Laying Tracks inside building

[York1]

I'm new to this hobby (and this forum), so my question may be basic for everyone.

I'm using an N Scale Walthers "Backshop" building as a locomotive repair shop.  The floor of the shop has grooves for 3 tracks.

How do I lay the rails in the grooves, and then how do I connect the rails to the tracks outside the building?  I've thought of several possibilities, like cutting rails to fit in the building, then using rail joiners to connect to the outside tracks.  I also though of making the tracks outside long enough, remove the tie, and continue the track into the building.

I see problems with both of these ideas, especially for a beginner like me.  Any suggestions?

[sschnabl]

I don't have the back shop, but I do have the round house and machine shop.  What I did was your last thought, and that is to just strip off the ties where the track goes inside the building.  I used epoxy to secure them to the base.  Both of these structures had the track end at the turntable pit, so no rail joiners were necessary.

Hope this helps.

Scott

[BigDaddy]

I run HO and have a building similar to the Walthers Vulcan Manufacting.  Having a senior moment, and I don't remember which one, but no matter.  It has grooves for the rails and I super glued the rail, which stops at the entrance.  The incoming track almost meets the inside track and I don't need rail joiners  You don't use rail joiners off your turtable to the round house.

It also makes the building removable, for cleaning, moving, installation of lighting, as opposed to running a single piece of track from outside to the inside.

 

[BATMAN]

I would snip the rails at the edge of the building and put feeders to the inside rails. Run the feeders underneath to copper tape on the bottom of the building. Run feeders up through the bench, again to copper tape on top of the bench. When the building is placed on the layout there is nothing to hook up as the copper tape touches each other. Just make sure the building can't move around and have the track on the outside firmly attached so they butt up perfectly everytime.

 

[York1]

Thanks for the input.  I have some time before I'm ready to do this, so I have time to think about it.  Since I want the rails powered, I'm thinking the easiest is to take the ties off and run the rails into the building.  Thanks.

[SeeYou190]

I have never used the base that came with one of these buildings.

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When I was in N scale I had a Con-Cor building where the track ran inside the building. I laid the track as normal where the building would be, then built up a new building "foundation" from styrene sheet around the rails. 

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Then I fit the building on top of this. It was rock-solid and worked perfectly.

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-Kevin

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[York1]

That sounds like a good idea! Since this is new to me, I don't trust myself to do anything too difficult. --John

[superbe]

Put me down as having removed the ties from the rear of the engine house to the front entrance and extending the track well ouside of the building before using rail joiners.

As I remember I added a little glue to the grooves before sliding the rail in.

Bob

[DigitalGriffin]

Take a piece of flex track

Measure the building length.  Say 9" in HO, 5" in n-scale.  Cut a section about 1" longer.  So in HO 10" and n-scale ~6"

Knock out that many ties from the end.  Leave about 1" of ties behind.

Super glue the ruts for the track.  Lay your rail.  For me, I also take a track pin and solder a wire lead to it, then nail the track pin through the flooring.  That way I can supply power and help hold it down.

I've done this with 18 steam stalls, 18 diesel shop stalls later, 6 car shop stalls, 1 machine shop, and 1 extra long Allied rail rebuilders.  I have yet to have a failure.

[Medina1128]

I have one building with rail inside it. I removed the ties from a section of flex track, then cut the rail about 1/2" long so it protrudes out of the building. I removed the ties to the exterior flex track that joins with the in-building track. I cut notches in the ties and slid rail joiners on that track so they slide up to the ends of the track. I just slide them back when I need to remove the building.