hey guys. I just got my Proto87 Stores shipment in the mail today (yay!!) full of my sweet F&E turnout kits, with Andy's beauuuutiful frogs, wicked cool and prototypical Ultimate Throwbars, and 3-way-planed points. These all will be built on CV #7 turnout strips.
Now, I was just sitting here answering an email from Andy, and a thought dawned on me: I use extruded foam as my subroadbed. Does anyone else here handlay with the same subroadbed? I ask, because sometimes it takes a good bit of force, relatively speaking, to get a spike into a tie. My concern is that when his happens, will it cause any dents in the foam? You can lean on the foam, and indent it a bit. Or do you think that this probably will be a non-issue?
I'm going to be using cork and/or luan plywood if I can get my hands on some, because thats what I used on my first test turnout and its the same thickness as HO roadbed. So, with the cork, I'm thinking that there won't be as much of an issue with getting spikes in as long as I prep the ties with a safety pin or needle. I have some pre-cut turnout cork roadbed things, but I don't think they're big enough for my #7's, because I'm thinking about just using glue for the turnouts because I want to make them at my workbench and then install them on the layout.
anyway, yeah. indents into the foam from spiking?
Greg--
Just a thought from here: If you were to partially drill through the ties where you are going to spike, then GENTLY force the spike through, you shouldn't 'dig' into the extruded foam. And after that, a drop of gap-filling CA at each spike point should hold the rail pretty firmly. It might be a lot slower, but you wouldn't be having to use so much force down on the tie. I use extruded foam for my layout base--and WS foam for my roadbed--and I've found out that once the extruded foam is dented, the dent STAYS there.
I don't hand-lay my track, so I could be way off base, but perhaps this might work for you.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
Personally, i've never used foam, I prefer Lunan for my roadbed, the heck with noise, guess i'm old school for not embracing the foam fad. I do predrill my ties in specific locations, such as special trackwork and expansive curves, that and some Polibond have never failed.
Dave
I tried spiking rail onto wood ties on cork on foam and didn't like it, felt too "squishy" for me. Why don't you just glue the rails into the CV tie strips an not bother with spiking all together?
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
I handlay all of my specialwork on a sandwich consisting of (from the top down):
So far, I've had no problem about having to use excessive force when driving Micro-Mark spikes. The latex caulk seems to help anchor the spikes vertically, and the cardstock anchors them laterally. I can see where use of harder ties might require partial pre-drilling of spike holes.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Since foam doesn't hold fasteners, spikes, or track nails, I made soft pine roadbed to lay on top of the foam and accept the spikes and track nails.
You might be able to handlay right on the foam. Glue the ties in place, sand the tops level, stain them creosote color, and spike the rail to the ties. Never tried it that way, and I would worry that the ties don't have enough beef to hold the spikes down properly. I'd feel better about a real spikable roadbed like pine or homosote.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
loathar wrote:Let me know how you like those throw bars. The way Andy says to build them didn't make any sense to me.
lol... nothing on his site makes sense. haha. They're way cool, and simple. Check out Wedudler's website for his Westport Terminal/Diamond Valley.
The way you do it is this: you have the main throwbar, and those actually have the DUMMY ultimate throwbar hooks. They simple squeeze the rail base against the throwbar. The 2nd one, closer towards the frog, is where the holes in the base/web of the rail are drilled, and this is where the throwbar hooks that actually hook into the rail are located, if this makes sense. I don't know why he did it that way, but thats the way he did it.
dude, and those things are freakin TINY. like ***. they're so cool though
http://www.westportterminal.de/H0-USA/turnout_5e.html
DeadheadGreg:
I hand lay my code 83 Atlas flex track; I have never tried the individual tie and track thing, but I do use blue foam as a sub road-bed. I have noticed that the track nails hold pretty good, but I don't know how it would work with individual tie and track with spikes.
This whole section is resting just on the blue foam and the nails do fine. Fortunately I don't have to hammer the nails.
Even this Walthers Three Way stays in place. The balast is a mixture of sand box sand and black and white tempra powered paints. If I pre-drill the nail doesn't hold as well.
If I just open the hole with a track nail I can just use my thumb to puch the nails through.
I've got one more section of bench work to build, may try the "hand laying' there.
Robert Sylvester, WTRR