Track laying has begun

[RogerB]

Started this earlier this week, and gave up more than once trying to see and manipulate tiny fishplates. Started again this morning having realised my patience is better in the AM. Most of what you see here is really only placed in position as I ran out of fishplates when more than one got bent out of shape. The Peco TT120 track itself is easier to work with than I had been led to believe. Cutting track with a Dremel is better than track cutters in that the rail chairs are for mostly for visual effect only, the rails are slightly embedded in the track webbing. Dremel goes through the lot and there is no twisting of the track - something I managed frequently with 00. Have found the minuscule soldering tip - that’s going to be interesting! The spur you can see on the r/h side is going to be for a station, and the other side will be goods shed and water/coal - eventually. Time to speak my friends in Liverpool for the next instalment.
R-

[Tricky Dicky]

I feel your pain Roger having wrestled with n-gauge fishplates. You need to make yourself a fishplate insertion tool. Here is one I made to save my finger tips.

The tool is just a length of n-gauge rail soldered into the end of brass tubing. The tube is bent up slightly with a handle on the end. The business end is then filed down to approx. half a fishplate length and the webs on what remains are filed down until a fishplate will slide on easily. This then enables you to push the fishplate on the rail saving fingers.

Richard

[RogerB]

Great idea. I’m bound to have a gash length of track……. shortly.
R-

[Walkingthedog]

Does the TT track use N fishplates? O gauge uses OO fishplates.

[RogerB]

Yes, N, TT & 009. R-

[yelrow]

TT uses a mid size fishplate, slightly smaller than 00. and they are tight. Good start Rog, told you track was easy to work with, but you do need a pusher for fishplates. I made one from a Flashbang template. Whose make are your points. Are you going DCC. I have no points, simply ovals or end to end, as mood takes. 4 Triang locos, and Jinty , that i must get round to repairing. Spurred on by your start, just dug out all my spare track. Mine came by mistake. Bought a box of 25, from french site, only to find them TT. Never got round to buying points. Have to eat, dont you know.

[yelrow]

Have never used n gauge ones. bought mine from Tillig, i think.

[RogerB]

All Peco kit John. Fishplates are like thick tin foil great caution is required. R-

[bulleidboy]

Great start Roger - look forward to seeing the layout progress.

[yelrow]

If one thinks n gauge fishplates are fun, try z gauge. I need a magnifier to even locate the rail.