Royal Pacific Railway Layout....


Got a little more done to the sub roadbed and have starting putting in the joint bracing as follows:

LWXGTwy.jpg


The screw is only there until the glue dries properly, probably 24 hours for a good strong bond.

That's the way to do it mate. The only suggestion, don't rely on the glue only, put another 3 in. 1 more an inch in from the end of the brace on the same side as that one and two the other side to match. Never put spliced joints where the transitions are at the bottom or top of a grade, always in the middle, even if it means wasting wood to get it there. Avoid a joint right under a turnout any closer than you have there or under a track join if possible. We have one on the club layout that has created a slight dip between the track and the same end of a turnout, where the track rises at the grade bottom, enough to uncouple engines or cars on occasion.
 
You might be right about using screws as well ... I'll have to get shorter than I have so as not to go all the way through both pieces of ply.

Where the join is will end up being at the bottom of a change of grade so hopefully that will be okay. I've been pretty anal about making sure both pieces of ply are exactly the same hieght as well. Additionally, there will be two risers beneath the "brace", one at either end of it which should also give it a bit more support and stability.

Point taken on the proximity of the joints to turnouts as well. I do have a small issue with one turn out to the far left of the picture that is going to require it to be removed and replaced, What that effectively means is replacing 3 turnouts and two sections of track. That translates to my (perhaps) being able to move the turnout next to the joint you see a little more to the right, All of my other turnouts are no less than 6" from any joint, so it is only the one that may have an issue, if there is to be one. Something to look out for though and thanks for raising it.

A rethink - I can use the screws I have and put them through both the sub roadbed, bracing and into the risers! Wow, what a great idea :rolleyes:
 
A rethink - I can use the screws I have and put them through both the sub roadbed, bracing and into the risers! Wow, what a great idea :rolleyes:
Yep, all sorts of ideas you realised should have suggested themselves come to mind as you progress. They're covered in the manual under the heading "Why the hell didn't I think of that before". There are screws more suitable to plywood than others, with coarsely spaced threads to give better bite, called Drywall screws, They will hold better into end grains of lumber too. Predrill a hole a bit smaller than the screw's shank to avoid splitting the end grain.
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Excellent pointers, Toot/Tony!
I would go one step more, and I know it is a PIA, but I would not screw anything from the top down!
Screw up from the bottom where the screw heads will be exposed -- Just in case you "ever" want to change something later on? Use a TEE for attaching the risers to the sub roadbed - again screwed from the bottom.
 
Um yep and that IS something I can relate to! Another "duh" moment to add to the list - drywall screws, of course and I have bucket loads of them! Thanks mate appreciate it as always.
I usually put the screws in from the bottom up. That way I can easily find them in the future instead of digging through glued down ballast/scenic foam to find them.

Be careful using real "dry wall" screws. Real dry wall screws aren't made to handle the stress of hard materials and the heads can easily break off. They make "construction" screws that look the same but are stronger. Kind of like the difference in a standard bolt and a grade 5 bolt. One tiny difference is that construction screws will have a tapered head while the drywall screws have a curve on the underside of the head. Some vendors have gone to a star head on the construction screws rather than using a standard Philips found on the dry wall type. A problem with any screw that is threaded all the way up is that it can actually push the two pieces of wood apart rather than pulling them tight together. A very undesirable thing in this application. The way I get around that is get the screw started in the 2nd piece of wood, back the screw out just far enough to clear the 2nd piece, squeeze the pieces together, and then put it back in. If the glue doesn't ooz I figure it isn't tight enough.

Of course, good old counter sunk wood screws are still really the best.
 
Thanks Horseman but hopefully nothing will be screwed into place until I am positive that things are where they should be and of the correct hieght. In other words, I am hoping I will not have to make any changes at a later date.

I do understand what you are saying about digging through ballast to find screw heads but by the time I get to the point of ballasting, everything should be (dare I say it) set in stone.
 
Yeah, even the little I used for the joint is rock hard - as they claim - and that joint, it isn't coming apart for anything :) Wish I had have found this stuff years ago and not just for the hobby either.
 
Had to replace a few turnouts due to screw ups so here are the new, successfully in position turnouts on the left side of the layout:

vkPiubl.jpg


Slow but surely I am getting there and STILL making small adjustments for radii and clearances :rolleyes:
 
Things are on hold for the moment awaiting the arrival of some 1/8 foam sheets. That will be used as an underlay between the ply sub roadbed and the cork roadbed. Not much I can do at the moment until that arrives.
 
Thanks Smoke appreciate the vote of confidence on the cookie cutting as it is neither something I am particular fond of doing or am all that great at. It's a pain in the posterior to do BUT works better than anything else I have tried.
 



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