Layout Extension #003

The first picture today is of the first styrene inserts I made for one of the Peco track switches.  These inserts are cut from .020 styrene. I actually erred by making this more complicated than I should have, as I cut them as 6 pieces. Later though, I taped adjoining pieces together, to use them as templates and cut new pieces so that there are only 3 inserts per switch. In the areas where the switch points are, I tried to slip .010 styrene underneath the points to hide the ties from view, but the .010 wouldn't fit. If I find some .005 thickness, I'll try that.

The switch inserts after they've been painted and installed.  Both of these switches are code 83 Peco. The expansion gaps in the concrete are drawn in with a black ink .010 tip artist pen.  The cracks in the concrete are drawn in with a black ink .005 pen. I ran several different engines and freight cars through the switches in both directons, trimming and filing the inserts until the equipment ran through the switches with no problems.  The styrene pieces are all press-fitted, no gluing at all.

The last of the switches that I have to do is this one. It's Atlas Code 83 the other two are Peco.  I've had a much more difficult time with the inserts for this one. The styrene piece that fits in between the points keeps buckling upward, and is causing detrailments. I've re-cut it twice, and each time the problem persists.  I think I'm going to stop with the "concrete" for a while, until I can get a left hand Peco switch to try here instead.  I can start to put in some ground cover in the meantime.