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 Post subject: How to hand lay track
PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 1:05 pm 
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Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:45 pm
Posts: 16
Hi all,

My first post, but I am now the proud creator of 5 turnouts all of which seem to work well. Trying to get as much information about hand laying track as I've never done it before.

I know there are as many experts on this subject as there are people who have hand laid track :D but what I'm really interested in is the difference between using PCB ties as holders and using all wood ties.

It seems like placing PCB ties every 4" - 6" (maybe closer on curves) would make it easier to hold the rail width correct while you spike down the ties. Then again, one would have to hold the rail down and in gage will soldering the PCBs so maybe I'm wrong on this. I seem to be worrying a lot about how to keep extended sections of trackage in gage while they are being installed.

Anybody with experience with either or both (or some other method) please share your expertise.

Robert


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 2:39 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:48 am
Posts: 365
Location: East Texas - USA
Robert,

It?s not so much an issue of setting the gage while laying in the track. Three point and two-point roller gages hold the gage of the track well for installation. What happens is the expansion and contraction due to temperature and mostly humidity over time and the kind of sub-roadbed and roadbed employed. The track gage can become kinked and misaligned over time. Regular running track can easily be built to accommodate all but the largest extremes by setting a small gap at each rail end joint and having the rail joiners ?float? to provided the expansion and contraction. Usually a 0.020? rail end gap is sufficient. Thus regular running track can be done quite reliably with just wooden ties if the spiking (or pliable gluing bonds) are done with care.

Where the PC boards are really important (many believe necessary), is the turnouts and other special guarded trackwork. Here there are the complications of flangeways, track check gage guarding, points alignments, etc. that are critical for reliable operation. Taking the effort to mask the PC smooth visible face and painting to ?blend? with the wooden ties can measurably improve the ascetics. I recommend using very coarse and rough rifling files to scratch in and create a wooden grain on the PC ties after final assembly and check out to provide a faux tie appearance. Use of very fine and small files to cut the electrical gaps and making the gaps closer to the rails and alternating up and town the turnout removes the common center cut giveaways of PC tie too often used.

Handlaying provides some remarkable reliability and with the addition of details and careful attention some very attractive smooth flowing trackwork ? but it is an art form that is time consuming.

_________________
-ed mccamey-
COSLAR RR - http://www.coslar.us/
NMRA Standards and Conformance Department
PROTO & FINE Scale Coordinator
I estimate I have about 5 pounds of coupler springs somewhere in the vicinity of my workbench.


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 Post subject: Thanks for the insight
PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 2:58 pm 
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Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:45 pm
Posts: 16
Ed,
Thanks for the response. I'm successfully building turnouts using FastTrack jigs. This was the place where I had abject failure the last time I tried handlaid track. I recognize that it does take time and development of skill, but I'm not in as much hurry as I used to be :wink:

I live in a area of low humidity (desert) so that isn't a major factor, however, we do experience some severe temp swings and while the room I'm building in is heated this is an old adobe house so it's not quite like a modern super insulated place.

So I gather that you are saying that the gage on laying isn't all that difficult, but that care must be taken to allow for temperature movement. From this I draw the conclusion that I shouldn't solder pieces of rail together. Next question is does using PCB ties so that the track is regularly soldered in place alleviate the temperature induced movement, or does this remain an issuse?

As for the time and art of it, track is the fundamental "scenery" of a MRR. I've always scratched my head at folks that will buy a $300 craftsman kit, spend 80 hours building it, then plop it down next to a piece of Atlas :?:

Anyway, I find it both relaxing and rewarding and as my skill grows I'm thinking I may move to detailing the track even more.

Thanks again,

Robert


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 3:58 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:48 am
Posts: 365
Location: East Texas - USA
Robert,

PC ties will help - but the expansion and contraction is along the track - not so much at the gage. Most of the induced movement is laterally along the track, leading to kinks at the joints. I don't advocate ANY soldered joints - except the case of very short connections of fitting rails and where the turnouts are connected at the far diverging end (to electrify the frog point running rails). Temperature is not so critical as humidity characteristics. Temperature alone will only account for very minute changes.

Another trick for curved track. Pre-curve the rails, and then cut off a few inches at the ends so that the curve continues through the rail section and you don't end up with a bit of straight part giving kinks on the very ends. Then, with tight rail joiners and some spiking, the curve is smooth. Allowing small gaps in the rail joiner connections gives good allowance.

_________________
-ed mccamey-
COSLAR RR - http://www.coslar.us/
NMRA Standards and Conformance Department
PROTO & FINE Scale Coordinator
I estimate I have about 5 pounds of coupler springs somewhere in the vicinity of my workbench.


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