I just laid my first ever piece (well, maybe second) of flextrack that actually had to flex. It was for a passing siding where the through track off a turnout needed to then curve to meet the diverging track with a 2 inch spacing. I used Xtrkcad to plan the curve, and got a radius of 32 inches, but when I went to lay the track, there was a necessary extension of the straight track comming off the turnout that used up part of the length of track that was supposed to curve, so I think I ended up with more like an 18 inch radius. How do you guys usually make a transition from a straight track to a curved flex track?
Here is what I do…not elegant, and I’m sure there is a better way, but this is foolproof. First I place the turnout where I know it will stay/must be. Then, I join it to the piece of flex to be curved. Before doing anything else, I drill a small hole in the ties in both items closest to the join that are still holding the rails with their spike heads. I firmly press a track nail to keep the joint in place, and I have found adding another nail two ties away helps somewhat. Then, I begin to flex the track, keeping in mind that the slip rail is to be on the inside of the curve. I cut and join it to the next connection, and then I press the curve to the point where it is of the radius that I want.
If it is still too tight, especially with an important easement, you will have to do some rethinking of that part of the trackplan, perhaps of the entire thing!
If I am reading you correctly the tighter radii curve is due to the length of straight rail on the end of your turnout? Two thoughts : (1) With a cut-off blade in a dremel or rail nippers shorten the straight track on the end your turnout. (2) Carefully solder your flex track and turnout joint before tacking it down. If you need to insulate two electrical sections use the dremel cut off blade or a razor saw.
NOTE! Don’t take away from the straight through the common crossing… unless you want to encourage derailments…
The common crossing on a good switch is straight rail on both sides of the V as in the prototype. You want the wheel sets and at least 4 wheel trucks to pass clear through the V before staring to diverge from the stright line. This applies the other way round… you want at least a 4 wheel truck to be headed one way before it crosses the crossing.
If you spike efficiently you will not need to solder. Why solder and then cut?
Is that how you create a correct easement? I was wondering how many inches of straight track must continue past either side of the V of a turn-out to create a proper easement…
Nightshade,
I’m not sure if your question was to me or not. The reason I lost some of my curve comming out of the turnout was because joining the flextrack to the rigid turnout rails with track joiners just made that part of the flex track less “flexy” and because there was a shorter length of flex track to apply force to to make it flex. (What a terrible explanation - sorry.) At any rate, I got the effect I needed without soldering to the turnouts. Next time, I may well start with a bit of rigid curved sectional track.
Jim
Actually, it was to anyone. I am wondering how you lay out an easement from a turnout with flex track…Do you just make your curve at a gentler radius than the one you are going for? And how do you produce that broader curve…eyeball it?
I didn’t try to introduce any easments into my curves - there were really only 1 or 2 and they were not very sharp. I think, though, that there may be some suggestions in “Track Planning for Realistic Operation”. Also, xtrkcad includes an easement function. I would be tempted to lay out the radii per the book or print the related track pieces 1:1 as drawn by xtrkcad and then lay the track over the printout.