I certainly have learned the importance of taking your time and being very careful while laying track and switches.
I have had my bench work completed some time ago, After that came the layout design which went through a number of variations before I was satisfied with the overall layout plan.
I have since completed laying my track, switches and risers. I then tested a number of my locomotives on the layout and found problems. It sure seems strange that one locomotive will run fine and the next would derail. I am running mainly steam so it was no surprise that while my 0-8-0 would run fine my 4-6-0 would be derailing or jumping at various switch locations. It took a while to isolate and fix the problems with my trackage and switches but at long last I ended up with all of my locomotives running on the layout without any problems.
Or at least I thought so. I just recently obtained a BLI 4-8-2 M1B locomotive and when I went to test the locomotive on my layout I found a few more problem areas. I am happy to say that those now have been fixed and I am now running all of my locomotives including my latest without problems.
I think during this exercise that I found that switches and their adjacent trackage especially need to be completely level or there will be problems.
It’s easy to get into a “that’s good enough” mindset when laying track - such thinking will just lead to frustration later. Keep in mind that a 1/32 bump, dip, or gap on your HO scale trackwork is equivalent to a 3" bump, dip, or gap in 1:1. A prototype wouldn’t allow an error half that size, so we have to make sure our track is dead-on to within much less than 1/32".
One trick that helps me is to lay cork roadbed and then block sand it with 60 grit sandpaper glued to a block of wood (not just wrapped around the block). Somehow, starting with the roadbed really smooth makes my track better.
And, you never get away from having to tune a turnout, somewhere on your layout, every time you get a new steamer. Not that a little thing like that should discourage you from getting a new steamer.
If your trackwork isn’t as close to perfect as you can make it, you WILL wish it was!
Any locomotive with a long rigid wheelbase will unerringly detect any deviation from perfection. That isn’t exclusively a steam phenomenon. I have a couple of 2-Co+Co-2 catenary motors that have wheelbases as long as a Big Boy. They WILL find any deviation from perfection and identify it in unmistakeable terms.
90% of smooth derailment free operation is in the track work.
However,our equipment is more forgiving then most think and one can bet high speeds plays more of a roll then less then perfect track work when it comes to derailments.
My rule of thumb is if it ain’t broke don’t fix it…
Lots of good information here - and you folks fixin to lay track best take it to heart!
Tracklaying is one of the few parts of building a layout that need to be as perfect as possible. Kinks (vertical and horizontal) and abnormal direction changes (i.e. sudden S curves), and bad alignment of track sections will haunt you until they are fixed. As I suspect we all have found, its much easier to get it right the first time than to “fix it later”.
The urge to get that track down is tremendous, but making yourself take the time to do it right will pay off for the life of the layout.
Can’t agree more on good trackwork. I use a surform tool to smooth the cork roadbed, lay a little track, sight along it for kinks, and run an engine and a couple of cars over it. If it isn’t right I redo it before going on to the next section. I tend to be a little fussy here and have relaid a curve twice to get it right. But it pays off in derailment free operation.