handlaying track & turnouts

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hi all

just getting back into things after about a twenty year absence and decided to try my hand at laying my own track and turnouts. unable to find anything that looks like it will prove usefull in the usual places, does anyone have any suggestions on books or video or perhaps a downloadable article on the internet somewhere? thanks

2

There are 3 primary methods to hand lay track - with lots of individual variations within each category:

  • rail spiked to wood ties. Probably the most common method until recently. Size of available spikes previously limited use of this method in N (you didn’t say what scale) and with code 40 and 55 rail. Micro-Engineering makes micro spikes, which while oversize, work for small rail sizes. Proto87 Stores has very close to scale size spikes for HO, which also work for N. Some folks prefer bigger spikes for easier handling.
  • rail soldered to PC board ties. Very durable. Most folks use PC board ties every 4th or 5th tie, and wood in between. Difficulty in making ties look alike has been the problem area - there are now known ways to do this. The Fast Tracks and Fugate methods use PC board ties in their turnouts.
  • rail glued to wood or plastic ties or tie strips. Pliobond and Barge’s Cement are the adhesives of choice. This is probably the fastest construction method.

What methods and materials to use depend a lot on your preferences and priorities. If you value realistic appearance very heavily, then era modeled matters. Post 1910-1920, tie plates became pretty much universal. Central Valley tie strips model this very well, leading to mainly glued construction. Wood ties without tie plates model earlier eras - here spiked construction with very small spikes is appropriate.

Many value a particular method and reliability over ultimate realism. Spiked construction with PC board ties used in turnouts works just fine for them, producing a good enough appearance, with reliability unmatched by commercial turnouts.

Since I model 1900, spiked construction is my personal preference. My guide to track laying is a Jack Work article in April 1963 Model Railroader (article copies available from Kalmbach or the NMRA Library). Stephen Hatch of Railway Engineering

3

Fred has provided you with an excellent and comprehensive answer. I would like to encourage you to visit Fast Tracks’ site, the one handlaidtrack.com, and take a bit over an hour to watch Tim make a turnout from scratch. It costs nothing but time and bandwidth, but the video is well worth the time.

-Crandell

4

[#welcome] Back!!!

Fred did a most excellent job in responding. I would just add the Central Valley web site plus Alan Gartners wiring for DCC if you are going that route.

I am doing the Central Valley tie strips and ME code 83, 70 and 55 rail for my home layout. I also like the CV switch kits with the cast white brass point rails. They need no notching of the stock rails and after the detailing is very realistic looking. I make my frogs in home made jigs at the work bench and do some modifications to the turnouts to make them reliable and great looking too.

http://www.cvmw.com/

http://www.wiringfordcc.com/intro2dcc.htm

This next link is for Joe Fugates on his central valley turnout building tips and tricks.

http://siskiyou-railfan.net/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?5125

Pete

5

Since I am just finishing up scanning about 55 years of clippings and article copies into a computer file-5 weeks work, over 12000 pages- I actually can reccommend some articles from Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman I’ve collected over the years. This is probably only a partial listing of what’s been published, since circumstances forced me to pitch almost half my origial collction. If you have access to back issues, possibly the NMRA archives, here’s what I have liste:

ABCs or Handlaying Track Model Railroader, but no date, probably sometime 1955 to 1958, still valid.

Building a Turnout from scratch Dec 89 MR

Building Scale Turnouts Oct 55 MR

Building Turnouts At The Bench June 83 MR.

Building Turnouts July 96 RMC.

Curved Switches and Crossings Nov 60 MR

Easy Turnout Construction Nov 81 RMC

First Class Trackwork Jan 86 RMC

Handlaying High Speed Switches Sep 81 MR

How To Handlay Track Aug 85 MR

Improved Tie Spacing Jigs Jan 86 RMC

Lap Turnouts March 57 MR

Maintenance Free Turnouts MAy 62 MR

On Track and Ballast 73 RMC

Templates for Custom Track March 85 RMC

Ultra Reliable Handlaid Turnouts March 77 MR.

Like I say, this is only part of what has been published over the years. I’m pretty sure that I actually threw out a number of copies as well. This project led to me filling something like 9 recycling bags, and before I got the scanner, I probably threw out at least 10. Of course, about half the articles were from model airplane and boat magazines, with a smattering of woodworking and electronic articles.