by Nor Cal Mike » Sat Jun 25, 2016 7:57 am
I've begun thinking of the next steps beyond the primary slot routing. There are two things currently on my mind. First is a uniform routing jig for routing out the pockets for installing the LC's. The second is installing a metal rail along side the slot to provide magnetic attraction to allow higher speeds for ghost cars. I'll post more on the jig ideas later.
For the metal rails, I did a little research on wood HO tracks. I saw a tutorial about using a 1/16" router bit to cut a shallow slot for insertion of common rebar tie wire. I would route and insert this wire directly under the copper tape. I think I can get by with only a single rail per slot, located on the outboard side of each slot and only through the curvy sections. By installing it only on the outboard side of the slots the interior between the slots will remain clear to install crossing slots anywhere I choose to put an LC.
I know there are some HO track builders around here. If you have any tips on installing wire rails, please do chime in.