Advice for a Sectional Track layout needed.

[The Johnster]

I use Peco Streamline medium radius turnouts on the scenic section of Cwmdimbath, and small radius for the loco release and fiddle yard turnouts.  There is one Hornby 4th to 3rd radius curved turnout which is critical to the fiddle yard; it enabled me to expand from 4 roads to 7 and still have room to get my fat little piggy fingers between the stock.  All are insulfrog in the interests of wiring simplicity; the current goes where the road is set and there is only one main feed.

 

Running is very reliable, with an occasional failure being sorted out by cleaning, either switch rail contacts or pickups.  The locos are mostly 0-6-0s with a couple of 0-6-2s, a small prairie, and a 2-8-0, from Bachmann and Hornby.  My specification is that all locos and all stock can be sent anywhere on the layout, hauling or propelling.  

 

The key to success here is to ensure that the baseboards are absolutely level and that they are going to remain so. and that the track is laid very carefully.  Close attention must be paid to the smoothness of the join to the next piece, and I use proprietary (Peco) connectors to physically hold the rail ends in line with each other.  Make absolutely sure that there is no debris beneath your turnouts which will affect the level of the railhead; this is critical for reliable pickup over dead frogs. 

 

I lay the track directly to the baseboard without underlay, as it is important that it does not flex under the load of a train or is allowed to be pushed out of line even fractionally by centripetal force on curves.  I go for rigidity, which may be an issue for some people as the noise level is increased, but I rather like that.  The track is held in position by pva glue, but it lightly pinned while the glue is going off.  Note LIGHTLY; you are only pinning it temporarily to prevent lateral movement and do not need to drive the pin all the way home.  Doing so may distort your sleeper and pull the track out of gauge and level.  When the pva has gone off (I allow 48 hours for this, with the track weighted as well to ensure a good flat bond to the baseboard), you can gently remove the pins, but if any are reluctant to come out, don't force things, just driver them gently until they are well clear of the railhead and flush with the sleeper, or trim them off with a slitting disc.

 

Now test run everything to ensure electrical connections and running.  You can now paint the track, followed by another thorough test run, and then ballast, also followed by another test run.  Your turnout's  switch rail/stock rail electrical contacts will be affected by all 3 of these procedures, and you will need to clean glue, paint, and ballast off them.  Make sure that there are no bits of ballast or other debris in the flangeways, as it will lift your wheels and upset pickup right where you need maximum reliability, over the dead frogs.  

 

I have had no trouble with my Hornby curved turnout that could not be cured by attention to locomotive pickups, and all my RTR stock runs through it without complaint hauled or propelled.  But the 4th radius is too tight for Ratio 4 wheel coaches which need at least 2 feet of radius to run properly without buffer locking.  I am looking at sprung buffers and NEM couplers for these.

 

This is by no means the only or necessarily the best way of laying track, but I contend that care in laying is critical whatever method you use.  I can only say that it has worked well for me; running is 100% reliable and electrical contact in the very high 90s.  And I prize reliable slow controlled running for shunting movements, which means that I am pushing the technology close to it's capabilities.  Of course larger radius live frog points would be an improvement, but my soldering is such that the increased number of electrical connections would indubitably compromise any improvement in reliability.  

[boxbrownie]

Which is the reason I have decided to go with a trackbed system, the TRIX seems well engineered and robust but still looks quite fine.

 

I have not quite worked out the fixing method yet I will wait until I have a few pieces down on the board and check it out.

 

With my dexterity problems fine soldering and tiny screws are virtually impossible, so stuff like wiring up Peco electro frogs is out of the question, I need to keep the building as simple as possible otherwise I’ll just get so bXXXXy frustrated the venture will not be enjoyable.

[Zomboid]

I don't know if there's enough wiggle room in the track system to get over that bottom right misalignment.

[boxbrownie]

I don't know if there's enough wiggle room in the track system to get over that bottom right misalignment.

I am sure it’ll be fine just there, I have the joins in the straight to compensate as well as the three joins between the two points at the left to yield some play and side to side alignment is easier to deal with than any length anomaly, no comments please!

[Salmotrutta]

Which is the reason I have decided to go with a trackbed system, the TRIX seems well engineered and robust but still looks quite fine.

 

I have not quite worked out the fixing method yet I will wait until I have a few pieces down on the board and check it out.

 

With my dexterity problems fine soldering and tiny screws are virtually impossible, so stuff like wiring up Peco electro frogs is out of the question, I need to keep the building as simple as possible otherwise I’ll just get so bXXXXy frustrated the venture will not be enjoyable.

I used ordinary PVA "school glue" to glue my Tillig trackbed in place. Just a squeeze along the side in a few places and it holds well enough on my portable layout. Best of all it is easy to break the joint if you have to lift the track (which I had to in order to get at a hidden capacitor!) 

[PatB]

The Trix track is interesting. Does anyone know if a compatible diamond (not slip) crossing exists? I can only find Marklin stud-contact ones. Also, does anyone know if the Code 83 rail would be OK with 80s Lima flanges? Being Continental flanges on Continental track I'd have thought it would have a reasonable chance of working.

[Suzie]

Some old Lima has trouble on some code 100, so I doubt it will be guaranteed to work on code 83. Probably worth re-wheeling any problem stock with more up to date wheels.

[boxbrownie]

The Trix track is interesting. Does anyone know if a compatible diamond (not slip) crossing exists? I can only find Marklin stud-contact ones. Also, does anyone know if the Code 83 rail would be OK with 80s Lima flanges? Being Continental flanges on Continental track I'd have thought it would have a reasonable chance of working.

The Trix/Märklin track is specified to work with SP25/NEM code wheels, so the older wheels would most likely have problems running on it.

As for the Crossover, the two systems will work together but the three rail track needs a slight modification to enable two track pickup, also I believe the Märklin track has a darker “ballast” moulding than the Trix which might be a bigger hurdle. The centre studding is quite unobtrusive but can be removed.

 

I’d just use the Trix double slip and gain the extra flexibility of the piece.

[boxbrownie]

Baseboards ordered, track ordered (but quite a bit not in stock), might even be getting the boards before Christmas.......we all know what this little boy will be doing Christmas morning if that happens