3 Types of Track

First an update on the station.  Today I painted the roof of the station building, the roofs of the platform awnings, and the concrete part of the platforms.  A friend in Tokyo is checking for me on the proper colors of the platform supports and the outside walls of the station before I paint those parts.

This evening I put the work on the modules aside for awhile so I can catch up on some DCC decoder installations and get some things ready for a train show on Thanksgiving weekend.  As I have enjoyed making regular updates to this blog,  I wanted keep this up by going back to something I skipped over earlier and that would be track.

Peco code 55

To

M/E code 55

Within the 6ft of double track line I am using 3 types of track - Peco code 55, Micro Engineering code 55, and Kato Unitrack.  The way this came about is the AsiaN Rail standard uses Peco code 55.  I was already familar with it as I am using the wood tie version on my home layout.  On this project I am using the concrete tie version.   Thing is I wanted to have a couple of cross-overs so this module could be a passing siding or stub end station if it were on a single track line of AsiaN Rail.  I decided to try out the Micro Engineering code 55 turnouts on this small project because I am also considering them for a future large layout project. I got the cross-overs made up to my specification by someone who was selling on ebay.  So far, just with test runs they work as advertised.

As mentioned in prior posts, I am using steel wire connecting rods inside plastic tubing to make the linkages between the turnouts and the Tortise switch motors.  The tubing sets into the 1/8 inch cork that covers most of the area between the tracks and the skyboards.


Then I decided to use the Kato adjustable length sections for the connecting tracks at the joint between the two modules to make setup quicker.  The photo below shows this area of track without the connecting tracks or the platforms.



Peco code 55

to Kato Unitrack