Track work isn't done!

Today I finished the last section of trackwork, in the little town of Craig. The green and red pieces of paper pinned to the track are to remind me which color wire goes on each side of the track. Mix them up and it takes a while to find the short. So I do this "kindergarten style". Then I know the green and red power lead wires are always on the right side of the track. When you are underneath the layout making connections, I at least tend to lose orientation. Probably from hitting my head so many times. Wiring each lead to the appropriate (green or red) power bus under the table is next.

I have lots of leads. I do not solder the track joiners, but drop a power lead to each individual section of track. This cuts voltage loss through the poor conductivity of the rail. Steady power is crucial for a good DCC signal to tell the loco to go and stop.

I will post the golden spike ceremony later - once I find the tracklaying crew in my storage boxes.n