Once again I’d like to thank the wonderful people of this forum, who helped me settle on a track plan that worked for my space and vision. As I prepare for the next stage of this model railroading journey, I’m back to ask some advice for what I believe is the next step- translating my layout on the screen to a layout on the table.
So my question is simple: once you know what you want your layout to look like, how do you go putting that down on the table? Do you trace it out? Just use your plans as guidelines?
For flextrack: I use a trammel to draw the critical curves first. Then I loosely put pieces of track and turnouts on the layout according to plan. I re-arrange these as needed to get the effect I want. Then I draw the center lines to know where to put the roadbed.
For sectional track with roadbed, I just put the pieces loosely on the table top and re-arrange until I like the result, then I connect them.
After drawing things out on the layout surface, I did what Paul suggested – I laid out track to see what it actually looked like. It’s one thing to see it in a drawing, it’s another to see the actual track laid out.
I made quite a few changes with a marker before I settled on the “final” layout. (Which still had changes made to it as it went along.)
One suggestion – don’t be afraid to dive in and start. I drove myself crazy trying to pre-think everything. It helped to actually start and do something. And don’t worry – if you make a mistake, it can always be corrected, even after you’ve laid some track.
After I designed my layout on ANYRAIL I printed out the track plan full size and thus laid the sheets on the foam and followed up attaching the track on the sheets. There is always a little bit of wiggle room for track that is slightly off.
Similar to PENNCRAMT I print it full scale; however, I don’t print the entire layout. I use SCARM and when you print full scale, it shows the layout divided into pages and you can select which pages to print or not print, so I print critcal parts - close to edges and corners of benchwork and oher places where spacing is somewhat critical - and fit the rest in between.
Depends on the brand. Some is stiff and some is “springy.” The track I’m familiar with in N-scale is MicroEngineering (stiff) and Atlas (springy). Yes, with springy track, many people pin it when gluing it until it dries.
Personally, I print it on 8.5 x 11. That’s why I only print critical areas and not all of it.
Some flex track will hold it’s shape - I’ve never used that kind. You have to bend it before laying it.
I use the flexible kind that you bend to fit as you lay it. I use Track Nails in the center of the tie. As I lay it, I drill a hole through the tie and roadbed into the plywood tabletop and push a track nail into the hole. I drill the hole so it’s a snug fit, but able to push the nail in without hammering. I like it because I feel it gives me smoother curves and is easier to include an easement. Even if not planned for it tends to give a little bit of easement.
I usually do the 2 ties at each end of flex track, and then if it’s straight about every 8 or 10 ties. If curved I do the 2 ties closest to the beginning of the curve and then about every 6 ties or so through the curve.
For curves it can vary a little with how sharp the curve is - more for sharper curves.
Turnouts are usually just 1 or 2, sometime none. Depends on what the connecting tracks are doing.
None of this is hard and fast rules, I’m just trying to keep the track from shifting and allow for some expansion/contraction.
I always sight along the track every piece or 2 to make sure everything looks good and then run a train over it. If it doesn’t look right or the train derails, I re do it.
Paul does not need any endorsement from me, but it appears that we attended a similar tracklaying school.
The only thing I do slightly different is that my minimalist approach to easements is slightly more mathematical (??), and because I try to use superelevation on mainline curves, in particular, I’ll nail the ties on the outside of the rails.
While I do use a small hammer and nail punch, this is very important advice because I’ve seen ham fisted tracklayers hammer the nail so hard that they’ve bent the tie, therefore putting the rails, under gauge.
The only flex track I’ve laid is Code 100 manufactured by Peco, Atlas, and GT Italy, which I believe was sold in the US under the Model Power brand.
Cheers, the Bear.
Appreciate the feedback. Just to confirm when you say nailing the tie on the outside of the rails, for curves you’re referring to the outer (or larger) radius of the two rails.
I do something very similar except that I no longer put a nail in the center of the tie. Instead, I put the nail on the tie outside the rail. I started doing that on my current layout after I took a video on my old layout. I had the camera mounted on a flat car, and as the train moved down the track, it looked like a series of bowling bowls in the center of the ties.
From the above, you will have guessed I’m not a fan of the use of caulk, but then there are modellers who swear by the stuff, and have the trackwork to prove its worth.
Cheers, the Bear.
What I do is use the free ware Atlas tool to draw out the track plan. I then move the layout to the foam board. I do it by putting points on the foam every foot and connect the lines to create a grid. With a different color sharpie, I start to draw out the track centerlines on the foam.
