Using flextrack and sectional at the same time?

[The Milwaukee Road Warrior]

I have several areas on my layout that have somewhat complex trackage: the throat tracks into my (newly acquired!) Milwaukee Everett Street Station, the area around my diesel servicing terminal, and my (greatly condensed) West Milwaukee Shops yards.  I'm laying cord roadbed now and have not laid any track yet.  This is HO scale code 100 Atlas flextrack primarily, with Atlas Customline turnouts, diamonds, wyes etc. interspersed where needed.

My question: when you are modeling compressed areas like this where you have short sections between switches/diamonds etc is there any benefit to switching to sectional track to lessen the cutting of flextrack to fit these spaces?

Granted, the chances that a piece of sectional track will exactly fit the gap are small, but I'm just curious if modelers here have found it a bit easier to place some sectional track rather than cutting up a bunch of different small pieces of flextrack with a motor tool.

Maybe I'm not really gaining anything....?  Trying to decide..

[mbinsewi]

I've fitted in sectional track pieces to get what I needed, instead of cutting up a length of flex.

If you look at underside of a piece of sectional track, and carefully nip away the plastic that is in between the ties, you can make it "adjustable" without giving up track gauge.

Just nip off what is needed to adjust the track, as you need it.

I needed to change the radius of a section of 22" R. sectional, so I nip off the plastic in between the ties on the inside of the track, and that allowed me to "open up" the track just enough to fit where I needed it.

Mike.

[richhotrain]

In my experience, small pieces of sectional track are a lot sturdier than similarly sized piece of cut flex track. You can disguise the small sections when ballasting. You may need to add feeders to small sections of track to avoid power losses due to loose rail joiners.

Rich

[rrinker]

 When I use the short pieces of sectional track fromt he assortments to fit a small length - and it is sturdier than a very short piece of flex - I solder the joiners and make those 2 or 3 fitter pieces one solid section of track. It also gets a feeder.

                              --Randy

 

[richhotrain]

Lastspikemike

Also, try not to join very short track sections to turnouts.  

Or, at least solder the short track section to the turnout.

Rich

[dknelson]

I'd susppose there are times when the very short pieces of sectional track can be a quick and useful (and yes, sturdy) way to make a track plan "work."  I would say however that after a while anyone building a layout of any size using flex track is likely to have quite a collection of odd bits and pieces which is likely what I would turn to first, particularly if you solder the small piece at the rail joiner to the flex track.

The thing about section track (Atlas) is the "D" shaped ties at the ends which are there to give the rail joiner a place to go on the base of the rail.  Some people using sectional track cut away the D and the partial ties that extend out beyond the sides of the rail, and just allow the rail to be self supporting and self gauging, with thinner ties put underneath to give the illusion of uninterrupted track.  If you solder railjoiners the gauge should hold just fine in those situations. 

Dave Nelson

[xdford]

Lastspikemike

...  On the other hand, Peco and Micro Engineering don't make any sectional track ...

Actually Peco do make sectional track but AFAIK only in Code 100. I have relaid all my curves with a mixture of sectional an flex track when the sleepers gave way on the flex track after a particular hot summer in my shed. I got the compound effect of my curves by mixing and matching different radii ((Peco actually make 5 radii from 18" up.  What did not quite fit, I cut but that was minimal!

I saw a layout many years ago where the "straight sections" were made from flex track to allow smooth transitions while  the curves were Peco set track - which is the same geometry as the Hornby track in the UK.  Made for a very convincng railway and was easy to set up at the show. 

No reason why that idea will not work with Atlas track that I can think of!

 

Cheers from Australia

Trevor

[EMDSD40]

I used sectional Atlas code 100 brass in certain yard and crossover track arrangements successfully.  All track joints are soldered and been in place 30+ years without issues. Majority of track is Model Power 3 foot flex brass code 100. Track was airbrushed Railbrown and ballasted with kitty litter.  Nothing is glued down and that makes any changes easy. Ballast has has been laying there 30+ years also with no problems. 

[Doughless]

The Milwaukee Road Warrior

I have several areas on my layout that have somewhat complex trackage: the throat tracks into my (newly acquired!) Milwaukee Everett Street Station, the area around my diesel servicing terminal, and my (greatly condensed) West Milwaukee Shops yards.  I'm laying cord roadbed now and have not laid any track yet.  This is HO scale code 100 Atlas flextrack primarily, with Atlas Customline turnouts, diamonds, wyes etc. interspersed where needed.

My question: when you are modeling compressed areas like this where you have short sections between switches/diamonds etc is there any benefit to switching to sectional track to lessen the cutting of flextrack to fit these spaces?

Granted, the chances that a piece of sectional track will exactly fit the gap are small, but I'm just curious if modelers here have found it a bit easier to place some sectional track rather than cutting up a bunch of different small pieces of flextrack with a motor tool.

Maybe I'm not really gaining anything....?  Trying to decide..

 

I did it all of the time. 

My new layout has curves so braod everywhere that the 24 inch radius track would not work, but if that was a doable radius, I would use sectional curved track as much as possible, where ever possible.

[The Milwaukee Road Warrior]

Lastspikemike

In my experience you should try to plan the layout so as to keep the shortest piece of track as long as possible. Fewer joints make for fewer headaches as the layout ages. Also, try not to join very short track sections to turnouts. The more stable you can make your turnout locations the happier you will be.

I wish I could avoid the smaller pieces altogether but unfortunately that is the nature of yards and other spots with complicated track work.  I do have a couple of packs of small track pieces from Atlas; hopefully those will close most of the gaps...

[doctorwayne]

The only time I've used sectional track was with a Marx O27 layout when I was 7 or 8 years old.
My first HO layout was done with Atlas code 100 flex on fibre ties, and Atlas turnouts, which, at that time, were kits.
The next HO layout was also Atlas code 100 track, but on plastic ties and ready-to-use turnouts, except for one scratchbuilt #12 curved turnout, with a moveable frog.

My current layout is mostly Atlas code 83 flex, with an assortment of turnouts from Atlas, Peco, Micro Engineering, Shinohara, Central Valley and a couple of scratchbuilt ones, too.  If I need a short piece of track, there's usually a few hunks of it laying about, or a length of flex ties minus the rail, but there are usually several lengths of plain rail (no ties) nearby, too.  If I need a 1/2" piece of track, it's easy enough to cut it off a piece of flex track with an abrasive disk, and solder it into place.  Other than the track on my bridges, which are all removeable as single units, all of my track is soldered together.

I also used some Central Valley tie strip on the partial second level of my layout, and I found it to be a real pleasure with which to work.  The tie strips have moulded-on alignment nubs which allow positioning it properly on cork roadbed or a centre line drawn directly on the sub-roadbed.
I soldered the rail, mostly code 83, but also some code 70 for a couple of industrial areas, into 12' or 15' lengths, using code 55 rail joiners.  I used a cut-off disc to alter the rail-ends to accept the smaller joiners, so there was no need to alter the ties to accommodate the joiners.  Both the tie strips and the rails were secured in place using gelled contact cement.
Short pieces of the sectional track may be sturdier, but a short length of flex, once soldered in place, will be just as sturdy.

Wayne

[Texas Zephyr]

The Milwaukee Road Warrior

My question: when you are modeling compressed areas like this where you have short sections between switches/diamonds etc is there any benefit to switching to sectional track to lessen the cutting of flextrack to fit these spaces?

If a sectional track piece fits, I'll use it.  Don't know why one would arbitrarily limit the options availble to them.

[jjdamnit]

Hello All,

Check out this thread...DIY Flex Track

This thread doesn't directly address your question but it does discuss what others have posted in this thread.

My entire pike is comprised of sectional track.

I have used the method outlined to adjust curved turnouts and sectional track.

Hope this helps.