Help me choose a handlaying track method (HO)

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I’m debating between soldering to PC ties, and Spiking.

Here’s what I’m thinking:

Spiking:

Pro’s: - No smelly fumes.

  • Easy to adjust later

Con’s: - Needs specific material for roadbed (homasote, pine)

  • Doesn’t look super realistic in close-up shots

Soldering:

Pro’s: - Doesn’t require any specific roadbed material - could go
right onto foam, cork, plywood

Con’s: - Stinky fumes with all the soldering

  • Busted solder joints could be a hassle
  • Have to disguize PC ties to look like stained wood.

Now, a couple questions for those with experience:

Question #1)

I’ve seen some article on handlaying recommend pre-weathered rail. Then you have to wire-brush off the area you’re soldering. Seems semi-practical for spiking, impractical for soldering to PC ties.

Has anyone used rail-weathering solution on their rails after laying non-weathered rail.

Question #2)

For those who have handlaid, do you ballast before or after the rail is laid? If you ballast before, you would end up with some great looking ballast, where there is no ballast whatsoever on top of the ties. However, you would then be ballasting before applying scenery, which could be a problem. I guess this problem could be reduced by using tall enough roadbed that you could go back and add the shoulders later.

How do you do it?

Thanks for any tips/insight you may have.

Nothing inspries me like seeing quality handlaid track. I’ve tried spking some myself, including a turnout. By golly, it worked.

I’ll likely use manually thrown turnouts, where I rig up a cheap slide switch to keep all areas of the turnout powered at all times. I’ll likely be going DCC.

Don’t wor

2

I just never figger using cork or foam as to be its not as solid.

I think central valley sold plastic tie strips, just spike at your desired intervals. Better detailed, and the rail fits in minimal slots.

PC ties, you wont be doing all pc ties, you will have a mix of wooden and pc ties like spiking at specific intervals, so the pc ties do the same.

I tend to look at the circumstances and fit the needs as it goes.

But my personal choice now is to use high quality flex track with the best possible detail
and leave special trackwork for handlaying.

I always leave ballast/scenery for last, make sure the track works first and all operating. When happy there, in goes scenery.
I may place buildings, dabble a little scenery, but wait till everything is good.

3

CARRfan

I favor spiking over soldering; have never tried gluing. You can handlay just as detailed as you want, thanks to near scale spikes and tie plates at Proto87 (http://www.proto87stores.com/p87stores/index.htm). With their supplies, you could successfully spike code 55 for HO.

In my case, I used Code 70 rail and natural redwood ties from Timberline - am searching for a new source for ties, as I have nearly run out. Matching the natural wood color on the PC board ties I used was difficult. And not being as talented as some with my hands, keeping the solder joints clean in the 1st place - no blobs anywhere - is not as easy for me as it is for some.

I also ballast as I lay the ties (use the same diluted white glue layer for both). The next time, I am leaning towards ballasting, still spreading before spking rail, using the matte medium as the adhesive to soften the noise.

So my steps in chronological order are:

  1. lay centerlines on Homasote; cut Homasote as desired/necessary

  2. glue Homasote to subroadbed (plywood in past, will be trying foam the next time) Again, I am looking for a softer adhesive to reduce sound transmission. And the 1st night of work, and he saw that it was good.

  3. lay out track centerlines on the Homasote.

  4. spread glue on Homasote

  5. place ties using “piano key” jigs. Usually several ties get out of line during the transfer from jig to Homasote. I just eyeball these in.

  6. spread ballast

  7. paint rail a rust color. I used Testor’s model paint, brushed on, so I can’t comment on weathering solutions.
    And it was the second evening, and he saw that it was good.

  8. sand ties. Because of early ballasting, ballast will tear sandpaper. I just accept that.

  9. vacuum sanding dust and loose ballast

  10. here is where ties would be re-stained

  11. pre-bend the rail for any curves, cut off non-curved ends where there will be a joint on the curve
    12

4

I like the girder rail idea on that site, but modeling the north shore, theres exposed girder rail, that wont be useful unless I figger on welding or soldering the pieces on rail somehow…

nice site tho with lots of cool stuff.

5

I posted my handlaying technique in response to a similar question that was asked a week or two ago. Here’s the link:
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=-1&TOPIC_ID=41705&REPLY_ID=437768#437768

I just knocked out two more this weekend, and the soldering seems to go pretty smoothly. I don’t expect that I will have any problems with the tracks going out of gauge.

Tom

6

My method of handlaying track is to use flex track. lol.

Seriously, I’ve tried, but have never been successful in doing this. I take my hat off to you guys that handlay track! I’m sure you’ve found that the ability to custom build turnouts for specific applications makes layout planning much easier and more realistic. Congrats guys!