First of all, I do know Kato makes them but with built in road bed. I all so know about flex track and the ribbon rail guides.
Area I want to work in is very hard to get to. I will have to lay flat on my stomach and it makes it hard to lay a good smooth turn. Section I want to redo is OK for most of my Steam Engines and all of my Diesel’s. Even my Y6b and Big Boy is fine with the turn, but my M1A, Heavy Mike and Hudson do not like it.
Said turn is all so in a depth that I cannot see well at 5 feet aginst a wall. I can see fine up close, and say 7 feet on. But the 5 foot mark, not so well. So really cannot tell where the problem first starts.
I am running Atlas Code 100 in HO scale.
Thanks for the coming answers, Cuda Ken
Hi, Ken
Would it be possible for you to “pre-lay” your Atlas flex track curve on, say, a piece of 5mm luan plywood or 1/4" good quality plywood then place the whole curve where it needs to be and anchor it down using pre-drilled holes? Then you could fit your tangent track up to it or extend the two legs of the curve out to where they would be more accessable?
Just an idea… Ed
Another thought comes to mind… tack down your flex track using push-pins onto a work table. You could even have heavy kraft paper under the ties and if the glue gets on that it would help keep the curve in place. Then carefully apply ACC Super glue to the loose rail, maybe even the gel stuff. Trim the ends to match your tangent track, trim away the excess kraft paper at the ends of the ties, then carefully put that into place and carefully spike it down, maybe use tiny round-head screws so you don’t jar it loose. Sounds like you won’t have much room to swing a hammer and nail-set where you’ll be working…
Basically, you’re making your own “Snap-Track” using the flex track as a start. Solder two lengths together (keeping the loose rail on the inside) before you curve it if you need it longer to complete the curve.
Ed
Hi Ken, it’s been a long time
Maybe this will work, check photos in 2015 Walthers, page 230
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/669-151
Hey guys, thanks! Last time I looked years ago 22" was the biggest being made.
Ken
Looks like MB Kleins sells Atlas Code 100 sectional curve 24 inch radius:
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/837-Code-100-24-Curve-p/atl-837.htm
I was just on there site and saw the Atlas my self. Going to see if my HLS has any in stock.
Ken
Looks like track is solved.
As for seeing things a little too far away, if you can get a digital camera back there, it’s possible to position it so the LCD display screen can give you a decent image through the camera lens and improve it enough for you to see. No need to takes pics, although you could, just use it like a “digital telescope.” This has helped me several times.
If your LHS doesn’t have any, Kleins has about as reasonable shipping as you can get if you pick the USPS option, depending on how far away you are. I’m in Virginia - which granted is only one state away and usually they only charge me 5 and change to ship. Almost everyone else charges me nearly 10 dollars or more, so it’s refreshing.
Rio Grand. if my LHS does not have it stock, he can get them for me. I am not in any hurry.
Mike, my camera, well it is a whole 3.2 Mega A Pixles. [(-D] But I will give it a try.
How many sections will 6 pices make? Is that a 90 dergee turn or a 180? Like to have some extra for a few other areas on the layout.
Ken, and thanks again.
Ken,
Atlas sectional track.
Amount of sections to make a complete circle…You should be able to figure out how many are needed for half and so forth:
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
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Radius Curve
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No. of Pieces
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HO Code 100 & 83
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15" Radius Section
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12
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18" Radius Section
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12
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22" Radius Section
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16
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24" Radius Section
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16
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It’s the zoom that’s important here, if anything, not so much the megapixels. Sounds like my old Canon Powershot A70, which was my first digital and did fine despite its limitations. Ideally, you have enough zoom to have the cemera close to you, but sometimes even a camera halfway in between is enough to see to do the job more easily.