Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page
David dives into laying track in the staging yard on our N scale project railroad, but before he even opens that brand-new box of flextrack, there’s a lot of other work to do, including painting the roadbed, drilling holes for the switch motors, and installing the yard ladders. Since most of the staging yard will be difficult to work on once the rest of the layout is built, shares his techniques for laying track that remains reliable for years to come.
David, great tutorial on how to lay turnouts. How do you install turnouts when they are frog to frog ? Do I isolate both rails or just the diverging route .
Chuck
I missed the episodes of track laying until now. Sorry about that. I am wondering why you elected to paint the cork? Thanks.
David, I cut all of my track connectors apart and trim the extra flash off and have a large supply of them ready when I start laying the track. I hated that they dug into my thumb and fingers so I made a track connector insert tool. I cut off a section of track and inserted it into the end of a piece of dowel. Then I glued it in. After the glue dried I put a track connector about 1/2 way onto the piece of track sticking out of the end of the dowel. I then soildered a small piece of track behind the connector so it will not move. This lets me place the connectors on any track with out problems and also gives me a tool to make sure the connector is open on each end. The tighter it is when you first place it on the track, the better. Thinking about your video and how you place the connectors on the track I would make a second one and cut a grove in the edge of the dowel and epoxy the track top into the grove and make the rest of the tool the same way with the piece of track as a stop.
I work in HO but this is the way I cut the turnout motor opening. I use a multi-tool. This has many blades and there is one that would be great for “N” scale. In ho I mark the ties just as you did but I cut the hole completely from track to track. I start with the tool directly just inside the line and angle the tool out so the hole into the plywood is just a little larger than the top where the track is. This is nice because you don’t have to cut any cork away and the slot (not a hole but now a slot) can be used to center the throw rod on the switch motor. It really works great!!! The throw bar completely covers the slot. You could have the slot mostly covered in “N” scale… The slot is much neater that the drill holes and actually smaller in diameter. Since the rod is very small, that is all it needs.
Just curious…why solder the rails and leave some obvious gaps on one side between where the rails meet while the other side meets flush??? . The one gap that clearly shows up to me is obviously enough Id think to possibly derail an N scale loco wheel set traveling over it, especially lighter rolling stock. Why not take a moment to use a rotary tool and slightly true up the ends to equal length so there is no gap when pushed together and soldered. Wouldn’t be enough rail material lost to move the turnout out of line for the throw rods. Also, I always use the small file to light touch the bottom of the rail joining area on each rail to insure “fresh” metal is touching the rail joiners to help insure a good connect for soldering. Even when new out of the box some turnouts have a little age or injection mold residue buildup on the rails…worse if its been sitting on the workbench for months waiting to be used. I’ve even run a small file a few light strokes on the inside webs of the joiners themselves to eliminate any buildup that might be there to help with contact to the rail itself. I try to play every percentage possible. All in all, good general info.
I am impressed with the attention to detail,
And amused by the do overs or corrections from each installment
You mention cork bulging up when drilled through it. When using HO turnouts with the throw in the center of the switchrod, how is this avoided? Do you cut the entire section of cork out or use a larger drill bit negating a bulge because of a larger hole?
Wow! Who is the awsome band that play the intro? Sounds like The Cranberries. I want a CD of theirs.
Hi David, any particular reason why you chose Peco code 55 rather than any other available track? I’m a Brit now about to use Atlas Code 55 Turnouts and Flexitrack for my American N scale layout because it seems more authentic given the sleeper spacing and rail profile – am I missing something?
I enjoyed the segment, are the turnouts you are using DDC friendly?
David, I have an old dental probe that will fit into the loop of the toggle spring from the back of the turnout. (A long narrow metal scriber will also work but these are hard to find.) With this I can flip the toggle spring out without removing the plate.
I enjoyed this episode as it reminded me that after 60 years of laying track I can still learn to improve my work.
David, particularly like your tips learned from your Naugatuck and other layout experience – installing rail joiners BEFORE installing turnouts and pinning the turnouts in place for soldering prior to gluing to road bed. Also clamping the Dremel tool to the bench for drilling the ties rather than trying to hand hold. Looking forward to the helix and scenery.
David great session on laying N scale track turnouts. They are more complicated than HO scale turnouts because of their smaller size. Two thoughts, nail driver sets are good so long as you buy one with a cupped end that fits over the nail head and wouldN’t a slightly darker shade of gray been more realistic for painting the cork and base? Closer to ballast colors seen in CN footage? Thanks.
David used gray caulk because he chose gray paint as a finished look. The thought is everything matches here, as this section of the layout is visible and not hidden.
David, is there any particular reason you use the gray caulk? I also use DynaFlex 230 caulk when laying track but I use the clear caulk that goes on white and dries clear. The nice thing about is that you know when it is dry just be looking at it.
I’m not sure how David plans to install the Tortoises, but it looks like it won’t be the easy way. I’ve learned that you can drill that first hole for the actuating rod in the baseboard, then leave the drill bit in the hole so you can get to it from below. Then cut out the square drilling template from the Tortoise instructions (or photocopy), poke a hole in the paper at the spot for the actuator rod hole, cover the back with white glue, and push the paper template up against the baseboard bottom with the drill bit going through the hole you poked in the template. Then fine tune the position as needed and let the glue dry. That way you know exactly where to drill the holes for the #4 mounting screws. Also, for some reason, Circuitron hasn’t really advertised the fact that they now have a Tortoise with a decoder in it called a Smail.
If using Peco switch motors with Peco turnouts a hole can be cut in the ply and the motor can be connected directly to the turnout with the 4 rectangular holes on the turnout, this can save a lot of space when dealing with limited clearance. Handy for the upper deck.
It would appear, David, that you and the rest of the Model Railroader staff are not using a frog juicer on the layout switches. A couple questions about that: 1. As frog juicers improve the reliability of operation, what lead you not to use them? 2: For those who do decide to use Frog Juicers, would you have any advice on installing them on Peco Code 55 turnouts?
An example of a company that makes from juicers (so that you understand what I’m talking about is Fast Tracks. Which not only have the options on the following page available (http://www.handlaidtrack.com/frogjuicers) also have an SPDT switch (which can be used for the same purpose) in their Bullfrog Turnout Throw (http://www.handlaidtrack.com/bf-0002).
Not being all that familiar with N scale, I wonder if it was absolutely necessary to put the metal tab thing (holding the spring) back.
Hi. As you appear to be using electrofrog turnouts what happened to the wiring etc of the frog?
This beats any book on the subject of laying track that I have ever read. Really like your clear, step by step instruction.