I have my cork mainline roadbed laid and I’ve learned not to butt joint rail on curves if it can be avoided. I learnt that rat cheer. So now I’m ready to lay some track using silicon to glue it down. I plan to start at a turnout and go in both directions. So how is the best way to proceed? Do I attach that first 3 foot section of flex to the turnout, work it around the curve and solder the next section, see if every thing fits then remove those sections, apply the adhesive, then relay the two?
What is the sequence here?
Thanks for any advice!
Jarrell
Sounds about right. I’ll cut the first piece of flex to length, add the switch, test fit the diverging route pieces of flex, and then caulk everything in place. Oh, I don’t use any adhesive under the switch itself.
[banghead][banghead][banghead]
Jarrell,
You speaks english very goodly! Much betterer then I’s does!
Just bustin’ your chops![;)]
Are we sleepy?[:D]
It sounds to me like you’re on the right path. Just keep the caulk spread thin. You don’t want it coming up between the ties because it makes ballesting a nightmare.
You know the old adage, measure twice, cut once? Well this applies here and there is no harm in test fitting to your hearts content before cutting, then removing the track and then starting the final placement with caulk. What you are doing now, will have more of an impact on your enjoyment, or lack of enjoyment, of your MRR than any other part of the construction.
Tips that I learned the hard way.
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Make sure that the top of the cork is smooth. Any bumps and lumps where cork meets at turnouts and butt joints can and will be a problem.
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Make certain upon final installation that you have smooth transitions for the flextrack with no kinks, especially on the diverging route of the turnout. Get down low and eyball along the rails to spot these trouble spots.
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Make sure that the flextrack can not shift and unflex while drying to avoid things like in 2 above. This is where carefull pinning and weighting is very important.
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Don’t use too much caulk. You don’t want it oozing up between the ties. The thinnest layer works well.
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Keep the caulk away from the switch mechanism and throwbar. Some like to keep the caulk away from the switches all together.
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If you have the slightest feeling that what you are doing is not right, it probably isn’t!
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After all is installed and set up. Test the hell out of it with different rolling stock (long, short, passenger etc) and various locos to find any problem spots.
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Don’t be afraid to rip up and start again with bits that don’t seem to work well. They won’t get better on their own.
And I laernt how ta sepl rat cheer too… [:D]
Jarrell
Simon, thanks for the eight do’s and don’ts, they’ll come in handy and I’ll try to abide by them the best I can. Right now I’ve got my dremel and I’m going around the cork roadbed sanding off the ‘shoulder’ so that it isn’t so sharp. While I’m at it I’ll check the roadbed
Mostly because I don’t trust my own planning, I layout it ALL out, fully joined, to see if I am going to run into a kink as my plan currently sits. If nothing else, it will give you confidence and peace of mind that you won’t be lying in bed @ 0246, slapping your forehead and muttering, "Stupid, stupid,…'. But, it may lead you to a fairly serious problem that had heretofore escaped notice.
Otherwise, I would place the thorniest section, especially turnouts, as in a yard, and fix it with small nails or spikes, and then begin working in either direction, as you suggest. Lay caulk, spread thin, join sections, press into curve and place, spike a few places to keep it steady. At some point you will get close to closing the loop, if you have such a thing, and that is where you want to keep things caulk free for some distance until you get it to meet within your min curve radius.
Touche![(-D]