The Testing Part Is FUN!
Well, yes...at the moment, it's all raw plywood, tools lying all about, and bits and bobs hither and yon. It is, however, running.
Being part of the
GAUGE is kind of like having 75 or so people in the train room with me helping out. (And one guy always asking,"Where's the overhead??")
While I've laid the main line a few times, this time it has been properly laid, wired, and insulated. Rail joints on curves were soldered and better sub-roadbed and splices were used, thus eliminating derailments and uncoupling due to wavy track heights.
The track, for the time being, is just stock Atlas code 83 flex. Looks okay,and it is inexpensive. Perhaps later I will pull lengths and relay them by hand with the ties used for my logging area.
I've since put in a few hours of test running, and there are no problems. Very, very happy. It might not
look like much, but what great fun to work on something and being able to glance up at a train as it goes by.
The switch stand is from Alder, and they are beauties. The rolling stock is pretty much all RTR Bachmann. The locomotive is about halfway through being stripped, as I do not care for a Pennsy loco on a northern Canadian line.
Here is a shot of the station mockup, although I think that a smaller station will likely come about. The line to the right is likely to be a team track. I'm not too sure what's going to happen with the branchline up top.