I started to lay track for my downtown passenger station, and it is quite a challenge to lay long runs of 10-track complexes down the center of a plywood surface.
I have another thread running on how best to nail down flex track and keep it straight. But, now, I have run into another problem. I am using a series of straight edges and metal track alignment gauges, and that is working, but the problem is how to secure the straight edges so that they don’t move during the nailing process.
So, my question is, how do you secure the straight edges when their location makes it impossible to use clamps?
What I do when I use a straightedge is nail the track just in from the far ends of the straightedge, then work my way along the length of the straightedge, holding the straightedge against the outside of one of the rails while at the same time holding the unsecured part I’m about to nail against the straightedge. Works like a charm!
Try Tape. Duct tape the ruler, yardstick or other straight edge to the surface, place the track against the straight edge and then tape the track ends and middle across the rails and straight edge.
I don’t use nails. I use a very thin bead of acrylic latex caulk. Press the track down into the caulk, then along the straight edge and hold in place with push pins. I use cork roadbed, and the pins hold the track fine until the caulk dries.
Rich, I think this explains a lot of your problems with getting track straight.
Plywood is very hard to drive small nails into, and keep them perfectly straight. Even a slight angle in the nail will push your track one way or the other. This is why so many modelers for years have used homasote.
Same may be true for your cork mainlines, nails go easily into cork but when they hit the plywood below they may change direction and push the track off to the sides one direction or the other.
Forgetting all my opinions in favor of caulk, I would not be trying to nail track directly to plywood with track nails - long spikes pushed in - maybe?
The old TruScale wood roadbed was basswood and/or soft pine, it took track nails or spikes nicely, but with plywood, no matter the type of wood, as soon as you penetrate the top veneer, you are fighting the glue, which are hard resin materials.
Caulk or Homasote, or both, and I suspect you will have much better luck.
Rich. OT slightly. Are you using or reusing Atlas flex track? I’d think the springy nature of it would make it difficult to lay a laser straight section if it has already been bent before, without affixing part of it to the plywood and rebending it where needed.
I think Peco is less springy and tends to mold in place, so it would seem easier to restraighten it by laying it on its side and pressing down against the plywood first.
Just wondering what brand of flex track you will be using to try and get laser straight sections.
I don’t generally reuse flex track, but I have never had any problem laying Atlas flex track “lazer straight”. In fact I hate working with Walthers, PECO or ME where it stays bent once bent.
Again it is about good layout work in advance and proper tools.
I started to lay track for my downtown passenger station, and it is quite a challenge to lay long runs of 10-track complexes down the center of a plywood surface.
I have another thread running on how best to nail down flex track and keep it straight. But, now, I have run into another problem. I am using a series of straight edges and metal track alignment gauges, and that is working, but the problem is how to secure the straight edges so that they don’t move during the nailing process.
So, my question is, how do you secure the straight edges when their location makes it impossible to use clamps?
Rich
Rich. OT slightly. Are you using or reusing Atlas flex track? I’d think the springy nature of it would make it difficult to lay a laser straight section if it has already been bent before, without affixing part of it to the plywood and rebending it where needed.
I think Peco is less springy and tends to mold in place, so it would seem easier to restraighten it by laying it on its side and pressing down against the plywood first.
Just wondering what brand of flex track you will be using to try and get laser straight sections.
I don’t generally reuse flex track, but I have never had any problem laying Atlas flex track “lazer straight”. In fact I hate working with Walthers, PECO
I started to lay track for my downtown passenger station, and it is quite a challenge to lay long runs of 10-track complexes down the center of a plywood surface.
I have another thread running on how best to nail down flex track and keep it straight. But, now, I have run into another problem. I am using a series of straight edges and metal track alignment gauges, and that is working, but the problem is how to secure the straight edges so that they don’t move during the nailing process.
So, my question is, how do you secure the straight edges when their location makes it impossible to use clamps?
Rich
Rich. OT slightly. Are you using or reusing Atlas flex track? I’d think the springy nature of it would make it difficult to lay a laser straight section if it has already been bent before, without affixing part of it to the plywood and rebending it where needed.
I think Peco is less springy and tends to mold in place, so it would seem easier to restraighten it by laying it on its side and pressing down against the plywood first.
Just wondering what brand of flex track you will be using to try and get laser straight sections.
If you’re still interested in holding the straightedge to the plywood, try a bit of Ailene’s Tacky Glue. It will hold firmly, but when you’re ready to take it up it will give way with a little force.
I use straight edges various ways like most of us do, however, I often lay down a chalk line as it will show me if anything is off course. I have also caulked down long stretches off track by just caulking them from the get-go, lining the rail up over the chalk line and it has come out perfectly straight.
I agree with Brent: if you need a straight line to which you can work, snap a chalk line.
I didn’t use a straightedge or chalk line for my straight track, but simply marked the end points of the straightaways, then spiked (track nails pushed in with the head of a pair of pliers) while sighting by-eye. That was on both cork and directly into plywood, in the latter case, perhaps one nail in ten required pre-drilling.
If the track, once done, has a few little wiggles in it when sighted in that manner, it’s very easy to simply push the head of the nail sideways in the direction needed to straighten-out the problem.
I know the feeling. Fifty years ago, I tried building a single garage size layout with hand laid ties and track direct on plywood. Talk about clueless. I had to drill every nail hole with a dremel tool. Never finished it. My new layout is on Homasote and I love the performance of the product. Awesome for nails.
