I've been working on laying the new braid. It's a tedious, messy, time consuming, nasty job, and I don't like it! I have finished laying the braid on the section of esses I had separated from the rest of the track. Today I reinstalled that section of track and the corner section leading into the underpass. Next I will bondo the cracks and screws holes making the course complete again.
I figure this track should outlive me so a little advise in advance to the next owner after I'm gone. Unless you end up owning this track somewhere in the future you can ignore the following information!
When it is time for re-braiding re-routing the braid recess is definitely the way to go. To complete the task there are two sections of the track that need to be removed from the tabletop to gain access to complete the job, the esses and the curve leading into the underpass. Use a magnet to locate the screws that hold these pieces in place. There are 8 screws securing the esses section, 7 through the top of the road bed with the heads Bondo'd over, and 1 screw from the underside at the entrance to the underpass. The curve section leading into the underpass has 12 screws securing it in place, 10 from the top and Bondo'd over, and 2 from the underside also in the location of the underpass entrance. All of the screw heads that have been Bondo'd over were first covered with paper to ensure that the philips screw heads would not be damaged for removal.
The new braid was layed on the esses section
The sections I had separated from the rest of track are now re-installed. The course is complete again, just more braid laying to come.
The screws heads securing the track sections that must be removed for re-braiding are covered with paper before the Bondo is applied over them.
