CSXFan : WOW WHAT AN AWESOME PIC ON YOUR SIGNATURE
AND TO EVERYONE THANK YOU, i am sure my track will be superbly placed and cut with all of the advice given from you all. Thank you very very much…[bow]
I use my Dermal with a cut off disc. Keep the rpm’s up and wear safety glasses… I use both glue and nails to hold it down depending on what’s under it. I perfer nailing, but it’s it’s just form under it glue is the only way to do it.
Here we go… Another model railroad genius… Again, the cut off wheel is a good tool to cut rails with if you don’t want to put out the bucks for a xuron cutter. The cut off wheel disks won’t shatter if you use the re-enforced type wheels unless you do something stupid like smack it or drop it against something hard or binding it on something that is too large to cut.
And again, nailed down track will move from side to side if it goes unballasted for too long. I know, I have to run a straight edge along the track in my unballasted yard trackage once in awhile to get it straight again. Room temperature and humidity changes can move the track thru expansion and contraction of the metal rails and the wooden subroadbed. I’ve been laying flex track for over 30 years now and unballasted track can and will move from the location you first layed it if the conditions are right. I’ve even seen the track nails move away from the tie thru expansion and co
G’day, Y’all,
Railroad track crews would not even think about working their jobs without safety glasses. Neither should you, the model railroader. I wear them at work so I can bring the scratched ones home to use for home projects including railroad work. After a while you won’t even think about doing something that can injure your eyes without putting on the safety glasses first.
For cutting rail, my vote also goes to the Xuron Rail Cutter. It’s fast. My cutter is now well over 20 years old and still functions superbly. But as previously stated, “ONLY use it for its’ intended purpose” (cutting rail). And the best results are achieved by cutting top to bottom - not side to side. You will find that you rarely have to reach for a file when you use it this way.
As for securing the track, I use 2-3 different lengths of rail spikes (depending on the material I am spiking into) and a pair of 6" needle nose pliers (that I have also dedicated to this task). “Gluing” has become a very popular method of securing track, but I would strongly recommend using a latex caulk, as most have suggested - just in case you change your mind. Using glue is very final. Have fun.
Cheers, Marty on Vancouver Island
This is true. The nails are pivotal…literally…since they occupy a position central in the tie, and only spaced every so often. For truly immobile track, ballasting is the best bet.
Atlas flextrack has holes in the middle of the ties, Walthers has holes next to the rails, one on each side for a total of four holes in each tie (I believe about every 8th or 10th tie). For Atlas you would use their track nails, but for Walthers you’ll need their miniature spikes.
The Xeron cutters for rail work along with dremel.
For track, a little different. Since 1970 I have used the same method for both flex track and for handlaid on wood ties. I do not like track nails in the ties, in fact, I really don’t like them.
I use homabed, commercial product, have been since 1970 when it was sold out of Herkimer NY. The track is placed, the ties are driven into the homabed at the edge of the tie on both sides of the rail. Tests are run, then the ballast. After ballast dries, if any spikes show, they are removed otherwise left for posterity. It is easy to slide a table knife under the ties to remove a section for replacement if ever needed. The oldest track on my current layout is 1982. Still in place where I haven’t made changes.
Bob
i changed over to n scale last year and just finished laying 400 ft of flex track on cork roadbed. what worked for me was Xuron rail cutters, and a small, fine file. hold the track in place with push pins so you can eyeball it. use track nails installed with kneedle nose pliers, not to tight. if there isnt a hole in the tie where you need one, use a pin vice and a small bit to make one where you need it. then run trains until you are very sure that every curve, turn out and rail joint is perfect. then run trains with different locos and cars just to check it again. paint the rail on all of the sides you will be able to see, stay away from switch points. spread your ballast(less is better), spray with wet water(dish soap), stay away from switch points, and glue it down with Scenic Cement. wait a few days until completely dry and gently vacuum up the loose ballast. repair any missed spots in the ballast and gently pull out the track nails. that way they can not work loose and stop your best loco dead in its tracks!!!.fill the nail holes and your done. there is not much of a problem with humidity in Calgary so this worked well for me.