Recycling a Module

A bit of thinking over the last few days about the possibility of using an old module has seen it being fitted into place on the layout to see if it will actually work. This used to be part of a central peninsular which contained one fiddle yard for the main line and the branch line, which this module was part of. The module is partly scenicked with a cutting which I didn't want to go to waste.

It will just work although there will be a 550 millimetre (approx. 21.5 inches) radius curve on the module behind it in the above pic. The cutting there will be deeper and have the timber bridge in about the spot where it can be seen above. The cutting and bridge will help disguise the sharp curve which will be the sharpest by far on the layout. Testing with my longest passenger coaches was successful, they will just make it around the curve without the ends clashing. None of my locomotives should present a problem.

A closer view of the cutting and bridge including all the junk on the layout!

I'm pleased that I can reuse this module, it's one less that I have to build and saves a nice bit of basic scenery. The track laid in the cutting is laid to "pioneer line" standards ie. straight in the dirt with no ballast. Now that it will form part of the mainline, it will have to be taken up and relaid in ballast to mainline standards.

Only two more modules and a hinged liftup section to be built. I've arranged to take a week off work in about two weeks so hopefully during that time all benchwork will be complete and trains can be run again.

Watch this space!