Track laying and wiring questions

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I have two questions:

My main line and sidings are glued down using the thin layer of caulk method. Should I glue down my yard tracks too or just pin them? (Layout base is 1" pink extruded foam)

Is 24 ga solid copper wire heavy enough to operate Atlas switch machines?

Thanks!

2

Yes to the second question, and probably to the first.

What kind of roadbed are you using? I wouldn’t trust just pins stuck into foam. They will likely vibrate loose pretty easily.

Karl

3

Yes, I would recommend gluing track to the roadbed using the caulk just as you did to glue the roadbed.

For my second layout, I switched from foam back to good ol’ plywood so that i could glue the roadbed, but use Atlas track nails to lay the track. The nails have nothing to grab when used into foam. I like the nails for attaching track because it enables tweaking and adjusting more easily than glue if needed.

4

I use solid 4-conductor telephone wire for my Atlas switches and they work fine. The Atlas motors peak at 2.7 - 3.1A. For power you can build a CD unit or do as I do and use an old Lionel transformer. Set the voltage at 18v with one of the throttles. The Atlas controllers will stick if not lubed with WD 40.

Jim

5

The main line is on cork roadbed. I have transitioned from roadbed height to the yard height with thinner cork and cardstock shims.

Thanks for the input.

6

I caulk down the track whether on foam, cork or plywood. Note that I don’t personally like track-directly-on-foam as that tends to create very loud running… But I’ve only done that on a (mercifully) short section of mainline; maybe in a yard with nothing moving real fast it wouldn’t be an issue.

I’ve been debating how to handle this very issue in my soon-to-come passenger terminal and engine servicing facility - neither on “roadbed” and my layout being foam-base… Have been considering trying to find some thin ‘sheet’ cork to put down over the whole area…

7

I found a 2’ x 4’ roll of sheet cork 3/16" thick (IIRC) at AC Moore for ten bucks. Michael’s or Hobby Lobby would probably carry it as well.

When the time comes to permanently lay the yard tracks they’re gonna be caulked down. Thanks for all the input.

8

Or use the N scale sheets of WS roadbed. That’s what my yard sits on. Makes it sit lower than the main line which is on the usual HO size stuff, but not directly on the foam board.

–Randy