Laying Flexible Track - Tips for the Unwary

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Posted at 23:18:27 Sun 1 Apr 2012

I'm just getting ready to start building my first significant layout. It's all been designed in Any Rail over many iterations so I know exactly where each piece of track is on the layout to within a few mm and how long each piece of flexible track is.

I'm planning to use one piece of set track in the middle of each curve as an "anchor piece" for the curve and to plot the lot from the design onto the baseboard (mdf). I'm planning on very few set track straights, mainly flexible.

Does that sound like

a reasonable approach? What am I missing and need to know to actually achieve it? I know - how long is a piece of string and it depends, but some basic advice would be great.

And thanks for all the fish …

Last Edited 18:51:22 Sat 15 Sep 2012

81F

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Posted at 18:44:37 Thu 5 Apr 2012

I usually need the pint to deaden the pain after I stabbed fingers with a scalple when I've been trimming off rail chairs!

I really should keep my fingers behind the sharp bits when cutting!

Modelling a combined 00 and 009 gauge Layout (GWR/GVT) mostly

Posted 18:44:37 Thu 5 Apr 2012

Flashbang

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Posted at 19:27:13 Thu 5 Apr 2012

Hi
You can also remove the last/first sleeper completely, allowing the rail joiners to fit correctly. Then on the removed sleeper(s) trim off the rail fixing chairs and slide under the space below the joiner.

This is really the same as trimming

off the rail fixing chairs while the sleeper is still in place, but not so difficult to do! By completely removing the last sleeper then replacing it as a 'cosmetic sleeper' later is IMO easier!

Neither way actually holds the rails.

Broken?? It was working when I left it!

Posted 19:27:13 Thu 5 Apr 2012

the ferret

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Posted at 10:20:27 Sat 7 Apr 2012

[reply]Fishmanoz said:

Hello Fishmanoz. I am in the midst of building a large layout. The attic space is 28ft by 9ft. Apart from the loco coaling facility I have consciously avoided gradients. I whole-heartedly agree with everything "Flashbang"

says. I use the XURON cutter myself and find it excellent. The trouble with saws is that they produce tiny grains of swarf, that no matter how fastidious you are at cleaning up afterwards, can get into points and loco mechanisms and wreak havok. With the Xuron

you must remember to cut with the flat side of the blades towards the finished end otherwise you will have to finish off with a needle file - and there is more tiny grains of waste metal again. Where curves are concerned I have made up a tool using a 4 inch

G-clamp, a pencil pressed into an interference fit hole in s piece of batten. The G-clamp is used to clamp the first piece of batten to another piece of batten with pencil graduations so that you can accurately set the radius. Radius centres are plotted and

wooden members temporarily screwed in to correctly position a pivot point using a three inch screw as a centre. Over this screw you fit the clearance hole in the inner end of the second piece of batten. The cork underlay is 1.25 inches wide and the radii are

marked on that as well as the plywood baseboard. Then you cut out the curved strips of underlay with a good sharp modelling knife. The curved strips of underlay are then laid and glued (white PVA) in between the pencilled lines on the baseboard and the glue

allowed to dry. Then the track is laid on the cork and pinned down. Ballasting can then be done later. It is better to get everything running OK before ballasting.

As an aside, can anybody tell me what has happened to Hornby track pins? These used to

be three-eighths long gimp pins with a flat circular head. Their shank diameter was 0.7 mm
and a drill this size in a pinchuck produced a nice "press-in" interference fit. Now I have bought some more track pins and these are positively huge with a domed

head. The drill size is now 1mm precisely and it requires care not to damage to the sleepers.

As an upholsterer friend says he can no longer get gimp pins I suspect that the Chinese manufacturers are being difficult.

Posted 10:20:27 Sat 7 Apr 2012

walkingthedog

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Posted at 13:20:56 Sat 7 Apr 2012

Hi ferret, You're absolutely correct about the new track pins, they're hopeless. The old ones could be pushed in with the end of some pliers. The domed head on the new pins causes the pliers to slip off and they are not as sharp as the old ones, meaning

you have to use a hammer, which causes everything on the layout that isn't stuck down to fall over.
Maybe somebody else makes decent ones, Hornby and Peco certainly don't.

Posted 13:20:56 Sat 7 Apr 2012

walkingthedog

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Posted at 13:23:45 Sat 7 Apr 2012

Actually ferret maybe they do, have a look at these

http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/2151_1_1038105.html

Posted 13:23:45 Sat 7 Apr 2012

walkingthedog

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Posted at 13:29:51 Sat 7 Apr 2012

I've ordered some I'll let you know.

Posted 13:29:51 Sat 7 Apr 2012

2e0dtoeric

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Posted at 15:08:35 Sat 7 Apr 2012

81F wrote - pull the inner rail of the second piece out and thread the first inner rail into the sleepers of the second bit. This staggers the join - (with typo's corrected!) Brilliant solution - why didn't I think of this! I have been trying to eliminate

the 'square corners' where sections of flexy join. It is simple when you know how!

Posted 15:08:35 Sat 7 Apr 2012

Graskie

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Posted at 15:50:57 Sat 7 Apr 2012

Thanks from me as well, 81F. I took up a square curve about a year ago and have still not got round to replacing it because I didn't feel quite confident enough that I could prevent the same occasional derailment I used to have on that stretch. The trouble

is, of course, that a lot of curves are more than a yard (or meter) long, thus involving joins somewhere along them. Logically, your method proves that, for instance, 2+3 = 3+2. Yet another good example of taking your time over a problem! I might proceed now,

regaining my 4th main running track.

Posted 15:50:57 Sat 7 Apr 2012

walkingthedog

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Posted at 15:59:07 Mon 30 Apr 2012

walkingthedog said:

Actually ferret maybe they do, have a look at these

http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/2151_1_1038105.html

Hello ferret, a few weeks ago I said I was going to get the track pins in the above link.

Well I did and they're the same as the old Hornby ones so all is not lost.

Posted 15:59:07 Mon 30 Apr 2012

Fishmanoz

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Posted at 23:52:08 Mon 30 Apr 2012

Thanks Guys - I didn't get around to thanking you all for your advice previously but WTD's post today on success with track pins has reminded me.

And thanks for all the fish …

Posted 23:52:08 Mon 30 Apr 2012

Laying Flexible Track - Tips for the Unwary

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