Flexing

The intention for Wassen was to use flextrack as much as possible for the visible bits, and sectional track for the (primarily hidden) tight curves used to get track between levels.

In any scale I’ll pick Peco Streamline flextrack, as I love its length, the way it bends, the forgiveness of the plastic sleepers, and 'Streamline' just seems to be the best name ever for flex. Kudos to the Peco Marketing department (who is probably also the founder and lavatory cleaner). I managed to pick up a box of Z for a good price although I also have some short 220mm lengths of Micro Trains flex. For sectional pieces I’m using Rokuhan, and so far I’ve been impressed with them. To add more confusion into the mix, I have 8 untested Micro Trains switches from a previous life. 

No worries, they’re all 6.5mm wide right? Alas they’re not all the same height. Any minor differences in rail profiles/heights can be sorted out pretty quickly with the judicious application of a file to the offending rail head, but to further complicate things, the sectional track and points have moulded ballast roadbeds of varying heights depending on the manufacturer. Not wanting to place 3mm shims under the flex track unless I have to, even though 3mm foamboard probably exists somewhere, I’ve decided to tackle my first piece of flex by simply raising the foam board base by 3mm where the flex will be. This gives me the same consistent dark surface that will be easy to pin my track to and cover with ballast/scenery.

Level pegging

The flextrack is temporarily pinned in place below and the various bends have been seasoned to taste after viewing it from various angles. Knowing where the track will finally go allows the black foamboard to be narrowed where the Wattinger curve bridge will go. I’m trying to do any foamboard hacking before the track is fixed down to minimise chances of buckling the track or upsetting soldered rail joints or feeders.