THE TRACK

The length of my incline was just a bit longer than a single standard 220mm length of ‘Z’ gauge sectional track (www.modelrailshop.co.uk/ product/15501/straight_track_ length_220mm) so I made some extension pieces from styrene. The track was glued onto wire mesh to replicate a girder effect. The mesh is the stuff used to repair car bodies (available from Halfords). Balsa wood attached to the underside provides strength and support, while the longitudinal girders, cut from styrene strip, are glued to the sides. The supporting pillar for the track is constructed from sheet balsa and is covered with glued-on stone print card. The top of the pillar is glued to the underside of the track bed. Foam landscaping foliage is glued to the landscape to disguise the gap at the bottom of the pillar between the ground and the cliff face.

The track bed is cut and bent from aluminium mesh with the aid of a steel rule to form the folded sides. Styrene strip is used to make the longitudinal girders which are glued to the sides of the track bed.