Ok, well right off the bat, we have a dilemma.
The first thing I wanted to tackle is the wheel gaps. Turns out, the mold behind those wheels is all solid. This make sense, but means we'll have a lot more material to remove and an even smaller space to work in.
https://i.imgur.com/ZvYQ6Sx.jpgUsing a dremal with a #70 something bit, I drilled out the open areas, then used an xacto as a chisel to carve out the corners. This one track took about two hours.
The dilemma lies in the results. As you can see, it's a mess. But then lean back a little, that mess blurs away and the individual parts really stand out.
https://i.imgur.com/GqxE1Pa.jpgSo I learned two things;
1. This method for "Day-lighting" the wheel gaps is not worth it.
2. "Day-lighting" the wheel gaps somehow is totally worth it.
Not to worry, I have a few ideas up my sleeve. Many of you are probably already there too. Instead of carving out the wheel gaps, carve out the entire wheel area and replace the wheels with brass. If it's too much hassle to save the tracks, which may get replaced themselves anyway, we'll replace them too.