Let me start with some basic info I am a beginner. Model railroading for many years was just a spectator sport for me since I was very young now I am steping of the sidelines to build my own layout.
I am modeling in HO and the majority of my track except for the turn outs will be flex track. I have been planning my layout for about a year now bench work has been built and is just waiting for track to be layed down..The area I have to work with is a strict 4' to 5' by 14' space in our wreck room (this is all my wife will alow) So I figured I would just build the bench work because no matter how I plan the layout this is the room I have to work with
Anyway I want to put the track down temporarily to just run some trains to see if I am happy with the track plan I came up with before I make it permanent. What is the best way to do this. I was thinking I would just use long push pins to pin the flex track down into the foam board but I am afraid that this won't work.I am afraid that the flex track will just snap itself straight and yank the push pins out but then maybe not. So I am wondering if this is a good idea or if there is a better way.
My track plan is 90% drawen in XTrkCad and the other 10% is in my head I will maybe post it up on here when I finsih it for some feedback
The toughest thing you'll find the first time you work with flex track is getting a smooth curve. Transfering the plan from whatever you used to make it up to the layout is where most newbies have the problem. Most people use a trammel or a string compass to draw the curves on the actual layout surface. Push pins, as long as they're small enouh diameter to go through the holes in the ties, and don't stick up enough to interfere with the trains running on the track should be just fine. As an alternative, you can use wire brads (find a good hardware store) or the more expensive track nails from the hobby shop.
A good place for basic info on just about all facets of model railroading is the National Model Railroad Association. A link to their beginner's page for trackwork:
http://www.nmra.org/beginner/track.html
For truly temporary track I fall back on a supply of sectional track that my sister collected at yard sales. For test track to prove out a design I use flex, pre-curved to something close to the required radius and anchored to the foam roadbed with track nails - in every hole and outside the rails between ties if necessary to convince the flex to stay where I put it. If I'm finalizing the track plan for construction I lay the flex on card stock, similar in thickness and strength to the boxes saltine crackers come in. (It can be obtained from a big-box office supply store in 20X30 sheets.) The card stock provides the lateral stability that the bare foam lacks.
Older Shinohara flex can be gently worked to form, and will hold a curve nicely. Atlas flex requires some gentle persuasion. As I type, there's a length of Atlas flex that I bent to 350mm radius (just under 14") that has held that curvature for a month (of 100+ degree days) without being anchored to anything. Since I haven't used any other brands, I can't report on how they will react.
Happy tracklaying.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - on flex track with hand-laid turnouts)
This is strictly Opinion, take al or nothing soley at the face value, but from another beginner who might be just one stp ahead of where you are.... So here goes.
For every model railroad I've built up to now, I've built plans from books, paying little or no attention to the design aspect or the reasons behind why the designers did what they did. This was a BIG mistake, because after years in the hobby, I am embarrased to say how many, I'm finally learning something about operations... Some of these guys have kindly taken the time to help me in a big way.The railroad I am building now, and the final track plan I decided on after weeks of playing with another plan I produced, are a lot different, in their real world style, my plan was fun to run"having pinned track and roadbed in place with several hundred T pins... BTW I've always used sectional track to lay out the plans, trace around the track with a sharpie and then run trains for a week or so to decide if i really like the plan and then take up the track and lay roadbed on my tracings and then affix the track to the roadbed...
But my plan was missing the connective tissue between toy trains becoming a model railroad...
The Cad programs are nice, I use Right Track because its free and I can get Atlas stuff off the shelf at my LHS, but Cuyama (Byron Henderson) and a great many oothers here recommend that if you are seriously considering a plan you have designed in aCAD program, that you put elements of it together to see if it will work in your space... When you post track plans here, post the drawing within an outline of your layout space... There are a lot more things to do with 4' or 5' x 14' than building a single rectangular table... My advice would be post your layout sketch with your layout apace drawn in...
As for trackage, even though I am laying flex, I like to lay it out with sectional the first time just to be sure...
if you want to temporarily lay your flex track, i also recommend the "T" pins. you can get a box of 50 from Wally-Mart for $2. i place the pins between the ties on the outside of the rails with the "t" part holding down two ties. it's not necessary to push the pins though the holes in the ties. be carefule not to push the pins in too far and bend the ties.
if you do use flex track for a temporary trial run, some brands bend back to straight quite easily while others don't.
having fun is the priority. post a schematic of your pike.
If you want to temporarily put down track, and try some different things, your best bet would be Kato Unitrack. You might find after using it that you don't really need to use flextrack afterall.
In April '08 MR issue there was an article about building a helix. The helix was in such a place and fashion that the flex track used did not need to look pretty. The track was screwed down with wood screws between the ties. A washer was used between the ties and screw head that was narrow enough to fit between the rails, and fitted the angled profile of head bottom of a wood screw. It also all low enough that it didn't protrude past the rail height, so there was no worries of something catching the screw head/washer. Another way and I used on test track (by incedent, not nessecity) is to use tack nails. All I had was an average hammer so when it came to it I nailed a nail in the tie hole untill nail head was rail height, then took a pair of small nippers and cut off the nail head just below the rail height. The nail in the tie's nail hole was a tight enough fit the track wouldn't move up and down, and once the nail was cut down (a few even cut down to top of ties) it was out of the way. When it came down to more temporary track, the track could be raised and a pliers gripped to the nail to pull it out of the wood.
Here are a couple of suggestions.
Get a yard stick, drill a hole for a pencil or felt marker to fit in, drill another hole the proper distance from the first hole to get the radius you want. Use a nail and push it in the foam and swing the yard stick to get your curve.
When using flex track on a curve solder the rail joiners so the track will stay togther and make a smooth curve.
Get paper clips or hair pins and cut them appropiately to fit over the ties on the outside if the rail and push them into the foam. They will stay in place and hold the track for years and will not be in the way of your rolling stock. In fact you could leave them in and balast over them or you can pull them anytime you want.
Also you will need to be able to walk around the layout with that much width. A 30 inch reach is considered to be the maximum.
Bob
Don't Ever Give Up
I asked this same question almost two years ago. The best answer I got was to use T pins. I used 1 1/4" on 2" foam and that worked great. DON'T put them through the holes in the track if you plan to re use it. Have the --- Part rest over the tie and the I part hold the side of it. The hard part is if you have to cut flex track to fit the plan. I used a mix of sectioanl, flex and CL turnouts.
ratled
Modeling the Klamath River area in HO on a proto-lanced sub of the SP “The State of Jefferson Line”
Hey Parailway,
I left out one important detail if you use the haipin or paper clip idea.. You will need to use W-S foam roadbed. You might experiment on cork but I imagine it would be difficult to push them in. I liked the hairpins because they come in brown or black color and are not as thick as the clips.
The foam roadbed works well also. If you will have any transitions in your track the foam bed eases that as well.
Thank you everyone for your help. I have some wire brads that I used to build an under the christmas tree layout a few years back that I forgot that I had. Tom the first person who replyed to my post suggested useing them and it seems to be working good.
One of my neighbors where I used to live was having a yard sale and he was selling this big box of track for like 5 bucks and in the box along with a bunch of sectional track was 3 boxes of 5 piece flex track. All of the sectional track is 19" radius stuff. I want my main line to have a minimum radius of 24". I would rather not use flex track for a temporary layout but it was the only way with out spending a lot of money Between the turnouts I bought and the foam board I spent a couple hundred bucks this weekend as it is.
The flex track I am using is Atlas and It does kind of suck to fight with the stuff to hold the curve to connect it together. it's the track where one rail stays put and the other one moves. I am going to hit Wal-mart and get some T-pins for the outside of the rails so the track will hold the curve a little better. Hopefully I will get to run some trains soon.
Thanks again everyone for your help.