Chris Dark Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 As the title says, I hadn't paid much attention to the flexi track I bought until i was laying it on the weekend, when I realised that the sleeper depth seems a long way off scale? is there a particular reason for this? they way people ballast etc. Browsing in this section today I also came across the DCC concepts track which looks to supply much deeper sleepers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
66C Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Hi Chris Have a look at: http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=346_375_383 Regards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulG Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Chris I use a mixture of C&L plastic sleepers/chairs (and copper clad sleepers/solder at e.g. V) for switches & crossovers and SMP ready made plain line and they all fit well together. Perhaps thats the answer; the depth also it saves on the quanity of ballast used! Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Dark Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 ahh that's interesting. Thanks for the information from your both. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Reorte Posted July 7, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 7, 2014 Personally speaking (and it might be down to inexperience) I'm starting to wonder if it might be easier to ballast with a bit more depth than I get with C&L sleepers, either plastic or ply, even with extra fine ballast (i.e. stuff that's vaguely to scale) I'm finding it a little tricky to cover the ground and not stick up a little above sleeper heigh, particularly under the rails, and doesn't look too great from eye level either without a lot of care (might work better for modern image). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 C&L also sell Exactoscale base plates, the sleepers are 1.6 mm thick but you have to thread the rail through the chairs yourself (very easy). Len Newman the man originally who designed the C&L range (when it was K&L) decided when he did the Exactoscale range to increase the sleeper depth I personally prefer the thicker sleepers, but its all down to what you are sticking the sleepers to. The flexi track is stable, but the thinner turnout sleepers must be stuck at both ends of the sleeper as the solvent does want to curl the sleeper ends up, something to do with the solvent being on one side of the sleeper. Ply sleepers seem unaffected Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Dark Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 As my current project is just a test i will continue with the thinner sleepers. I do think they look too thin and also make the points i have made quite fragile. I'll see how they go when glued and ballasted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Chris If you stick the turnout sleepers (especially at both ends) to the trackbed then you will not have any problems. The plastic joints between chairs and sleepers is very strong once set, so no problems there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Dark Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 What i have found most difficult is where the slide chairs are, they have been stuck to the sleepers fine and when i placed them used aladite to connect them to the rail, but whilst i was connecting tie bars some of the slide chairs become unstuck, so i have left them now untill i fix the track in it's final place. This is my first go at handbuilt track and each point i created was better, but there is alot i can take from this onto another project at some point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulG Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 ahh that's interesting. Thanks for the information from your both. Chris I wouldn't claim to be an expert, but I draw out the trackplan on the base board and glue in place s & c templates. I then use spray mount adhesive to stick the sleepers in the correct place on the templates, including all the SMP plain line bases. The combination of the plain line sleeper bases, templates and track gauges aid build up the s & c. Slide the chairs onto the rail and solvent weld the chairs to the sleepers and solder rail to copper clad as required. Attached are a couple of photos: all the track is C&L/SMP except the photo marked "fiddle yard" which is made using large radius PECO points and any cheap code 75 track I could find. The fiddle yard has some added scenery as a bit of fun, all found surplus in the "spares box" and as the layout is in the garden shed, I've ballasted the track to help keep the track alignment due to temperature variations. The layout measures 20 feet by 10 feet and currently we are running trains to test track and stock - once happy and trackwork complete, time to start (for me) the fun bit of buildings and scenery. Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Chris Loads of different ways of building, I build on to tracing paper and use very narrow strips of double sided tape to hold the sleepers in place. I use superglue to stick the slide chairs to the rail. The tracing paper can be just pealed off carefully Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Dark Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 Thanks Paul that's a great looking layout, My technique was as described in the pack i bought for my first point. Lay sleepers with double sided tape onto plan, push sleepers into place on rail and glue down, then repeat for each section. The actual production of the track i found straight forward with each one being better made, it's just the fragility i found slightly frustraiting. If i build it in place I would still need to move it to lay the cork underneath. Thanks for your help though both of you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulG Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Thanks Paul that's a great looking layout, My technique was as described in the pack i bought for my first point. Lay sleepers with double sided tape onto plan, push sleepers into place on rail and glue down, then repeat for each section. The actual production of the track i found straight forward with each one being better made, it's just the fragility i found slightly frustraiting. If i build it in place I would still need to move it to lay the cork underneath. Thanks for your help though both of you. Chris I don't put cork under the track any more, as I don't see the need and nor the added cost. Once you have saturated the track, ballast and cork with glue it's as rigid in my view to laying track direct onto the ply baseboard. I photocopy the s&c plans which are glued to the baseboard, use spray mount permanent to fix the s&c sleepers to the plans/baseboard, pin the long sections of plain line and it all gets lost under the ballast. Once set I pull out the pins which I leave proud. The top photo above is the completed track work seen under construction in the third photo. In the photo are eight points, two single slips and a double slip, which made for "fun" building and fitting point motors under the baseboard! We are following a BR detailed survey plan carried out in the 1950s, just prior to the electrification works/Colchester rebuilding works, so it follows the prototype! The track runs fine now and its tempting to start some ballasting, but I've still got a double track junction (up/down Norwich to up/down Clacton), two switches into loco yard, plus loco depot point work seen in the bottom photo to complete! Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Dark Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Paul, how do you find the noise without the use of cork? Using standard Hornby track it wasn't always loud but noticeable. the layout i am creating is a small 2x8ft practice layout so nothing will be moving at high speed. I guess the whole point of a test layout is to try things but i don't want to keep ripping the track up at risk of damaging it. I do like your idea of building the track in place as i can see some big advantages to that. thanks again for your help. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulG Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Paul, how do you find the noise without the use of cork? Using standard Hornby track it wasn't always loud but noticeable. the layout i am creating is a small 2x8ft practice layout so nothing will be moving at high speed. I guess the whole point of a test layout is to try things but i don't want to keep ripping the track up at risk of damaging it. I do like your idea of building the track in place as i can see some big advantages to that. thanks again for your help. Chris Once all the track was glued down solid, I wasn't finding the cork provided and noticeable sound benefit, so don't bother any more. Cork just added to time to build the layout and of course it is easier to draw out the layout on ply than cork sheet. Care was also needed to make sure where you butt join the cork, it remained flat. Because of the cost of cork, I was only putting it under the track which added to time to carefully mark the the extent of the track shoulder; laying the track on the ply, taking it up to lay the cork etc All the track in the photos (except the fiddle yard) is at present just pinned to the baseboard - I use the "Tracksetta" metal straight and curved templates, which have slots in them letting you pin the track at about 5" centres, together with a 12" steel rule which is 25mm wide and I find OK for setting parallel tracks. - and all the test running is being done before anything is glued in place! I only knock the pins part way in and bend the tops over for clearance, so they can easily be pulled out once the track is glued in place. Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Dark Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 I think I will try glueing down a spare bit of flexi and give it a go on the weekend. How do you deal with the holes for point motors and droppers, do you cover up with some cardboard or something? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Welly Posted July 9, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 9, 2014 As the title says, I hadn't paid much attention to the flexi track I bought until i was laying it on the weekend, when I realised that the sleeper depth seems a long way off scale? is there a particular reason for this? they way people ballast etc. Short answer: some plastic sleepers are thin in order to be at the same height as ply sleepers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Welly Don't think that applied to SMP but I could be very wrong, however I think C&L was designed with that in mind so it could be completable with those using the Brooke Smith track construction. As for sound reduction I think the only solution is to fill the void under the board. using Laytex rather than PVA may help. But cork, foam or any other trackbed material is also used to create the ballast shoulder / cesspits that run along the running line Droppers use just small holes and the holes for point motors depend on which motor/method is used Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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