chaz Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I am just about to start hand laying track on my On30 layout. I'm going to be spiking code 82 rail to ties which I will cut myself (I have a Proxxon circular saw). I have a copy of the Kalmbach book "Trackwork and Lineside Detail" which has a chapter on hand-laying track. In this the author, Jim Mansfield, recommends using balsa for the ties. I have my doubts about the wisdom of balsa - if the spikes are pushed home will not the rail impress the surface leading to distortion of the rail and consequent dips in the rail and variations in cross level? On a previous (aborted) On30 layout I used ties cut from 3mm birch plywood. These worked well enough but the appearance of the edges of plywood ties counts against their use. My alternative could be to buy some lime (available in sheet form) and strip this up for ties. Do you have experience of hand-laying track and so can tell me of your experience/practice? Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I use C&L ply sleepers 1.6 mm thick, I believe they also do 3.2 mm thick sleepers. I guess pilot holes would be the order of the day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 I use C&L ply sleepers 1.6 mm thick, I believe they also do 3.2 mm thick sleepers. I guess pilot holes would be the order of the day. Thanks for that John. Could you tell me what scale you are working in with 1.6mm ties? The plywood ties I was using on my first foray into hand laid track were 3mm and, yes, I drilled a 0.7mm pilot hole before pushing in the spikes. They didn't look too bad once they were ballasted - maybe I should stick with ply? I just wanted to get some alternative views before I start in on track laying. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Chas I use 7 mm scale (10" & 12") both standard and narrow gauges, They also sell 4 mm scale ( C&L / Exactoscale) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted February 23, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 23, 2014 Steve Sims used balsa timbers on his Bleadon trainset, a WC & P 7mm layout which having been sold on about 15 years ago, but remains on the exhibition circuit. I spent quite a while distressing said sleepers and timbers with my thumb nail whilst drinking coffee. Flat bottom rail is used spiked down using Peco track spikes. SS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 Steve Sims used balsa timbers on his Bleadon trainset, a WC & P 7mm layout which having been sold on about 15 years ago, but remains on the exhibition circuit. I spent quite a while distressing said sleepers and timbers with my thumb nail whilst drinking coffee. Flat bottom rail is used spiked down using Peco track spikes. SS Thanks for that SS. Can you say what section the rail was? I'm guessing that WC & P track in 7mm would use fairly light rail. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted February 23, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 23, 2014 Hi Chaz, Off the top of me head I would say that it was probably code 100 rail, it will be a week wednesday before I see Steve again to confirm it. Cheers SS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 I bought a piece of 1/8" balsa and cut some ties. No need for a saw, scalpel is fine. I stained them with artist's acrylics (a dilute mix of Vandyke brown and black) and glued them on a plywood offcut. This will be a test piece. Later I will spike some rail down. Check out... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/79942-the-furness-valley-railroad/ for further progress. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Chaz, Cloverhouse http://cloverhouse.com/Store/product_info.php?cPath=35_82&products_id=2517 a US supplier use Suger Pine for their wood ties. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 Chaz, Cloverhouse http://cloverhouse.com/Store/product_info.php?cPath=35_82&products_id=2517 a US supplier use Suger Pine for their wood ties. Best, Pete. Thanks for the link Pete. I'm sure that many different materials would serve for ties. I'm hoping the balsa works well in my test as it's so easy to cut to size and certainly looks the part. It takes acrylic as a stain well and is easy to distress. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 You're right it's a useful experiment...... Redwood is another but I'm guessing it is a wood too far in the UK..... Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 OK - decision made. Balsa it is. Sample looks good and there don't appear to be any problems caused by the soft nature of the wood. Of course the spikes are secure in a pre-drilled hole in the plywood roadbed. Having cut the strips with a scalpel and then cut the ties to length with a razor blade I like the slightly dodgy look of some of the ends. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Chaz Looks very good and the odd ragged end is convincing. Not knowing the size of locos and stock, it looks very light weight construction. On the other hand it might be the size of the spikes making the sleepers look a bit small. Though when in situ with scenery the spikes may not be so obvious. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 I like the colour too. Photo of modern shortline track (though "regular" gauge) in Pennsylvania: Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 Chaz Looks very good and the odd ragged end is convincing. Not knowing the size of locos and stock, it looks very light weight construction. On the other hand it might be the size of the spikes making the sleepers look a bit small. Though when in situ with scenery the spikes may not be so obvious. Stock running over the FVRR will be Bachmann On30. Forgive my ignorance of spiked track - I seem to recall reading that rail was only spiked to every fourth tie on US NG - is that correct? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 I like the colour too. Photo of modern shortline track (though "regular" gauge) in Pennsylvania: IMG_20181.jpg Best, Pete. Thanks for the posted photo. Colour seems bang on! I won't be trying to model the machining marks all over the top surface of the ties.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Stock running over the FVRR will be Bachmann On30. Forgive my ignorance of spiked track - I seem to recall reading that rail was only spiked to every fourth tie on US NG - is that correct? I have only (constantly) heard of US MODELLERS spiking (or soldering) to every fourth tie. A labor saving technique that is very popular here if you read US modelling magazines and follow their "track doesn't need to be modelled, it's just a necessary evil for running model trains on" philosophy. A few NG lines didn't use tie plates under their rail, but many did, and of course all standard gauge lines do (and almost all did from very early on). Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 Thanks for that Andy. I understand your point about labour saving - so real NG rail would be spiked to every tie - always seemed more likely to me On my aborted version of the FVRR I did only spike every fourth tie but I drew in the missing spikes with a pen. You had to look very closely to see the cheat. Whether the FVRR will use tie plates under the rail will depend on how much extra work it will involve and how much difference it will make to the look. I suppose a thin card strip, painted rust coloured might serve. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Metr0Land Posted March 28, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 28, 2014 Have you tried the railpictures.net site? There's a whole host of subjects you can click on but if you select eg Durango and the year-span 1960-69 you can get some 'real' pics. ie It may have been a tourist RR even then, but prob a lot more hand to mouth than today's operation. Needless to say very few pics clearly show ties* and spike but this one does: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=391158&nseq=1 *It doesn't help that ballast/ash is up to rail height in a lot of pics! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 Have you tried the railpictures.net site? There's a whole host of subjects you can click on but if you select eg Durango and the year-span 1960-69 you can get some 'real' pics. ie It may have been a tourist RR even then, but prob a lot more hand to mouth than today's operation. Needless to say very few pics clearly show ties* and spike but this one does: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=391158&nseq=1 *It doesn't help that ballast/ash is up to rail height in a lot of pics! Thanks for the link, I will investigate the site. Those D&RG 2-8-2s are heavy metal and their use dictates some fairly heavy rail - a bit different to the weight I intend for the FVRR (code 82). Chaz Edit - had a quick look at the railpictures.net site and found some excellent photos, and not just of the NG. I could spend a lot of time trawling through this stuff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 RailPictures.Net is brilliant except for their search facilities which can be very annoying.... I'm a member but not of the paying variety. The best thing to do is to start your own "Favourites" listing - and stick in there anything you like as you come across it. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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