Railroad Tips: Laying Track
Laying your model railroad track is crucial to smooth
train operation on your model railroad layout. There are many
techniques you can use to place your track on the layout, we'll present
the technique we think works best here.
We generally use flex-track to build the railroad.
It comes in lengths of about 30 inches and can be purchased at most hobby
stores. Flex track comes in different codes or rail heights.
Be sure that you use the same code throughout your layout.
You'll need the following supplies to fasten your track to
the base of your layout:
- Flex track
- Cork roadbed
- Rail joiners
- Liquid Nails (regular strength is recommended, not the industrial strength)
- A small roller
- A smooth piece of scrap wood or a scraper
First determine the course your track will take on your
layout. Don't make your turns too sharp or long train cars or
engines will not be able to negotiate the curve. Trace the center of
the track in a single line with a pencil or pen. If you are making
an S-type turn, be sure to leave at least a car's length of straight track
between the ending of the first curve and the beginning of the second.
Clear all debris of the surface that the track will cover.
Now spread a thin layer of Liquid Nails on both sides of the line, just
wide enough to secure the cork to the surface. Don't worry about
being a little messy here because your landscaping will cover any stray
marks. Now lightly place each half of the cork roadbed into place.
Use a roller to press the cork firmly to the surface of the module. The
liquid nails will dry in a matter of minutes. You can use push pins to attach
the cork to the surface temporarily if it tends to slip out of place on
curves.
Now place another thin coating of Liquid Nails to the
surface of the cord bed (don't use too much Liquid nails here, you don't
want it to cover the ties or the track). Gently place the tracks on
top of the cork. Again, use thumbtacks to secure the track in place
if it tends to slip off on curves. Your track will secure to the
roadbed in a matter of minutes.
Some suggestions:
-
Longer cars and engines, especially passenger cars and
steam engines, can have difficulty navigating sharp turns. Keep your
turns as wide as possible. Also, if you are using an S-turn on your
layout, be sure to leave at least one-car's length of straight track in
the transition between the two turns. A general rule of thumb it to
have the length of the straight piece of track be equal to the length of
the longest car that will run on the layout. This practice will help
to stabilize the train as it navigates the S-turn.
-
When connecting pieces of flex track to each other, be
careful to correctly align the pieces with rail joiners. It should
be difficult to feel where one piece of track ends and another begins when
you run the tip of your finger over the join.
-
You can cut your track with rail nippers or with a
high-speed cutting wheel (like a Dremel tool). Take care to make
sure that the cut is perpendicular and leaves no burrs behind to derail
cars.
-
Flex track can sometimes pull out of a joiner when you are
flexing it to fit another piece of track. Make sure that all of your
previous joins still match up before cutting the rail for the next join.
