here's a little of the work i've done

[thatboy37]

here's a few pics of the work i've done. i started working about 6:30 last night and didn't finish until 3:00 this morning.

1st the track plan i've drawn up so far hope you can see it

next is track laying process getting started

the next 3 are of the finished half circle

the 1sr rider to ride on the rails my mow ballast tamper i hooked up my zw80 to give it a little power and low and behold it worked.

here's my first attempt at sorldering wires to the track and i think i did a great job, and there is no intererence with the flangs of the cars when it passes this point.

well this process of me laying the track takes a little bit longer than it does with the fastrack. it took me one night to set up the layout with the fastrack but it took me 8 1/2 hours just to lay 12 pieces of the gargraves track. most deffinitly this here will take a lot longer to do as this is a more hands on way of buildng a layout. but i'm satisfied with the work i have done and also the way it looks. plus doing it this way i think know i will get more satisfaction out if this because i my time with it and i think its going to look like a professional did it when its done. i might even go into business after i get done with mine. hope you like tell me what you think.

[tmcc man]

Looks pretty good. But what did you do with all of the Fastrack?

[thatboy37]

i have it in the sitting area waiting to be sold.

[tmcc man]

Not to be rude, but how much are you trying to get for it, and how much track is being sold? 

[thatboy37]

i will private message you about the selling of the track but thanks for the compliment about the track.

[mpzpw3]

   Great progress!! Looks like Gargraves is working out well for you.

   I do have a little known tip for you, though. Go out and buy some sheet rock screws. Instead of drilling holes in the ties, install a sheet rock screw between the ties, where the head is pushing down on both ties. This is the way I did mine. Using this method, when you are done ballasting the track, you can remove the sheet rock screw, and there will be no hole in the tie. I am assuming you are going to glue down the ballast when you are done, of course.  I read this in an old magazine, and it works very well.

   Again, it looks really good!!

[Anonymous]

Reggie

Pic's look great and so does the layout.

To respace the ties,I have used the end of a pencil.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Looks great man! 

I don't use that much of Gargraves on my layout, but is it possible to solder to the bottom of the rail?

[tmcc man]

Buckeye, I believe it is possible to solder the underside. I think modular layouts do that when they have small or custom cut pieces of track.

[Anonymous]

Yes

Where you are going to connect the wire to the rail, tin that spot on the rail and tin the wire.Then connect the two together and solder them.

The black center rail, you need to clean off the black and have bare steel showing first. Then do the step listed above.

[lionelsoni]

I solder stranded 14 AWG wires to my tubular rails, but not on the bottom.  I just put them on the side of the track away from the edge of the layout.  That way, I can get them off when I need to; but they're not normally visible.  I recommend soldering to the outside of the outside rails, to avoid completely any interference with the wheel flanges.

[thatboy37]

thats what i did. used my dremmel sanded the center rail and tried to solder and thats what it came out looking like for the first time. is there like a certian way to get the solder to stay on the track and not the hot iron tool. and do any of you have a pic of maybe some soldering you did. that may give some ideas of what the ending result may look like. also have any of you used the clips that stick under the track in between the middle of the inside rail and they have one thats long enough for the inside rail also. they hang out far enough so you can attach wires to them. i saw this on the gargraves track laying tape if so how do they work and whats your experience. again thanks for the compliments

[Garfield]

The best tip I can give you about getting the solder to stick to the track instead of the iron is to

1. Place the iron on the track

2. Hold it there till the track gets hot ( after you do it a few times you will know)

3. Keep the iron on, THEN bring the solder to the track.  Don't touch the solder to the iron.  Instead get the track hot enough the solder will stick to it.

 

I will admit I have soldered to track rarley, but I have worked in sevral electronics factorys and a 2 way radio shop, and I soldered a bunch there.

BTW the track looks great

I hope this helps, If not rember what I charged for it

[darianj]

Looks good so far Reg.  I admire you...you really have to be pacient to get to that point you were at and then start over.  But in the end, you'll have a layout that looks much better.

 Keep up the good work!