the first material has arrived and I have now been able to get started. LGB track profile with 1.5m length and sleeper bed was offered, ordered and paid for. What I got was LGB 1.2m straight track. O.k. strange, but that could be sorted out and cost a bit of time and nerves.
As I wrote in my introduction, I want to build a small indoor layout in the basement of my house, orientated on my interpretation of a section of the F.R., to be less dependent on the weather. I'm starting in the hallway of my basement and have drawn the following plan for this section.
I didn't want it to be overloaded and it was also important to me not to have this strict geometric kit/starter pack character, but to make it look harmonious as far as the space allows. Here is the result, three points, two platform tracks, approx. 1.2m of track at the head for transferring and a ramp on the left and a siding on the right
I started with 7 pieces of 125*50cm large and 20mm thick XPS foam panels onto which I first transferred the grid set in the planning software and then each individual measuring point. Then I used a flexible scale to mark the centre of the track.
Now I had to cut every second sleeper connector from the underside of the track before further processing, as rigid, straight track was supplied instead of flexible track. I then bent open and removed the rail connectors and was able to remove the individual profiles.
There are various solutions for bending the tracks, I decided in favour of one of the cheaper ones, the track bending device (T/N 154) from Thiel. Although this has the disadvantage of only being able to bend one track profile at a time, it costs less than half or even only a third of other suppliers' devices and the result is more precise and also more reproducible than if you bend it in front of your belly. When you start, the work is quite arduous, puzzling and requires gloves with a good grip, but after a while you will make some progress.
I hope you will be able to recognise one or two things later on, even if I have to place some things/landmarks upside down or in the wrong order due to the spatial conditions. We will see if it will be coherent overall.
The track plan and construction for the first section is progressing and I am now planning the substructure made of 9 and 16mm plywood. Unfortunately, there are two door openings to consider where my better half knows no mercy.
