East staging nearing completion

After my last update, I decided that I needed a method to install parallel track faster. Or at least more efficiently. East staging consists of two yards of 9 tracks each. Each track is comprised of 8 full pieces of flex track and 2 rerailers. Except for the 2 outside tracks.

I determined that one of the fastest ways to get the parallel tracks made would be to use a jig. I determined that while more than the thickness of a railhead, a saw kerf would suffice. So I broke out the tablesaw. I used a 3/4" piece of plywood about 9" long and 2.5" wide (or so). I then cut a very shallow groove in the plywood. I then offset by something around 1.375" and make the the second cut. This produced a jig that would allow me to align parallel track at 2.25" on center. I was originally going to use 2" centers, but after some feedback I opted for 2.25"

The jig really helped speed up the track laying. Well worth it.

With my new jig in hand, I began installing the parallel tracks. This has been a great motivator. I was able to achieve measured progress.

Above you can clearly see the final product. Overall, I'm pretty happy. I'm not done, I still have to install the ladders at the end closet to the bottom. However, this is significant progress.

At this point, I decided to run a test train. My next post will be about that.