How in tarnation do you handlay track? My friend Rod at the club says handlaid track is much better than the store bought stuff. So what's the process?
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
Prepare the roadbed.
Glue the ties to the roadbed.
Use spikes to attach the rail to the ties, making sure they are in gauge.
I use wood ties that have been stained. When they are installed you can tell they are wood. If you are going to paint wood ties, you might as well use plastic.
Steven,
No problem with the idea that hand laid track is better in many respects but in your situation, I would suggest to you to get yourself up and running first with some sectional and/or some flextrack first and get used to the idea of lining up track and rails, then experiment with a siding or some area not quite so important and add to that later.
I have hand built many turnouts using ex flex track rail and copper clad PC board and soldering, including a 3 way turnout and a single slip crossing over the years, which I am quite proud of doing, especially as they were custombuilt for a friends layouts situation but I don't think you will save yourself much at all cost wise with lengths of flex but definitely spend more time maintaining it!
Also if it is weathered and painted, at normal viewing distance it is hard to differentiate!
But it is your layout and your call!
Regards from Australia
Trevor
Steven:
Using hand laid track on your first layout is going to add enormously to the difficulties of getting your layout running. It is something that is usually done by seasoned veterans who have already learned how to lay flex track properly. That's not to say you can't do it, but you need to ask yourself how much of a priority it would be. Properly laid flex track works great. If you don't get the handlaid track right you will be enormously frustrated.
With all due respect, you should be concentrating on building a functional layout, not a museum piece.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
OK thanks for all the replies! I figured that it'd be a lot of work!