The Ceremonial Last Spike

The ceremonial last spike has been driven in. The event was witnessed by Sir Topham Hatt and duly photographed...

...not!

But the last spike has really been driven, although the event was not that grand, but like this:

Spiking rail

Finally it was time to spike some rail. But as always, just one more thing to do first - soldering feeder wires. Here I have soldered feeders to the first two rails, and then just laid them down in about the right position.

Next I wanted to mark the position of one of the rails, in reference to the ties. So I pinned down some loose rail, all at about the same position from the end of the ties all along. I tried to get a nice an smooth flow.

Once I was satisfied I marked the position of the rail, on the ties, with a pencil. Now I can lift the rails for feeder soldering as I go along, but still easily get them back in position with help of the marks.

The rail will not sit directly on the ties but on tie plates. I use Grandt Line code 125 tie plates, and Micro Engineering small (1/4") spikes.

Keeping the rail on the previously done pencil marks, the spikes are pushed or driven in with a pair of pliers.

 

 

Here are the first few plates and spikes in place - two spikes per plate - one on each side of the rail.

 

 

Once the first rail was done, I continued with the opposite rail. Its position determined with an NMRA standards gauge.