Adventures with a 9v battery and some bad soldering

[IanS]

I too screw my track down - sometimes the heads snap off or become damaged due to their small size when trying to unscrew them but I've managed to get the track up without too much damage.

I've never glued, but have tried using double sided tape, knowing it was a temporary layout, as well as using traditional track pins. I find screws to be the best, although for inclines I'm planning I'm not sure that they'll work as well.

[andruec]

Oh you'll 'love' how I did my inclines

* 2% Woodland Scenics incline.
* Glue risers to board with gap at either end so that the track sags into an easement shape.
* Glue strips of paper along the top to provide a roadbed.
* Lay track.
* Glued track after sure all was fine.

I have to confess that I doubt that track is going to come up cleanly but I don't see it ever needing to

The central incline (double track) is assembled but I've decided that I need to complete it with scenery before putting it on the layout. It's in the middle of the board so not easy reaching it. Construction of that was slightly more involved:

* Cut out tops of WS incline box to act as a floor, ensuring 40mm wider to allow room to build up an embankment with polystyrene.
* Glue risers to 'floor', leaving a gap part way along for an eventual road tunnel.
* Glue strips of paper along the top.
* Glue strips of paper along the sides for rigidity.

It would be no substitute for a baseball bat or golf club if the need to repel invaders arises but it's strong enough to lift by either end.

Eventually the gaps at either end will become bridges of various kinds.

[andruec]

Huh. It's not a short, it's poor power pickup. Not terribly impressed really. Brand new locos and one had oil on the chassis pickup, another had a bent pickup and the original faulty loco seems to have a stain that I can't remove with a rag. I'll head off to the Dapol forum and ask about solutions.