Cwmbach and the traverser…

Over the weekend I exorcised a demon. I have been putting off working on Cwmbach because of the requirement for a traverser…

On a shelf layout this presents a few difficulties but its use is necessary to make Cwmbach work in the space available. You would not believe how much procrastination has wasted my energy and focus on what could - indeed now is - such a simple solution.

The traverser is in N, and is barely 25cm long. I’ve built it up in the thickness of the main trackbed 6mm MDF base. A pair of L brass angles provide parallel running surfaces and some 120thou (3mm) styrene forms the ‘deck’. This runs on a pair of 100thou (2.5mm) sections to lift it to the right height. Track is laid and wired, a set of brass bars act as buffer stops and I will incorporate some safety bars on the right too, to stop wagons being shunted into the well. These will fit on the corners of the traverser.

What’s more, it works. I laid the two tracks to line up with the lower two tracks of the yard. I then slid it over to align the top track of the yard. Track is now all tacked and glued in place - I might even paint and ballast some of this before assembling the layout cameo box structure around the scene. However, another nemesis remains, wiring…

This long view, from arrival down to the cassette shows the odd track arrangement, inspired by Cwmmawr but adjusted for the space I have. I will ensure the landscaping makes the most of explaining this curvature… but despite still not running trains I feel a weight has been lifted from this long running project, wiring will I’m sure, be easier than I imagine. Until next time, more soon…

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