Trackwork wars, Part 17

The ongoing saga of the track replacement at the lead to my town of Santa Rosalia continues. In the previous installment, I was satisfied with my new track right at Santa Rosalia. You can read that account at this link: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2025/11/trackwork-wars-part-16.html .

With some careful adjustments of the gauge in a few places, I was able to successfully operate one of my diesel switchers back and forth, which of course is what happens in an op session. This operation was essential to verify before doing any more work on the track (note the areas with missing ties below). 

As isn’t visible above, both the MP1 switch motors were now disconnected, and since the throw bars of the new switches are located differently, obviously new “trenches” would be needed for their linkages, along with the MP1s being relocated to have the throw rods perpendicular to the track. You can see this pretty clearly below. Both motors have been “unmoored” from their previous locations. 

But before restoring the linkages, I needed to do more painting of rails, as I mentioned in the previous post (see first paragraph, above for link), and I did so, completing work on both new switches on the main line to Santa Rosalia. I also added ties where they were missing, using old surplus tie strip or individual wood ties. 

The next step was to restore the more important of the two linkages, the one at right in the photo above, which controls  the Walthers curved switch. That’s because when structures are put back in place, it is behind the storage tanks of my Richfield oil dealer, thus not accessible for manual operation. In the photo below, the new trenches are cut. 

Finally, the linkage was reconnected and the correct motion of the throwbar verified, for the Walthers switch. This may have to suffice for the upcoming op session, unless I find time to fix the scenery surfaces. But at least this part is now working.

It is frustrating to continue to work the same problems in the same area of track. Hopefully this time it will yield a more permanent result. Thanks again to Jim Providenza for his help with a major part of this effort.

Tony Thompson