Good track laying practises

[cncproadwarrior]

Before starting to lay my track, I scoured books and the internet for "secrets" to good track laying. There are hundreds of articles on good track laying practises. I think I found most of them but thought that there could be a "sticky" with everyone's good practises to make it easier for new folks to do it right the first time.

I'll start off with the ones I used but hope everyone will jump in with their ideas.

- make sure your roadbed is perfectly flat and has no "bumps" by filing/sanding smooth where necessary.

- use new rail joiners and not ones that have been used before.

- file the underside of the rail joiner ends to make sure they're flat and smooth.

- don't solder every joint but leave small (the thickness of a blade) gaps between some rails for expansion and contraction.

- use the largest radius curve possible.

- solder all joints on curves before curving the track. This will help to prevent kinks on the rails.

- get a birds eye view of your curve before permanently attaching it to the roadbed to make sure it's a smooth curve.

- gently file the inside ends of the top of each rail smooth before joining.

- don't join flex track pieces evenly. Stagger the moveable rail by at least 12 inches. This will create a stronger joint.

- check each rail joint by rubbing your finger over it. If it appears sharp or uneven, file it - gently.

- if you want perfectly straight track, put a yardstick beside it when laying it.

 

[ICG/SOU]

I also used my longest cars (89' flats, Greenville woodchip hoppers, and autoracks) to test the curves to make sure that they can negotiate the curve. Make sure the wheels are in gauge first.

 

[cncproadwarrior]

I think I should have put this in the Design, Layout and Construction forum.

 

[Selector]

Not to be contrary, but in all honesty, I disagree with a couple of the guidelines you list.

First, a bird's eye view of a curve is, in my experience, about the worst, and least effective, way to detect a kink at a join, or a simple change of radius. Instead, get your eyes (even better, a camera) down to railhead level and take a gander along the axis of your tracks. You'll see a kink or a change of radius much more easily that way due to the angle and the foreshortening if you set the camera well back and also use a bit of zoom.

Secondly, I re-use joiners except when they are very clearly crimped or splayed badly. The joiners should still provide reasonable alignment when they are merely non-virgin, and they could easily be made more integral to your alignment by soldering them. The solder is always a sure bet (if done well) because it both stiffens the joint and assures conductivity across the joint.

All the rest seem very reasonable and agree with my experience. I think it is a good idea to post lists like these for both feedback, some discussion, tweaking, and also for the benefit of those who are wondering where and how to start!

-Crandell

 

[UP2CSX]

That's an excellent list, Bernie. I do use my longest car to test curves befor securing them permanently. The eyeball method described by Crandell also helps on curves. I also reuse joiners but I make sure they are really clean, with no old ballast or glue clinging to them. Since I've already dressed them, as you suggest, no point in doing it again unless I have to.

I'm kind of funny about straight track. I make sure it's really straight on either side of switch or crossover but I just do the rest by eyeball. Real railroad's "straight" track is almost never straight. It has small wiggles here and there, which are easily seen in prototype videos. As long as the track isn't really kinked, a little variation makes it look more realistic to my eye.

 

[cncproadwarrior]

The whole exercise of this is to bring out the best practises that people have come up with through trial and error. I think a lot of people will benefit from this. And people are free to pick and choose what works for them.

I'm kind of funny about straight track. I make sure it's really straight on either side of switch or crossover but I just do the rest by eyeball. Real railroad's "straight" track is almost never straight. It has small wiggles here and there, which are easily seen in prototype videos. As long as the track isn't really kinked, a little variation makes it look more realistic to my eye.

Jim, yes, in pics of tracks I've looked at, I've seen track that is straight as an arrow and some that I wonder how a train could ever pass over them without derailing. It appears that mainline track is the straight as an arrow kind and other track is more or less straight.

 

[ICG/SOU]

I purchased some Ribbon Rail track alignment gauges (to set my curves for flex track). What I didn't realize until I had laid several curves is that instead of using the gauge to set the curve to a standard radius throughout, I instead find that just using it at the center of the curve, works good.

In other words, if using a 24" radius gauge, don't try to run 24" radius from the start to the end of the curve, but instead use the radius gauge for the tightest portion of the curve. By doing so, you can create easements for the curve.

 

[nephthyr]

I print out my track plan full size which helps with exact placement of components like turnouts. This is especially usefull when working in tight spaces and you design your layout using software on a computer. Still nothing beats laying out the track pieces on the benchwork and rolling a few cars through it to visualize and check spacing.

 

[PRR ron]

I'm taking notes here as I begin to lay track but I have a question on the following two;

- solder all joints on curves before curving the track. This will help to prevent kinks on the rails.

Is this assuming that one is using flex track, so soldering the connections is to take place before placing on the roadbed and forming it into it's curve?

- don't join flex track pieces evenly. Stagger the moveable rail by at least 12 inches. This will create a stronger joint.

So am I to "pull" the moveable rail out twleve inches on one flex track and then force the joining flex track movable rail through the vacated spot? That's how I read it and does make sense for what is being achieved. And to assume nothing...does it manner if the movable rail on the flex track is on the inside or the outside of the curve?

Much thanks on the post...
ron

 

[cncproadwarrior]

I'm taking notes here as I begin to lay track but I have a question on the following two;

Is this assuming that one is using flex track, so soldering the connections is to take place before placing on the roadbed and forming it into it's curve?

That's correct.

So am I to "pull" the moveable rail out twleve inches on one flex track and then force the joining flex track movable rail through the vacated spot? That's how I read it and does make sense for what is being achieved.

That's correct.

And to assume nothing...does it matter if the movable rail on the flex track is on the inside or the outside of the curve?

Much thanks on the post...
ron

The moveable track should be on the inside. If the moveable track is on the outside, you will have to insert an extra piece of rail when they join up.