Installing the modules
After the first module went in, it was a relatively straightforward task to install the neighbouring modules. As this section of the layout comprised some of the first modules I built, I had to make allowances for my attempts at amateur carpentry. Those early modules suffered from a lack of squareness, not by much – just a few millimetres, which I sheepishly think may have occurred during the three or so years that they had been stored. But that is a bit like blaming tools! Fortunately, given the size of the modules, it is a relatively easy task to square up as you go. Clamps attached to the benchwork ensured that the modules joined up, and, amazingly, the tracks aligned.
For the sections of the branch line from Branxholme to Casterton, with its attendant 60 pound/yard (30kg/m) rail, I was keen to ensure that each individual rail was a prototypical 22ft (6.7m) in length. Lengths of Micro Engineeringseveral modules had rails protruding from the edge, and during storage and transport, some of these rails were damaged to the point that they needed to be replaced. This task, although relatively easy, was tedious due to limited access and was time consuming. In hindsight, what I should have done was leave a gap on both modules and insert a small section of pre-made track and roadbed to fill the void.
