Flexitrack

[idris]

Any tips on laying flexitrack?

I'm trying to trial-fit all my track together before I nail anything down but I'm finding the flexitrack a PITA as it tries to straighten, and pulls fish plates off.

[Coombe Barton]

Masking tape.

 

And if it's pulling the fishplates off then you won't get good electrical contact when it is laid. Tighten then up a tad with a pair of pliers. But not too much - gently and trial and error.

 

[EDIT] And are you cutting the webs appropriately?

[Pete 75C]

I agree with John's advice (above), but you could also try pushing wide headed map pins between the sleepers into the cork/baseboard. The wide head will grip the sleepers either side and can be lifted and repositioned as required. Don't be tempted to bang lots of track pins through the sleepers themselves. If the fishplates still want to pull away, are you trying to go too tight on radius? I know it's not always possible, but it helps to join track as much as possible on straight or straight-ish sections. Laying flexitrack seems like a doddle but there are a number of pitfalls and I've made silly mistakes in the past. Always make sure you either trim the moulded chairs away either side of a fishplate or alternatively, remove a sleeper or two altogether and slide under a cosmetic sleeper once the track is permanently in the right place. Good luck! Tracklaying can be a pain and is far from my favourite job.

[Kenton]

 

I nail anything down

Don't do that, there is no need. Nasty, ugly, pointless things.

 

Use double sided sticky tape or secure temporary with drawing pins on outside of sleepers, NEVER through them, until tested and ballasted.

 

Be very much aware of the temptation to make curves with ridiculous radii - very easily done around points. Most locos will not pass through radius 1 curves and many will not pass radius 2, so don't make those curves with flexitrack and expect anything different.

[Chimer]

And if you do need curves at set-track radii, I would recommend using set-track curves, especially if hidden or if you're using Code 100 anyway ........

[HLT 0109]

Whose flexitrack are you using?  Hornby's is rather stiffer than Peco's and brittle.  Peco's is therefore easier to work with.

[maunsel]

...and try to avoid too many track joins on curves. If it can't be avoided then think about staggering the joins in each rail. At least that will reduce the chance of kinks.

 

 

Unless of course it's a model of Waterloo..........

 

 

...at sunset...............

 

 

Regards

 

Eric

[DCB]

Making Nickle silver flexi track stay put while the ballast/ glue etc dries is a PITA,   Mine takes about 2 days to set but that is because I use concrete, (Outside) But using a piece of wood the back to back width and three inches or so long jammed in four foot at the rail joint the  keeps the track ends in place as does a brick or two.

 

However I guess you are talking indoors.  With OO Code 100 steel I cut the webs first and pin the track as I lay it cut the rail ends with End cutter pliers, (2 for £1 at Poundland) and file the end square in situ, I usually cut away the chairs on the last sleepers,to let fishplates fit but use a loose sleeper with no chairs and thinned down actually under the fishplates.  This works down to around 2 foot radius but less than 2 foot I cannot stop it kinking.

 

Ideally I would get some "4th" radius (2ft radius?) set  track but as far as I am aware no one does it in the UK although it is advertised in US magazines so I resort to cutting the webs on 3rd radius set track and easing it out from 19" radius to at least 23"  I then trim the rail ends to get the rail joints in line.   The big advantage is the set track stays put with the minimum of pins and does not try to straighten.. Some of my indoor flexi track still kinks regularly with the temperature variations every year despite being down for 20 years.  2nd radius curves can also be eased out quite considerably and are much more readily available and cheaper second hand.  I have resorted to using steel set track rails in peco sleeper bases when I could not get hold of any steel code 100 track.

 

Incidentally UK rails almost invariably have the rail joints in line rather than  staggered but US practice is to stagger joints, staggered joints in models usually give big problems keeping the gauge correct as one rail kinks while the other keeps a nice curve,  incidentally it is very easy to get a really sharp radius using short lengths of flexi between points so I always use a piece of 3rd radius as a template, if the 3rd would fit it is ok.  i also have a track testing loco, an old Wrenn 0-6-0 with Romfords and all wheels flanged, If that stays on everything else will.

[edcayton]

I find that "Tracksetta" gauges help a great deal when laying curved track. For straight lengths I use the longest straight edge I can find-usually one of my spirit levels. A gentle curve looks better than a poor straight.  I would agree with my learned colleagues about using flexi for small radii.

 

Ed

[Chimer]

Ideally I would get some "4th" radius (2ft radius?) set  track but as far as I am aware no one does it in the UK 

 

Peco do a fourth radius (22" iirc) set-track curve, but only with a 22.5 degree arc (8 to a circle).  Available off the shelf in my local (Portsmouth) model shop when I wanted a couple.

[Coombe Barton]

...but only with a 22.5 degree arc (8 to a circle).  

16 to a circle?

[idris]

I'd thought about loose fishplates I terms of electrical connections but somehow completely failed to consider their mechanical purpose. Doh!!!

 

The flexitrack is Peco but I'll be replacing it as it's Strwamline and I need the taller rails of Setrack. The curves aren't excessive.

 

Modifying the end sleepers is a useful tip. But can someone elaborate on cutting the sleeper webs please?

[steve22]

If it's Streamline Code 100 then it's the same profile and height as Setrack.  If you have Code 75, then yes, Setrack is a taller rail.  Peco do make compensation fishplates to compensate for the height difference, but you probably know that already.  I've seen a technique whereby you remove the last three inches (75mm) or so of the sleeper base, slide off then 'tease' the rail ends left and right a little for a while to make them more pliable.  Gently form the rail ends to approximately the curve you are aiming for.  Slide the sleeper base back on, threading the rails through the plastic chairs.  The rails will now have less tendency to want to straighten back again, and will follow the curve more readily.  One other thing I've noted with the last few packets of fishplates (rail joiners) I've purchased from Peco - they are not bent over as far as they used to be.  They no longer give that nice, tight electrical and mechanical fit.  That is, they're frankly a sloppy fit; I've had to tighten every one up first with gentle pressure with long nose pliers.  Otherwise the joint between each track is very poor.  At least, that's been my experience.

 

Finally - I've made use of the large 4th radius curves on layouts but also used the Peco ST238 (32" radius) as well, giving me a very large radius or, more often, used them with 4th radius and 3rd radius to help provide a transition curve of varying radii.  Very useful when working in the corner of a shed or corner of a room where access is not so great and usually the resulting curve looks good too. 

[Chimer]

16 to a circle?

 

Ooops .... yes  (blushes)

[DCB]

Cutting webs in relation to code 100 Peco streamline flexi track,  Viewed from underneath two adjacent sleepers are connected by "Webs" under the rails, the sleeper each side of this pair is connected only by a single web under one rail and the other side there is a small gap.  Cutting the webs involves cutting one of the two webs or links between the adjacent sleepers which allows the sleeper base to curve more evenly. Personally I often cut all the webs on the inside of the curve side side of the track base.  Likewise I do the same with set track track bases and also streamline points which I brutally distort to fit the available space, I got a 30" radius curved point down to 18" radius once but it was hard work.

 

As I have never seen Peco 22" radius or larger set track curves and only Hornby 3rd Radius curves I also cut the webs between sleepers on the inside of set track curves and ease them out to larger radius, maybe you could tighten them as well, but 15" Radius is already too tight for me.

[edcayton]

David, do you have any more info/piccys of modifying Streamline points please? I have thought about trying this, but chickened out in the end.

 

Ed

[caradoc]

Both Hornby and Peco have for some years made 4th radius curves, although only Hornby have made a double curve. Single 4th radius curves from both manufacturers are currently in stock at Hattons.