Fundamentals - Track Laying

[Chris7092]

Hello everyone!

I am about to start construction of my first n scale layout, and I was curious about different methods for laying track. I know of a couple ways fellow n-scalers have done it, but I thought this would be the best place to possibly learn new methods that I haven't heard of before.

Thanks in advance for info!

Chris
Ringgold, GA

[wm3798]

There are many methods, but one common thread.  Take your time.  Make sure every joint is secure, straight, and true.  Drop feed wires even where you don't think you have to, and power all your frogs.  If you don't follow those principles, you'll get frustrated pretty quickly when you go to run trains.

I'm thinking of changing the name of my little switching layout the Hurry Up, Wait and Regret...

Lee

[jpwisc]

Leave expansion gaps to accommodate seasonal changes. It doesn't take much. Eyeball your track often before the glue dries to ensure there aren't any kinks in the curves or at joints. Add feeders as you go.

Practice.

Run cars and engines through it.

Tune it.

Run more cars and engines through it. They should flow when you get it.

Let the track go through a full round of seasonal changes before you ballast. It's a lot easier to tune it before the rocks are in place.

[davefoxx]

Yes, practice makes perfect.  What type of track are you planning on using?  Knowing that, we might be able to provide some more specific suggestions.

In my case, I like using yellow carpenter's glue to glue the cork roadbed to the foam subroadbed (2" thick foam).  I also use yellow glue to secure the track to the cork roadbed.  I used Atlas Code 55.

Hope this helps,
DFF

[Chris7092]

I intend on gluing the track to cork roadbed, as it appears that's the most common method for securing track.

I appreciate the tips already given; I didn't think about leaving some expansion joints for seasonal changes; great tip!

Thanks,

Chris

[randgust]

A list of things I'll add.... from the guy that has track that's been in operation since 1983 and still using some stuff bought back in the early 70's on hidden track...    I've evolved from the Classic C80 at least to Peco C55, which can be a bear to lay and work with.   I have nothing against either classic C80 or Atlas 55, either, I think these are pretty much universal concepts.  I have T-trak modules with Peco C55, Atlas C80, Peco C80, and Kato Unitrack all on the same 14x36 module!

Get yourself a really good set of flush rail cutters (wire cutters completely flat on one side), and a really good small flat file for cleaning the flash off the rail ends.   Don't think you can cut and fit rail with a hacksaw or even a Zona saw.

If you are using a wood subroadbed (plywood, spline, etc.) you'll want to drill holes in the ties and pre-drill any track nail holes down into the subroadbed to prevent nail and track bending.  I use a pin vise and a .035 drill.   Pounding nails home without predrilling is not recommended.

A dremel tool with an abrasive disk and a speed control is invaluable for cutting rail, cutting insulating gaps, touching up switchpoints, smoothing rail edges, etc.   I'd be lost without it.   

A good small bubble level will help you detect cross-level issues (tilt) where you can't even see it with the naked eye.

If a rail joiner isn't tight, replace it.   There's no economy whatsoever in saving loose, corroded, or bent joiners.

I lightly solder any track connection that isn't needed for an expansion joint, and also use liberal track feeders, as ballast and rail paint infiltration will lead to problems that can be prevented.  But I'm also figuring that any rail I lay is good to go for another 20 years in place, and I'm as good unsoldering as soldering.

It may seem like overkill, but I put in tiny jumper wires between my switch point rails and the adjacent stock rails on most commercial turnouts because that 'pivot rivet' will corrode and fail over time, or during ballasting and painting.

If you ballast, and you think you'll ever seriously want to remove or relocate the track, try diluted Elmers School Glue instead of other adhesives.  You can loosen the track back up by just misting it with water and letting it soak again, and if you throw the track or components in a wallpaper soak tray, the ballast will come entirely off again.  You may not want to re-use flex or sectional, but switches are usually to expensive not to try to salvage.

You'll want to resist the urge to ballast track until you've tested, tested, and run your track and you've 110% satisfied with performance and placement.   In my case, that was nearly a year of operation.

Get yourself a spare set of trucks, or a scrap diesel truck, or something that you can easily roll through your trackage with your fingers, push down gently, and literally 'feel' the track through your fingers.   Push it against the rail sides through turnouts deliberately trying to pick them, feel the rough rail joints, feel the vertical and horizontal irregularities.  You'll also want something like this AFTER you ballast, feeling for stray ballast grains that need to be picked off.

Along with the straightedge for checking horizontal alignment, a good 6" steel ruler is invaluable for checking VERTICAL alignment problems at joints, grades, switches, you name it, by laying it on the railhead edge.   I violated that rule myself not long ago and had to relay some track when my equipment worked fine but others longer equipment found a dip I couldn't even see or feel.

You really can make N track really, really good and dependable, and there's lots of good expertise here, and some real experts on making their own turnouts as well - although that's not a universally shared skillset!

[Spades]

If you are going to use ME flex it is also a very good way to form curves from flex track,
 https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=zBtvr_3mWK4

[johnt48618]

I laid my track (Shinohara Code 60) back in the mid-1990s and haven't had any problems since then. Subroadbed is 1/2" plywood under 1/2" Homasote glued together with yellow carpenter's glue. Cork roadbed lies atop this, also atttached with yellow glue. I then painted the entire assembly a coat of medium gray latex paint to seal it from moisture. Track was attached with Elmers white glue. Laid the rail centered on the seam of the cork. After gluing, I held it down with map tacks and washers that spanned the rails. Best thing I found for aligning the tangent (straight) sections was by eyeballing it.

One other thing I learned when cutting expansion gaps in flex track with a Dremel cut-off disk: Don't cut the gaps on curves. The rail will almost surely spring out of alignment.

[jdcolombo]

Not much to add.  I used PL400 construction glue to put down my track directly to plywood (no cork).  The nice thing about it is that you have about 5 minutes to adjust the track before it really starts to set, and it also is a bit "rubbery" so that it will accommodate expansion/contraction due to seasonal change.  I put a 1/8" bead down the track centerline, then use a putty knife to flatten it out paper-thin.  You don't need much of the stuff to hold the track and you definitely don't want it oozing up between the ties.

Second the point on expansion joints; I didn't do this, and had track buckle the first winter, when everything dried out and contracted.  Had to go back and cut in expansion joints with a thin cutoff wheel in a dremel, and it ruined a couple of turnouts.  Learned my lesson; be sure to leave 1/32 at each joint around a turnout, and the same for every six feet or so of flex.

In terms of getting everything straight and true, my method is to sight down the rail with eyes at rail-head height.  This makes any kinks VERY obvious, and with the PL400, I have some time to push here, pull there until everything is absolutely smooth and straight.  Don't rely on looking at the track from above; what looks fine from 2 feet above can be a serious kink sighting down the track.  Especially helpful at turnouts, were it is easy to kink the track; sight down both ends to make sure the straight route is straight and the diverging route isn't kinked.

John C.

[robert3985]

Midwest Cork Products cork roadbed is the best. 

I use HO Midwest Cork Products (MCP) for my N-scale mainlines (1/2 strip) and N-scale MCP cork for sidings, spurs and branchlines.  This makes everything lower than the mainlines, and you have to sand transition pieces to get them to join smoothly, but the effect is well worth it.

Speaking of sanding, ALWAYS sand your cork roadbed before laying track on it...ALWAYS.   If your subroadbed is going to be plywood, you should sand it too to make sure it's smooth.  Smoothness is a really huge plus for reliable track.

I install 22AWG solid core black & red feeders to each and every piece of rail.  Lots of feeders, especially in yards...position them near the center of every piece of rail if possible.  My feeders are all 6" long and are soldered to the bottom of the railfoot between ties to make them disappear.  This is good from an appearance standpoint, but bad if they happen to break.  I made sure I used the best flux and solder for the job and tested each feeder before being happy.

I never, ever use nails to attach track to my roadbed/subroadbed...NEVER.  With modern adhesives, they're simply not needed, look ugly and if you're not careful, can really mess up your track when you drive them too deep.

As John C. has stated, I also use the M-1 Eyeball method to make sure my track doesn't have kinks.  Get right down on the track with the side of your head and sight along it.  Where you see a kink, put your finger there while holding your head on the track, then raise up and smooth the kink.  Get back down on the track again and sight along it with your eye to confirm the kink is gone, then spot another one, put your finger on it and do the same thing again.

I attach my ME C55 and ME C40 flex to my cork roadbed with runny CA, but before I glue it down, I superelevate my curves using blue masking tape built-up under the outside ties for smooth transitions and uniform tilt. I have zero problems running long trains on my curves ("long" being 30 to 35 cars), and it sure adds to the prototypical look. 

I don't like to "smoodge" my ties down into any goopy, sticky mess slathered on my roadbed as an adhesive, which is why I use runny CA, and Accelerator.  I spot-weld the track first using a 6" block of pine 1X2 to press down on the track while apply the spot welds with runny CA, and recheck for kinks and correct any I see, then go back and sock all the track down with more runny CA. This makes for smooth track vertically, and keeps your fingers from getting glued to your track.

Of course, this bond isn't too strong, but after ballasting, the ballast cement really socks the trackwork down. My layout is portable and I never have had an instance of track coming loose after ballasting.

Remember to paint and weather your track before ballasting, and a bit afterwards too.

Two more points... First, I always have powered frogs that get their power from a DPDT on my Tortoise switch machines.  Relying on the toes of your closure points to power your frog is just asking for trouble and lots of frustration.  Powered frogs will make your layout MUCH less labor intensive to keep running reliably.  Second, I cut my railjoiners into small railjoiners that fit between the ties.  I get two, maybe three out of one railjoiner, and cut the plastic spacing web from between ties, slide them back from the joint, solder the small railjoiners, let the rails cool, then slide the ties back in place.  No funky ties under full-sized railjoiners anymore, and your rail joints virtually disappear. 

Since you'll be attaching a feeder to every piece of rail, metal railjoiners now become a structural item rather than being needed for power transmission. 

As has been stated, only run about 6 feet of flex between expansion gaps.  A good practice is to solder only one side of your metal railjoiner to the rail, letting the other rail slide in the joiner to expand and contract every six feet or so.

Model track is what your beautiful, superdetailed engines and cars run on, and should be treated as a model too IMO.  Taking the time to power every piece of rail, make your subroadbed/roadbed smooth, and laying smooth track with solid solder joints everywhere goes a helluva long ways to making your layout run without electrical or mechanical problems, and lets you enjoy running trains that appear more prototypical because they look more massive and realistic when they're not herky-jerkying around your layout because of uneven, kinky track.

Have fun!!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore




 

[Jim Costello]

If you cannot get down low enough to sight your track or you cannot see around a curve if your baseboards get in the way... use a mirror.  I purchased one  about 6" x 8" with a plastic frame from a cheap shop years ago.
It has a stand that allows me to position it  and sight along the track. Also very useful if you have track against a back drop.

Jim

[Chris7092]

Thank you VERY MUCH for the above feedback and tips.  I look forward to applying some of your information to my track laying.

Chris
Ringgold, GA