starmanDave, I looked at the video on YouTube you referenced and that is the type of tool I am looking for. I also watched the following video from JMD Plastics and they have a variety of very interesting track laying tools. Have you ever heard of JMD Plastics?
Hi starman:
I'd never heard of JMD Plastics. I took a look at their website and I have a couple of comments about their products.
If you have the proper wood working tools, you can make jigs that do exactly the same thing as the clear plastic 2.5" Spacer Kit. Take a 2" x 2" x 6" block of wood and cut four grooves for the rails at the proper spacing. You can make several blocks with different spacing if you choose.
The fixed radius track guides are going to add up pretty quickly, and you may not find them to be all that useful. For example, a 36" radius curve may not fit in the space you have whereas a 34" radius curve may be perfect. You are going to have to lay out the 34" curve manually with a pencil and trammel so why not just do all the curves the same way?
Also, on the subject of curves, having the same radius all the way around a curve is not ideal. Curves should have easements built into them where the track gradually curves toward the desired radius and then gradually straightens out. If you go from straight track directly into a 36" curve, or much worse an 18" curve, the train will not look realistic as it suddenly starts to turn the corner. It looks toy like. It can also lead to derailments, especially on tight curves.
The easiest way to draw a curve with easements is to get a long, flexible piece of wood with a straight grain. Determine where the curve will begin and end and then bend the strip of wood to get the desired shape. The wood will naturally form easements both in and out of the curve. You have to anchor the ends of the strip by putting them between two nails so it can slide in and out. Then you can increase or decrease the radius to anything that fits the space. The only thing you have to be aware of is that the radius at the center of the curve can get a bit tight.
I will second the recommendation to get your hands on a copy of John Armstrong's 'Track Planning for Realistic Operation'. I made my first layout plan before I read the book. I thought it was perfect. However, once I read the book I realized that my "perfect" plan was quite disfunctional. It simply would not allow me to do the things that I wanted to do. Before you spend any money on track laying tools, buy the book!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
The best track laying tool I ever bought was John Armstrongs book Track Planning For Realistic Operation. No funky tools, just good advise and basic things like pencil, trammel, yard stick and tape measures and rulers.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
hon30critter starman: Is this the sort of thing you were thinking about? http://www.micromark.com/bachmann-by-proses-ho-scale-adjustable-parallel-track-tool,12597.html Dave, I looked at the video on YouTube you referenced and that is the type of tool I am looking for. I also watched the following video from JMD Plastics and they have a variety of very interesting track laying tools. Have you ever heard of JMD Plastics?
starman:
Is this the sort of thing you were thinking about?
http://www.micromark.com/bachmann-by-proses-ho-scale-adjustable-parallel-track-tool,12597.html
Dave, I looked at the video on YouTube you referenced and that is the type of tool I am looking for. I also watched the following video from JMD Plastics and they have a variety of very interesting track laying tools. Have you ever heard of JMD Plastics?
Wayne makes a really good point about the fact that you might need more space between tracks on curves to prevent cars with excessive overhang from hitting each other. Your goal is not to have perfectly parallel track, it is to have track that works.
The price of his method is pretty good too assuming that you already have a tape measure and a pencil. You can buy a reasonably decent piece of rolling stock for $24.95.
For straight track, I find a tape measure and pencil useful for lay-out work, and sighting along the track will give you straighter track than will a straightedge.
For curves, and depending on the equipment you plan to run, you may need to increase the distance betwen tracks to prevent contact between long equipment on adjacent tracks. Obviously, that increase will need to be developed over some distance, which isn't necessarily a fixed figure.In my experience, you'll get better-looking and better-performing track when you lay it out more-or-less freehand, while keeping in mind your own personal standards and requirements.
Wayne