Switch installation is a red blooded activity....

... or so I found out.

I was getting ready to install the track, carefully placing the switch to the mainland, when I noticed some red stains on the scenery. Apparently when I was pushing the rail joiners into place I pushed a little too hard with my thumb and voila, a red DNA signature for posterity. It turns out you need an abrasive track eraser to get it off the rail :-)

Let's back up a bit. Before the incident I painted the lower tier with acrylic titanium white so I'd have a surface of uniform colour for the scenic work to come.

Once the white was dry I painted in the loop where the track will go with some brown and khaki acrylic paints. Most of it will be covered by ballast, but I wanted some colour there to cover any possible miss applications of stone.

When that was dry I traced the outline of the track plan onto to roadbed with a pencil so I have a guide for track installation.

I'm going to be using some strips of Peco N scale track I have leftover from the Elizabeth Valley RR. The switch that gave me a jab is also a Peco item, but that had to be purchased at the local hobby shop.

Well, blood flow is staunched, so it's onto installing track.