MID BC - new track build

[Cgyracer]

Radarek in Edmonton used this type of Plywood for their new track and told me about it. Its for applications such as curved columns, arches, and cabinetry..........AND now curvy slot car tables! You can buy two types the flex is either the 8 foot length (short grain) or the narrower 4 foot side (long grain). If you do a search for rubber ply or flex ply you should find some examples. $42 a sheet so not cheap.

Rob

Here is a 8 foot sheet rolled up in my truck's back seat.

[Cgyracer]

Update on what has been accomplished.

Installed all the blocking for attach points under the roadway for the flexible plywood. A little tedious with a level / gluing and clamping.







I cut strips of plywood, temporarily attached, and then marked the cut line 1.5" to 2" above the roadway during the process. Plywood was attached with wood glue and fine nails. I will punch in the nails and then fill the nail holes later so I can paint.









Drivers stations plus a small 6" deep shelf underneath for cars, tape, and tools.





Vintage Le Mans Pit lane by GP Miniatures, I will try to go with a retro Le Mans "look".



Shelf built for my power supply and PC plus sliding keyboard tray. Nice to have everything off the floor not just for cleaning but for the ease to push the track away from the wall as I'm working.



That's where I'm at!

[indybob009]

First class work . Love the wood. I assume it will be stained or clear coat. Nice

[FC47]

Nice man, it just keeps getting better! Thanks for sharing the build!!

[Giddyup]

So which guestroom do I get? :lol:

Wow, superb work Rob. Next track I do, can I outsource it to you and Richard?

[Cgyracer]

[TuscoTodd]

WOW! That is a great looking build / layout!
VERY nice!

[Cgyracer]

Quick update, in between racing I have started on the scenery. I know nothing about scenery so I asked fellow racer and model railroader Don to help me with the basics on what I need to do. Don's train layout was featured on the cover of the Model Railroader 2018 Great Model Railroads with his Nitro Pass RR. If I can just learn and implement a little bit of Don's knowledge I'll be happy!

Don's Nitro Pass RR




Don came by one afternoon with supplies and showed me how to start the scenic process with cardboard and Plaster of Paris.









MID-BC's first race occurred last week so that's all the scenic build I have done! I think I will be concentrating on the scenic build now that racing has wound down for the season except for a proxy or two that will be coming through.....plus I see I need to build a Can Am car I have not paid the entry for yet ....!!!

First Race on MID-BC! Grips levels were excellent thanks to the 2000 or so laps on each lane with NSR tires to prepare the new track surface.

[Giddyup]

Looking good Roberto!

:text-bravo:

[BARC 1]

Track looks really good. I am a Model Railroader as well. N scale for me. For a fascia on my train layout I used thin Masonite. Much cheaper then the plywood and is just as flexible. Too late for you , but anyone reading along might want to consider a cheaper alternative. It accepts paint very well.







My adult children have wondered why I have abandoned the railroad for slot cars. It has been over ten years since I ran an operating session on the railroad. I really like scenery, but it seems very few slot car tracks leave any room for it. I am contemplating tearing down the railroad and using this space for a wood slot car track. The plan though would to make scenery a big part of the track. Kind of Model racing vs slot car racing. Very hard to start tearing down something I spent far too much time building!!!. However it just isn't as much interest to me anymore, and slot cars are. There is a whole half a basement calling out to me to build a nice wood slot car track.

Sorry for the diversion, but both the inspiration your track and the topic of model railroading really hits home with me, and the big choice I might have to make.

[Aloha]

Two words to describe what I see here "awesome" and "incredible". This looks like a fast track with technical turns...!!!!
Aloha
Dale

[indybob009]

Really nice Track. Agree on the thin Masonite' works great on curves for Fasica

[Cgyracer]

Thanks for the comments guys.
Dan your railroad looks great, you would love to see Don's Nitro Pass Railroad I'm sure.

My slow progress.... but I guess it has been steady progress on various weekends when I really think about it.

Since I uprooted my garage work area, I needed to build a new parts shelf.
Cut/Painted MDF board white with 2.5 inch finishing nails to hang parts.






Over the past couple weeks Don came over to give me a couple three hour training sessions. This time the subjects were rock moulds, painting, and various textured scenery.

Session 1 was getting instructed on rock moulds. There are a few various moulds of different patterns he has.


I carried on with more rock, got the hang of it.


Don left me dirt colored paint to paint as a base on all the plaster.


For session 2 Don brought his various sand, rock, and scenic material that looks like grass / brush. I live in the interior of British Columbia so I'm trying to replicate a semi-arid rocky/hilly region with grass and some trees.
Here in the interior of BC we have the Area 27 race track designed by Jacques Villeneuve. There are some nice video's on the web link of the terrain around the track so you can get the idea of what look I'm going for.
https://www.area27.ca/







Don prebuilt me some beautiful concrete retaining walls which I installed.









The $1.88 slotted optical sensors I used from China were not reading white or shiny guide flags. I built some new slotted optical sensor circuits from scratch that are simpler but crude looking......definitely not as good looking as the blue Chinese sensors I bought. In the end I used a pull up resistor of 2K ohms that seems to work well for me to receive a strong signal for all various guide flags. It was not expense to build these either.



The little blue one is one of the Chinese circuits I purchased, told ya my self made ones don't look good!


Installed into my track.


Had some guys over to tune yesterday while I visited

[gt3racerich]

Could I ask what you used to secure the cardboard strips to the track surface.
Thanks.

[wanabgts]

This is a great looking track! Excited to see it on the calendar for the Can-am proxy!

Zack