Golden Spike!

I finally drove the golden spike on the BC&W layout.

I finally drove the golden spike during the last days of August 2026. With the golden spike driven, trains can finally start running.

Here is the area where the Anderson Grain Company and Prairie Valley Grain elevators are located. It hasn’t received any track yet.

I fill in missing ties when I connect sections of flex track. I use ties that I removed from the ends of the flex track itself.

First, I use a cutter to remove the spikes.

Then, I add a drop of matte medium and slide the ties under the rails.

On these ties, I cut a notch for the track feeders so I can space the ties properly.

Using WAGO connectors makes wiring the track feeders much easier.

These are the last two spurs serving the Prairie Valley Grain Elevator.

This officially marks the golden spike ceremony.

To celebrate, I had my 8-year-old son be the engineer for an improvised operating session.

I taught him to go slowly and couple the cars gently. We set out a few cars around the layout and had fun for 15 minutes. It proved that the trackwork and electrical connections were all good!

And with that, all the track on the layout is finally in place.

There is still a lot of work ahead, of course. I need to finish wiring some areas, paint and weather the track, add ballast, and eventually build all the scenery and structures around it. Still, reaching this point feels like a major milestone.

After months of planning, cutting, soldering, and laying track, it was really nice to simply run a train and enjoy the layout for a while.

Having my son drive the first train made the little golden spike ceremony even more special.