cracks and crevices. I wasn't going for perfect coverage everywhere, as a later layer of dirt and ballast will do that.
Then, it was flooded with a mixture of alcohol and water and followed up with a copious amount of homemade scenic cement. The entire channel filled up and I could see the sand flow and settle some more. Before it dried I wiped the excess glue off the rails with a paper towel. Note how the alcohol solution I sprayed reacted with the latex paint and turned it green! However, it dried normally.
It took five days to dry and I was concerned that the ties would warp and the rails would rust but that didn't happen. However, to avoid potential issues in the future I bought a small fan from Amazon that I can prop on the layout to get better airflow. This will significantly speed up the drying time.
For the fuel distributor track I wanted it to look older and less well maintained. I started by pre-bending it to shape and then I cut away some ties and re-spaced the remaining ones.
It was laid over a single strip of cork which left the ties hanging over the edges. This will be useful in the future when I ballast this track because the ties will stick out and look old. It doesn't jump out at you in the picture below, but it will be more prominent once the scene is finished.
I may need to extend the track further to all for some more space for a proper bumping post on the end of the siding, important when handling railcars containing dangerous fuel.
This marks the end of my track laying for now. I still have to lay the two sidings on the left of the layout but that area has lots of tools and stuff on it and I haven't quite decided what I want to model industry wise. So it will just sit and wait.
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