Welcome to Highfield Junction
- Thread starter Revok
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Down here we have Hurricanes so don't complain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nice looking layout and off to a good start
Had a few warm days recently, so decided it was time to get trains out. I suspected I might need to do a wee bit of track maintenance, it hasn't been used all winter. But I didn't expect this!
Several rails and clamps corroded beyond any possibility of saving. Replaced what damage I could see, but there were still connection problems. On closer inspection there was more damaged rails and clamps.
Over time the grit I had laid down for the track to lie on had got dirty, baby tears had grown thru it, and basically the track was sitting in almost permanant dampness. My own fault, I had kinda liked how it looked and didn't really expect that level of disintegration quite so quickly.
So, a good excuse to rip everything up and start with a new plan. This time, I have laid paving bricks for the track to sit on and horti grit as ballast. Then used plastic grass edging to separate the ballast from the dirt. Once I filled in all the spaces between bricks with grit it actually looks ok.
The paving bricks sit on a sharp sand base, and everything is levelled. Not perfectly but good enough that locos run fine. I'm gonna allow some time for it to bed in, then go back and finish off the levelling.
Heres how it looks as I added the bricks, and a few more photos to show how it is at the moment. A bit stark, but I'll get some low ground cover plants and a few more small trees in soon.
Several rails and clamps corroded beyond any possibility of saving. Replaced what damage I could see, but there were still connection problems. On closer inspection there was more damaged rails and clamps.
Over time the grit I had laid down for the track to lie on had got dirty, baby tears had grown thru it, and basically the track was sitting in almost permanant dampness. My own fault, I had kinda liked how it looked and didn't really expect that level of disintegration quite so quickly.
So, a good excuse to rip everything up and start with a new plan. This time, I have laid paving bricks for the track to sit on and horti grit as ballast. Then used plastic grass edging to separate the ballast from the dirt. Once I filled in all the spaces between bricks with grit it actually looks ok.
The paving bricks sit on a sharp sand base, and everything is levelled. Not perfectly but good enough that locos run fine. I'm gonna allow some time for it to bed in, then go back and finish off the levelling.
Heres how it looks as I added the bricks, and a few more photos to show how it is at the moment. A bit stark, but I'll get some low ground cover plants and a few more small trees in soon.
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Interesting point. Yes, the track is powered more or less all the time. Not intentionally, I just never remember to turn it off!
The picture shows the worst examples, but in all I had eight rails and about 15 clamps that were damaged in this way. And as you can see, its not a big layout, so a significant loss rate.
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Thought that might be the case..
Worth fitting a lamp somewhere, so you know power is on..
If power is on, and things are damp, then metallic ions will migrate (move at a molecular level). This will cause 'rotting' of the track, joiners, and any soldered joints. Damp, possibly mildly-acidic, conditions, make this worse.
If flux is not cleaned from soldered joints, it is also affected.
PhilP
Worth fitting a lamp somewhere, so you know power is on..
If power is on, and things are damp, then metallic ions will migrate (move at a molecular level). This will cause 'rotting' of the track, joiners, and any soldered joints. Damp, possibly mildly-acidic, conditions, make this worse.
If flux is not cleaned from soldered joints, it is also affected.
PhilP
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Useful info, thanks. And yes, the soil around the track is acidic, so that probably helps confirm your thoughts. Bird poo won't help either, and i get plenty of that!
Aw, nuts !!On the same topic as the previous photo, my missus suggested staging a derailment scene
View attachment 291358
Happy to report that the laying of track on paving bricks has made a big difference to the running of locos. I'd guess the removal of a lot of the baby tears adjacent to the rails has helped too. Whatever, I'm really pleased with things. I am able to run trains very slowly without stuttering, even over the R1 points, and generally the layout is troublefree. Seem to have finally got to a point where I am surprised if there is a problem, rather than fixing one issue and anticipating another coming up over the horizon!
Of course, much of the success of my line is due to GSC, the help, advice and volume of resource here has been invaluable. Cap suitably doffed.
Here's some recent pics.
Of course, much of the success of my line is due to GSC, the help, advice and volume of resource here has been invaluable. Cap suitably doffed.
Here's some recent pics.
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Added a couple of wagons to my small collection, both from ebay. I now have 6 locos and 18 wagons for them to haul. Small beer compared to many here, but a lot more than I ever envisaged when I first put my oval on the dirt! There's always just one more thing and then I'm done 
Also have a couple of buildings for the layout, but the weather here is to warm and sunny to sit indoors assembling them.
Also have a couple of buildings for the layout, but the weather here is to warm and sunny to sit indoors assembling them.
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Shocked to see that extent of electrolytic corrosion damage!
You've made a great recovery though! I do like your little RR. Is upper management willing to tolerate an expansion yet?
Shocked to see that extent of electrolytic corrosion damage!
For now, I'm pretty happy with the size. Its always been more of a garden feature than anything else, and it kinda fits nicely in that area. I'm more interested in making what I have reliable and manageable, and doing more with the landscaping to make a semi realistic backdrop. Thinking ahead, I suspect the next major change will be to lift the whole layout off the ground, cos I notice these days that my knees protest at prolonged kneeling!
Another small update on my railway, the addition of a Piko farmhouse and a couple of trackside huts. (Spot the mountain lion foraging for some leftover food scraps!)
Both kits were super easy to build, but a wee bit too shiny perhaps. When I have a bit more time I will do some finishing touches to them, and spray some dull coat, but for now I was just keen to get them out and see where they were best placed on the layout. I have to be careful to use stones or plants to shield them, because rampaging squirrels knock things around from time to time.
Both kits were super easy to build, but a wee bit too shiny perhaps. When I have a bit more time I will do some finishing touches to them, and spray some dull coat, but for now I was just keen to get them out and see where they were best placed on the layout. I have to be careful to use stones or plants to shield them, because rampaging squirrels knock things around from time to time.
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oof yeah electrolytic corrosion can be brutal. I had that happen too, not an unrealistic problem for an electric tramway.
Steel sleepers in a section of mass concrete track completely converted to iron oxide. I can usually get around this problem by trying to make sure the overhead wire is well insulated to stop power going to ground, but I guess that's a bit harder for track power.
Steel sleepers in a section of mass concrete track completely converted to iron oxide. I can usually get around this problem by trying to make sure the overhead wire is well insulated to stop power going to ground, but I guess that's a bit harder for track power.
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