python 2.7.8 broken raw string?

broken-raw-string-example.py

import os
import sys
wspace = r'D:\Feb-19'
tile = '116o'
ex1 = os.path.join(wspace, r'Work_{}\scratch.gdb'.format(tile))
ex2 = os.path.join(wspace, r'\Work_{}\scratch.gdb'.format(tile))

print(sys.version)

print('''\n--- Expected ---
no-slash-W      D:\Feb-19Work_116o\scratch.gdb
yes-slash-W     D:\Feb-19\Work_116o\scratch.gdb
''')

print('''--- Actual Result ---
no-slash-W      {}
yes-slash-W     {}
'''.format(ex1, ex2))

Raw is doing the right thing, what's happening is that os.path.join disregards everything preceding the argument with a leading slash (arg is treated as root element). See http://stackoverflow.com/questions/35516674/python-raw-string-literal-with-slash-w-r-w/35517343#35517343