Progress

Things have now started. The track-plan is now finalised and construction has begun. Colin Lea has rightly pointed out that this would have been an unlikely line in reality but from the point of view of a developed model railway I'm happy enough! It is true that about a mile of the Glaslyn has been compacted into something like 150m to enable the river crossing and entirely fictitious tunnel on the other side. Similarly it has removed the long horseshoe that would have taken the line to the SSSQ's incline rather than the branchline off to it that I have created. Isn't Narrow Gauge modelling great when you can just make stuff up. Hopefully there is a strong hint of reality in it and I shall try to be strict with myself in the future.

The first baseboard fram is now done. 2x1 with 1.5x1 strengtheners. It'll be open frame with a plywood cross section raised 3/4 of an inch above the frames to allow the Glaslyn to run underneath.

Exciting picture, eh? More interesting might be the trackwork. It's all being laid on copperclad strip using Peco Flat Bottomed Code 60 rail (Z gauge normally). To be similar to the original 41lb/yd rail would need to be about code 40 which is prob too small and nard to get hold of. The code 60 is available and relatively low profile. It is also high enough that the flanges won't run on the ballast! So far I've almost completed the point into the top siding and I've started putting together the main line crossover at the Beddgelert end. In another effort to increase realism I've moved the checkrails closer to the stock rails. It looks better but now I'll be pushing all my wheels out to give a 7.5mm back to back gauge. Almost to scale! Another advantage is using XTrkCAD I can produce templates for the turnouts involving odd curves and build them accurately away from the layout much like settrack. The tie bars are inverted copper clad strip with brass track pins pushed through from below and the blades soldered to them, as recommended in the 009 handbook. Plan is to use tortoise type motors to drive them and I'll aim to interlink the motors to give some form of interlocking.