Kato Unitrack VS Handlayed CD40

[Hyperion]

Man, what is it with N-Scalers and their track decision that they defend with religious-levels of fervor?

If you had posted a picture of a 70's-era N-scale "toy" (by today's standards) locomotive and a superdetailed 'bashed modern Kato unit, I don't think there'd be any/many naysayers at all.  No one would take it personal if you said your $40 Red Caboose cars were better than $7 Trainmans.  Scratchbuild a structure next to a Walthers and there'd be universal applause.  Everyone's fine with the whole quality/quantity, cost/value, whatever/whatever comparison and most everyone can appreciate the Tim Mann cars versus the need for 100-car trains that don't require winning the lottery and full-time retirement to build.

No one's attached to their old and/or less-detailed locomotives or cars.  But God help you if you talk about people stuck in the '70s with their rail height.

And the number one lesson a lot of people over there need to learn:  Just because someone else is better, doesn't mean you suck.

[DrifterNL]

What happened on the a forum totally got twisted out of scale. >
There are people out there that WOULD like to know more about hand laying track.
What I would suggest (if you are up to it) is that you repost (here, nscale.net, other forums) your work and include a tutorial, the tools and what not you used, links to manufacturers etc. all in one nice neat thread.

[davidmbedard]

I would be happy to do that once I start laying track on the layout.  The piece of rail I took pictures of was a proof of concept.  I feel that is important to do before you apply the technique to your big canvas.

David B

[John]

Let's try to keep the rhetoric about the Atlas forum to a minimum please .. It is what it is ..  you have a place right here for the discussions that wouldn't work there ..

[inkaneer]

I would be happy to do that once I start laying track on the layout.  The piece of rail I took pictures of was a proof of concept.  I feel that is important to do before you apply the technique to your big canvas.

David B

Wait a minute.  You say you laid a "piece of rail", only a "piece or rail".  And for what purpose?   Anyone who has been in this hobby for more than 5 minutes could have told you that the code 40 would look better.   So what are you proving or maybe more importantly, to whom are you trying to prove it?

But laying a "piece of rail" and handlaying an entire layout are not the same thing are they?     At what point does the hobby become a hobby of rail laying and not a hobby of running trains?   Now if you like to lay your own rail so you can say I did it myself then all well and good.  The Unitrack users will not berate you.  But don't look down your nose at those who choose to use Unitrack or Atlas C 55 or C 80 just because they do not share your addiction to handlaid track. 

By the way, back in the seventies there were people not only handlaying their own track but also grinding down wheel flanges so they could run on it.  You got it easy.  You can switch out the wheelsets for Lo Profile flanges and all you have to do is lay the track.
 

[davidmbedard]

The purpose was to check a few things....

1.  How quick the handlaying would go.

2.  To see if there were issues with my sanding techniques.  (the pc board ties are slightly smaller than the wood ties)

3.  To see if my Paint would hold muster.

4.  To see if there were any flange issues with my rolling stock.

5.  To see what color of ballast would look good.

6.  To see if the overall effect is what I imagined in my brain.

Now, not all of these points came up with positive results.  There are some things that I am going to tweak.

That being said, you don't know me.  I don't know you.  I can, however, tell you that I have handlayed before and have done so on many layouts.  I am also an active member of my local HO FreeMo group.

I have recently returned to N scale and there were some experimentation needed before I dove in....that is it, that is all.

P.S.  My unitrack came with my Kato passenger sets.  If I would have had some Atlas CD80 or 55 on hand I would have used it as well. 

David B

[Ed Kapuscinski]

But laying a "piece of rail" and handlaying an entire layout are not the same thing are they?     At what point does the hobby become a hobby of rail laying and not a hobby of running trains?   Now if you like to lay your own rail so you can say I did it myself then all well and good.  The Unitrack users will not berate you.  But don't look down your nose at those who choose to use Unitrack or Atlas C 55 or C 80 just because they do not share your addiction to handlaid track. 

What are you trying to say here? That because he only did a small section in preparation for a larger layout is not a valid thing to do?

Or are you just trying to troll here because the thread on the Atlas forum, where everyone seemed to take seeing stellar work as an affront to their own efforts, got shut down?

[Bob Bufkin]

Darn Ed, I was feeling the same way as that post but don't want to start a flame war here.

John, maybe it is time to lock this post.

[ednadolski]

proto87.com has some. Don't know how they compare width wise to the ones from FastTrack,

Phil

I think Andy's are the Mt. Albert ones which are pretty accurately scaled.   The ME wood ties tend to be a bit less uniform - you can sand that away, but there still will be the variations in width.   I like the way the ME ones take a stain (I'm not sure offhand which wood they use for either).

If you want PCB ties, Fasttracks also has them.  I haven't used the FT ones myself, I've used the PCB ties from Clover House, which come in longer strips that you have to trim, and  thus they also tend to twist a little bit, but not noticeably enough over the length of a single tie.   Don't forget to gap them and check with an ohmmeter before laying rail, or you;ll never find the short.... 


Ed

[conrail98]

I've got the Fast Track ones also and you have to trim them as well,

Phil

[ednadolski]

Also, FT has those "Quick sticks" which are laser-cut from baltic birch plywood.   I think they come in both straight and flexible versions, and in RH and LH turnout flavors.   However they have gaps every inch or so for you to lay a PC tie - thus they aren't much use if you prefer to use non-soldered construction techniques (and if you do use PCB ties, I'm not so convinced that they save a lot of work over traditional techniques).    Might be worth checking out the FT forums for more info.

Ed

[Mark5]

I think Andy's are the Mt. Albert ones which are pretty accurately scaled.   The ME wood ties tend to be a bit less uniform - you can sand that away, but there still will be the variations in width.   I like the way the ME ones take a stain (I'm not sure offhand which wood they use for either).

For the ME ties, if they are similar or same as the old RailCraft ties, the SOP was to glue them down, then run a sanding block lightly over the top of the ties to "even them" up.

Geezer comment on PCB ties: I had to make my own PCB ties (I still have some of the "sheet" that I used to make the PCB ties). ;D

Mark

[Hyperion]

Wait a minute.  You say you laid a "piece of rail", only a "piece or rail".  And for what purpose?   Anyone who has been in this hobby for more than 5 minutes could have told you that the code 40 would look better.   So what are you proving or maybe more importantly, to whom are you trying to prove it?

I assume we can expect you to make this same comment whenever ednadolski or Tom or whoever posts some of their Before and After shots too.

I mean, after all, anyone with mroe than 5 minutes in the hobby can tell you that a superdetailed, weathered unit is going to look better than a stock one, so why bother?  What are they trying to prove other than being a bunch of arrogant braggarts?  It's not a statement of pride in their work, it isn't saying "Hey, look what you too can do with a little effort", everything they do is just a middle finger and a big "F U, Suckaz!" to all the rest of us lesser mere mortals.  Right?

But laying a "piece of rail" and handlaying an entire layout are not the same thing are they?     At what point does the hobby become a hobby of rail laying and not a hobby of running trains?   Now if you like to lay your own rail so you can say I did it myself then all well and good.  The Unitrack users will not berate you.  But don't look down your nose at those who choose to use Unitrack or Atlas C 55 or C 80 just because they do not share your addiction to handlaid track.

Oh.  So no one's allowed to post pictures of anything until its completely done.  No more in-progress shots, guys.  No more posts explicitly or implicitly looking for feedback.  Don't ask for feedback on laying out your yard, because all you're really doing is trying to brag about hwo huge your layout is.  

Actually, just don't bother posting any pictures at all anymore guys because posting a picture of superior modeling isn't allowed -- it "berates" the modelers who aren't as good as you and hurts their feelings.  We'll just talk.  But not openly.  No honest opinions here anymore.  We'll just turn it into another great big communal circle-jerk like the MR Forums.

By the way, back in the seventies there were people not only handlaying their own track but also grinding down wheel flanges so they could run on it.  You got it easy.  You can switch out the wheelsets for Lo Profile flanges and all you have to do is lay the track.  

And all you great modelers here; or guys who think they are.... Pffft.  You ain't got a thing on those guys back in the 70s.  They did everything you've done AND they ground down their flanges to boot.  Legend has it they even walked uphill in the snow both ways just to get to the LHS.

[Iain]

The only part I cant find is the pilot truck.  I need one off a LL Berk.  I called Walthers and no go.

David B

I need a trailing truck.  

[DKS]

Wait a minute.  You say you laid a "piece of rail", only a "piece or rail".  And for what purpose?

It's called a "test." To see how certain basic techniques work, and to refine those techniques as needed, before possibly making layout-sized mistakes.

As to the rest of your post, I'll refrain from remarking lest John lock down a thread that, up to this point, has been reasonably civil.