The last few weeks have been a flurry of building. Unfortunately, I'm now stuck. I ran out of a some necessary supplies and the LHS hours of operation are such that I can't buy anything during the week. Sigh.
In the meantime, I want to thank everyone who posted questions, hints, tips, and links to the several soldering threads. My track joints and electrical connections have improved tremendously. And thanks for the questions and answers on regauging loco wheels, that Mountain's pilot wheels were so undergauge that they didn't pick the point on the turnout, they just went in between the points and rode on up. Thank you. And if you are ever in the Tehachapi area - let me know, I'll buy you a drink.
I also recently learned the hard way the answer to another thread - the one about gluing down switches. In my rush to get down operational track for the new Challenger and Big Boy that were on the way, I just didn't think about the throwbar and points on the turnouts. The ladder to the twelve track staging yard soon had points that didn't throw at all. Yeah, I was just gluing everything down. DOH! I carefully worked an Xacto blade between the roadbed and turnouts until I freed the points, and now I have them back to working right. I started the other end of the staging yard, and now I still glue down the turnouts, but only under the frog, guardrails and legs. I pretty much need to do this due to the way I'm laying track (turnouts go down first and are lined up with each other, then the flex track goes down).
For the first time in my modelling "career", I actually took some care to do easement curves correctly. The curve is layed out on a 1/4" offset from the straight track, and the flex track is secured in a way that leaves about 3" on either side of the nominal straight-curve transition point free floating. The easement is absolutely phenomenal, I really urge those of you planning on using sectional track to consider using flex track and proper easements. It looks so much better - especially as the train enters the turn and does not lurch.
Benchwork is about halfway done on the staging level, basically the yard area. The reversing loop and helix areas on each end of the yard still need to be built. I have the first turn on the first helix cut out and assembled - only 9 turns to go.
I mentioned above that a Challenger and Big Boy were on the way as I was laying track, I received them a couple of days ago, and all I can say is WOW!. I am a little bit disapointed in that the UP/DRGW undecorated model has the passenger version smoke lifters. It looks like I can remove them without much difficulty, but I am hesitant to manhandle such a beautiful beast in that way. They are great runners, and did I mention how much better a good easement makes the trains look? The Big Boy looks perfectly natural and realistic entering the curves. Now I want even more Big Boys and Challengers for the layout.
I found my digital camera, so no more shaky phone-cam photos, but I did not find the all important cable to get the pictures from my camera to my computer. UGH!!! A quick run to an electronics store this weekend should solve that problem, and I'll post some pics of my progress shortly after that.
