More turnouts

So the process is like this. I lay out the track plan on the top level of the 1" styrofoam with a pen. this shows where the turnouts will go. Then I cut out a 5 by 12 inch piece of the 1" styrofoam to mount the turnout on. What is nice is that I can sit at my work table in the man-cave and do all of this work. Glue down the turnout with acrylic caulk, mount the switch motor underneath, check the wiring for the turnout and the frog, install the switch stand and connect it to the turnout so it operates when I turn the switch, and ballast the inside track with scale ballast (rocks and coal residue). What is really nice is to be able to carefully ballast and glue the rocks, then clean the turnout and check operation before it is on the layout. Way easier to sit at the desk versus leaning over the layout. These two turnout bases are a little weird shape as they are very close to one another so I had to be flexible.

So you can see two styrofoam blocks laying on top of the layout in this blip, and I put them slightly off center so they stood out. This is the yard throat for my little staging yard. The drainage ditch and bridge supports from previous blips are on the right. As soon as I get these two turnouts in place I can start laying track between them and maybe run a locomotive. They are in their boxes and itching to go.

As a real benefit to this process of installing turnouts, if I have a problem and need to replace a turnout, I just cut the track and wires and lift it out to repair or replace. Don't ask why I do this - been there before and replacing a turnout on a finished layout is not a good way to spend a Sunday.

Today I am hoping to get these two turnouts mounted and finish the scultamold at the drainage ditch. Then I can paint the scultamold with my recently acquired paint that matches my dirt sample (previous blip) and can detail the stream bed with rocks, weeds, and a fisherman before pouring the resin water.

As an aside, these turnouts come from P-B-L in California. They are the main purveyor of Sn3 trains and materials and are great to work with. Nice to call and get a real person that is knowledgeable!