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The (in)sanity of hand laid track…with concrete ties…and clips

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  • Member since
    August 2009
  • 8 posts
The (in)sanity of hand laid track…with concrete ties…and clips
Posted by AMZs on Friday, June 9, 2017 8:04 AM

Fellow modelers,

Since I found very little about the topic of handlaying concrete ties, I made a little mockup. Thus, I seek your opinion and experiences, if any, about it. I wrote a little article how I made it, you can read it here.

Thanks!

Handlaid track with concrete ties and rail clips

 

 

 

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Friday, June 9, 2017 11:49 AM

I can see where the word "insanity" came up for the topic.

Very interesting.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • 89 posts
Posted by trevorsmith3489 on Friday, June 9, 2017 2:03 PM

AMZs

Fellow modelers,

Since I found very little about the topic of handlaying concrete ties, I made a little mockup. Thus, I seek your opinion and experiences, if any, about it. I wrote a little article how I made it, you can read it here.

Thanks!

Handlaid track with concrete ties and rail clips

 

 

 

 

 

I am a member of a small group of modellers who have built two layouts with handbuilt track - some switches and concrete tie plain track with pandrol clips.

https://roundtreessidings.wordpress.com/version-one-rts-1/

Start here and then follow to relevant pages which include links to manufacturers of the ties and clips. 

 

Trevor

 

 

 

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Friday, June 9, 2017 2:27 PM

I see that the above layout failed from flimsy framing (ah, alliteration!  see: gorilla glue).  Too bad, as it looked very nice.

That problem is something that is a constant in Free-mo.  Well, for some modules, not all.  Modules that are flimsy tend to get sidelined and/or retired and/or rebuilt.

 

Ed 

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Southwest US
  • 12,914 posts
Posted by tomikawaTT on Friday, June 9, 2017 2:53 PM

Well, you did answer my (tongue in cheek) question about where to get 1:80 (close enough) scale Pandrol clips.

However, I'm not even tempted to hand-lay plain-Jane track.  And my prototype kept the wood ties under specialwork.  So, while I hand-lay the latter, I have sufficient Atlas concrete-tie flex on hand to finish the pertinent work - the final part of which is coloring the white plastic clips with black paint.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

  • Member since
    August 2009
  • 8 posts
Posted by AMZs on Friday, June 9, 2017 3:36 PM

Trevor,

Thank you for the link, very nice work. :)

  • Member since
    January 2013
  • From: PA
  • 481 posts
Posted by Schuylkill and Susquehanna on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 1:22 PM

The track looks amazing!  Great job!

I would suggest using something in addition to CA to secure the rails, though.  I've had issues with CA letting go if the rails get bumped by a tool, or when soldering on feeders.  Personally, I like soldering to PCB ties when handlaying track and turnouts - usually replacing every 5th or 6th tie with PCB.

 

Modeling the Pennsy and loving it!

  • Member since
    August 2009
  • 8 posts
Posted by AMZs on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 7:53 AM

Thanks!

I was thinking exactly the same; use a different adhesive for longer sections because I am afraid that CA is too brittle and would not be able to deal with expansion and contraction of rail due to temperature changes. The connection might just shear off. I would need to try something more flexible. I guess sneaking in a well-disguised PCB tie could do it.

 

 

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