replace with hand laid track


gregc

gregc

Apprentice Modeler
how difficult would it be to first build a layout with flex and pre-built (atlas) turnouts (available from previous layouts), and latter after the scenery is up, gradually replace it with hand laid track and turnouts?
 
Working over and around finished scenery can be a pain even for routine things. Relaying even some of the trackwork will not be very easy without some scars to the scenery or difficulty laying the new track depending on the topography and clearances you have to work with.

If your idea was to see how everything looked and worked before hand laying just a suggestion would be to only nail down the flex track and don't ballast it.
Make sure any structures are removeable and keep the scenery itself far enough away from the tracks to give you some room to work.

Another thought is you may end up relocating all the switch machines when you change from the Atlas or other ready made turnouts to hand laid ones.

It can be done but I think you are making a lot of work for yourself. Why not hand lay the up close areas and use flex and ready mades in the less noticeable areas? This has been done by thousands in the hobby.
 
It takes some real cahones to rip up track that you've spent a lot of time laying. ballasting, and weathering just to start over handlaying. I'm not even sure why you'd want to do this. With the exception of laying roadbed, the skills you need to handlay track are not even remotely like what you need to lay flex track and prebuilt switches. It's not like you'd be learning anything from laying regular track and then switching to handlaid. With the Fast Track modules out there now, handlaying and building switches are well within the skill level of someone with even moderate experience. I would either start with handlaid track or stick with regular track. As Mike said, do the handlaying for all your forground work and use the prebuilt track for hidden areas and staging yards.
 
Why would you want to lay track 2 times??? Let alone pay for 2 times the amount of track? If you want to hand lay your track, just do it in the first place.
 
TMLW said:
Why would you want to lay track 2 times??? Let alone pay for 2 times the amount of track? If you want to hand lay your track, just do it in the first place.
Click to expand...

i don't want to lay track twice, but i'd like to get things going quickly. i've never tried hand laid track before but assume it will look more realistic. i have flex track and switches from past layouts which i assume i can install quickly.
 
Let me make a suggestion. Just take a four foot section of your layout or even a four foot section of scrap lumber if you don't have the layout up yet. Lay down some roadbed but don't secure it too well. Get some straight track jigs and one switch jig from the Fast Tracks web site at http://www.handlaidtrack.com/track-assembly-fixtures-ho-c-6_13.php/. Lay the track according to instructions and see how long it takes you to complete it and if you like it or hate it. If you like, I think you'll find it won't take much longer than laying flex track and prebuilt switches, and you can transfer the track to your layout if you are building on scrap lumber. If you hate it, you'll hate it even worse after you rip up completed track and handlay track because it might look more realistic.
 
One thing that a friend of mine did, was he hand laid all the track that you can see, but the track that was hidden, he just used flex. I personally like the looks of hand laid track. If i ever build another HO layout, i would hand lay it. The Fast track jigs are very nice and well worth it. Also, with he cost of flex, its usually a lot cheaper, but takes a bit longer.
 
BTDT---bought the marshmallows. I wouldn't do that method again:eek:---tack the track down--no ballast--removable buildings and there you go---

It really is not fun taking everything up after it is all glued down---:eek::eek::(
 
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