RAILforum: Hand laid track

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Posted by PTGCP (Member # 2029) on :

How does one hand-lay track? Beginner here.
Describe process please. Advantages? Dis-advantages?

Posted by Challenger (Member # 1298) on :

Hi again.

Did you get your track plans?

To hand lay track, its really a simple process. Its simply replicating in miniature the process of laying real railroad track. First you need a road bed that holds nails well. Hoamasoat board and cork are popular reccomendations. The second thing you need is ties. You can buy them commercially in packages from 500 to 2500. If you would like to save some money buy 1/8th inch square pieces of bass wood and cut to the lenghth of a railroad tie. You can use a tie from a comecial piece of track as a measure of how long to cut it. The third thing you need is rail. Rail comes in variouse codes (heights) so you have to pick one that will fit your equipment. I reccomend Codes 70, 83, and 100 as you can use all but the deepest flanges with them. You can get rail from Atlas and Micro Engineering. The last thing your going to need is spikes. There are several manufactures of these and you can optain several packages at your local hobby shop or from the micro mark catalog

To start laying track. you lay down your roadbed. You need to ensure that it is a flat and level surface wit the exception of the desired grade of the overal road bed. you then spread out a very thin layer of glue. You then lay your ties out regulary spaced and fairly inline with one another. It the centering doestn have to be absolutely perfect as some variation is common on the prototype as well. But it should not be like it was hastily and slopily put any old where iether. After laying the ties, there will be some subtle variation in tie top hight. This is unacceptable so the next step will be with some 200 sandpaper and a sanding block go over the tops of the ties to ensure that they are level. you then start laying your rail. You start by laying one side of your track. You then lay your other side. You can use a spare wheelset and truck as a guage. or you can buy one specially for laying tracks. When you lay the rail you spike one spike on each side of the rail. then you jump 5 to 6 ties and repeat. You then come back and glue the non spiked ties down with superglue. You use the 5 -6 tie spiking as this is a time saveing mesure in an time intensive process. If you want to to spike every tie feel free. For switches. You will have to look else where. As I have never done switches.

The advantages are that you can lay the track to suit the specific situation at hand and not be limited to what is available commercially. You can also generate smoother flowing track as you dont have to cut and fit rails like you do with flex track. You just solder two peices of rail together ond your off. It is also cheaper to handlay your track. The chepest nickle silver flex track I can find costs 99 cents a yard (the 3 ft sections) You can lay nearly 2 and 1/2 yards of handlaid track for that price.

The disadvantages are that it is very time consumeing. You can lay 10 sections of flex track in the same time as it takes to complete one 3 ft segment of hand laid track. And then thats only after you practice and get good at it. The detail is not equal to that of comercial track. And fially, if you have to tear down the layout and movel. Hand laid track is not salvagable like flex track.

Well I hope I was able to be of assistance again.

James.

Posted by Tom H (Member # 53) on :

After you place your ties in the glue (I recommend hide glue) and before the glue dries, put ballast on, press it down, let it sit overnight and vacuum up any remaining loose ballase. If you put an old (or new) stocking (nylon?) in the end of the shop vacuum hose, you van re-use the ballast that you pick up. There is no need to glue down the rail to ties that you do not spike. Personnally, I usually spike down the rail about every 6 - 8 ties - 6 on curves. Get an NMRA track guage - it is also useful for checking that guard rails ore in the proper distance on switches. and also to check the wheels of your loco's and cars.
Use 3 or 4 3-point track guages to hold the track where you want it - they also widen the track just a fraction on curver so that long wheelbase equipment will work better.
To test your track, be sure that your cars are in proper guage. I usually use a long (10-12 car) passenger train AT FULL THROTTLE IN REVERSE over the track and switches I am testing. This way if anything does not make it over this section of track it will USUALLY be a problem with the equipment.
Use HOn3 (5/8" long, skinny spikes) for the best results. I also recomend using homabed (homesote) under the track (or cork if it is not available in your area).

Have fun & Keep on railroading
Tom

PS We both forgot to mention tto color (dye) the ties before you glue them down. I use RIT clothing dye - be sure to thoroughly dry the ties before you use them. I find that a good ratio is 85% medium brown, 10%dark brown or black (representing newly replaced ties, also for under switch points where there is always lubrication) and 5% in a light gray (very old ties that should be replaced the next time the track gang goes thru).
Have fun & Keep on railroading

[This message has been edited by Tom H (edited 12-10-2002).]

Posted by Tom H (Member # 53) on :

I just found a good one !!!!!
Do a web search for 'homa-bed roadbed'

I got 7 hits, 3 of which were very interesting and informative about hand-laying track!

Tom
Have FUN and Keep on Railroading
wilowaytom@aol.com

Posted by ocalicreek (Member # 2177) on :

I too recently took the plunge into hand laying track, and I'm convinced it's a worthwhile endeavor whether or not you choose to stick with hand laying or flex track/premade. Here's what I learned.

Mike Tylick wrote a great article about hand laying switches on his F&S Junction module. This has been the method I've used and loved.

Tony Koester also wrote an article for MR about laying switches. This article as well as the one above (I think) are reprinted in a new book from Kalmbach on Track and Lineside Details, etc. (not the actual title, but something like that.)

I highly recommend getting at least two of the 3-point guages. Mine are from Kadee - code 70 on one side, code 100 on the other.

The other posts seem to cover the basics fine enough; glue ties, sand, stain, balast then rail. Just go the extra step and paint the rail and distress the ties. I seem to remember an article in MR not too long ago about how George Sellios does this on the F&SM.

A good source for ties, rail, spikes, and even advice if you ask is Blackstone Valley Railway. Good bridge & trestle kits too, BTW. www.blackstonevalleyry.com Right now production is suspended on the kits, but you may still be able to get rail, ties, etc.

Building a small switching shelf railway, I was able to use yardsticks (free from many hardware stores) as a subroadbed. As long as the spikes are short enough to stay in the ties, you're good.

Oh, When you lay a switch, plan ahead about how you intend to wire the frog and the points. If you're using an expensive motor drive this may not be a problem as these usually include extra terminals for wiring the frog, signals, etc. I came up with my own method for using a Caboose ground throw (N-scale rigid) and an SPST micro switch. In the future I'll be trying another method. Not that this one was bad, but troublesome to install under the points. Tylick offers a method in his article.

Good luck and remember; measure ten, cut one.