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The track is being laid using conventional techniques: I'm no expert in this field and I've taken a lot of advice. I'm indebted to the help given by Malcolm Alberry in convincing me to get on with it and stop worrying!
The track is laid onto 3mm cork sheet. The cork provides a flexible, sound deadening surface. The sheet is laid in the whole track area, and glued down with PVA. After the glue has set, any bumps at the joins are sanded flat.
The track plan is marked onto the cork using appropriate measuring instruments. The curves are marked using a "trammel": essentially this is a large compass with adjustable length. For "internal" bends, the centre is over the baseboard and a fixed length of string would do; for "external" bends, a tripod has been used as the centre.
The track is conventional Peco code 55 with Peco joiners and Seep point motors. The track is glued into place using "Evo Stik": this is applied from a tube, which is convenient for laying a small "bead" along the length. Strictly this is supposed to be an impact adhesive, applied to both sides and allowed to go tacky. I've ignored that, laid a wet bed of glue and put the track straight onto it; it is then workable for around 7 minutes. After the track is in the right position, it is pressed into the glue using a wallpaper seam roller then pinned down using drawing pins.
I have trouble remembering to follow simple instructions repetitively, so I produced a checklist.
I've been given a few tips, which are reflected in the bullet points below:
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Prepare fishplates before fitting them. I have a small piece of track in a pin vice, which is used to open out the ends. Beware of turning up the end of the fishplate when adding it onto a piece of track, and check it assembles before using glue.
- When adding points, add the insulating fishplates to the point
frog straight away: this makes it less likely they will be forgotten.
Remember that crossovers will need all 8 loins to have insulating fishplates.
- Don't forget to put the "cosmetic" extra two sleepers
under the fishplates BEFORE joining the new track.
- Points have a hole drilled for the point motor actuating rod
BEFORE gluing down. Mark through the hole and drill through with a
6.5mm drill. It can conveniently be marked using either a very fine
tip pen, or by stamping into the cork with a discarded piece of
actuating rod. I try to "waggle" the drill from side to
side under the baseboard to make the hole wider at the bottom.
- After laying the bed of glue, put a small piece a raised wood (a
"bridge") over the far end of the track section so the glue
isn't touched until the first end has been joined onto its fishplates.
- Where possible, I'm using the "Tracksetta" templates. However most radii aren't the "standard" ones, so I can only use them in some places. however they do provide a good guide as to whether curvature is approximately constant.
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This shows the method of marking "external" bends in the track. The "internal"bends can be done similarly with a smaller tripod, or with string. Visible in the left foreground is a piece of track that has been pinned down by drawing pins. These push partway in, but then need to be tapped with a hammer GENTLY to the rail head. |
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This is the tool to prepare fishplates for insertion onto the track. It will save a lot of fingertips! |
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