Well-used concrete sleepers (Foto: Jimmy Low (c))

Unfortunately, Märklin/Trix does not produce flex rails with concrete sleepers, which is a pity since they are selling Era IV-VI rolling stocks. As far as I am aware, Roco (42401), Piko (55150), Weinert (74003) and Peco UK (SL-102) produce them. I took 14 concrete sleepers from a section of the Roco flex rails. I used a sharp blade to remove extra plastic sprues and filed the excesses. To make the sleepers look worn and partly damaged from use, I filed selected parts of the sleeper to give it a chipped or worn look.

I used Tamiya enamel gray and various Vallejo Model Air acrylic paints to weather each individual sleepers. The rail sleeper fasteners were made to look rusty and therefore, the red/brown iron stains seeped onto the sleepers.

Some of these sleepers will be used for a customer order – a farewell gift with Piko BR 218 DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung Cottbus DCC with sound. The rest would be on my Loewenherz modules.

A partly-completed farewell gift with a customised presentation plinth (Foto: Jimmy Low (c))