My layout is 4 sections wih alot of track crossing over the benchwork module sections. Is there a simple and effective way to do these gaps? I have seen masonite bridges, straight sections of track, noting just a slit, rail soldiered to screws, copper strips, pcb board, tube soldiered to the rail with a pin. All seem complicated.
Do you plan to assemble and disassemble your layout often? Or are these sections semi-permanent until you need to move?
When I had my modular N-scale layout, I setup my modules in their set arrangement, and then layed the track. One track was secure, I used a jewelers saw to cut the necessary gaps at the module ends. The only special thing I did was to remove the first tie on each side of the gap, so that it was possible to slide rail joiners in. A little bit of ballast hid the missing ties so as to not be totally apparent.
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Had to make sections to get the benchwork up the stairs into the spare bedroom. It would only have to come apart when I move or need the room for other reasons.
One vote for rail soldered to brass screws or nails. (Depends on price and availability).
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Fitter sections: Don't do this. Our club modular layout has been around for many many years, the oldest sections use fitter tracks, some with, soome without masonite bridges. These are ALWAYS a problem due too lack of power conduction through the joiners.
Track soldered to brass screws - this works well. Our newer modules are like this, just line up the sections (dowels in holes) and clamp them together, no more gap than another rail joint, and no issues with short dead sections oof track.
If you aren't planning on taking it apart until some number of years in the future when you move - I built my last layout in sections, but laid the track and roadbed continuous across the gaps. I only cut through it when I moved. Zero issues or complications because it was just like a permanent layout until it wasn't. In hindsight, probbaly could have simplified things and not made it in sectiooons at all, because after moving I had no use for any of the sections as they were and I ended up stripping the electronics and having the whole thing hauled away, track and all.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I'm having trouble picturing the brass screw thing in my tiny mind not that I have a sectional lay out, but, just what is this?
Mike.
My You Tube
The plastic tie strip does not do a very good job or holding an exposed cut end of track in place - one snag and you can rip the entire rail ot of a section. So at the edge of the module, you put in a pair of bras screws, one under where each rail goes. Why brass? Because you can then solder the rail to them.
Actually, an easier way is to remove the ties and use a bunch of PCB ties secured to the layout, with the rail soldered to them. 4-5 ties from the edge is probably a reasonable number to secure things.
Thanks Randy.
mbinsewi I'm having trouble picturing the brass screw thing in my tiny mind not that I have a sectional lay out, but, just what is this? Mike.
Small brass flatheaded screws, exactly HO gauge apart and screwed in only to the point that the top surface of the screw's flat head is even and level with where the top of a tie would be, and the bottom of the rail is soldered to it. You see it (well actually you DON'T see it, if the screws are small enough; I mean it is used most often) on traveling modular layouts that take quite a beating over time. The rail comes right to the edge of the module so it has to be handled with care even if soldered to the brass screws.
Another way to do it would be a brass tie with a gap cut into it. I have never seen that (although metal ties from PC board material are used in handlaid turnouts).
Having said that you also see traveling modular layouts that use the fitter pieces that seem to operate just fine. That seems favored because the modular framework of wood is subject to both vertical and horizontal expansion and contraction and thus the rail soldered to brass screws method can still result in a "jolt" as a train passes to the next module at a slightly differing height.
Dave Nelson
That's why all the legs for our modules have t-nuts and carriage bolts. No matter wht the surface we set up on, the modules always can be adjusted to be level with one another. The newer ones only use legs at one end, the free end is supported by the legs of the next section, so when the two are clamped together, there's no excuse for one being higher or lower than the other. Those new ones have a type of cabinet latch on them that hold the two together, plus the dowels. Metal locating pins would be even better.
I created a HO modular group last year, designed the modules, built the test modules and so on. What we do is for modules that are not "pinned" to eachother, we use a 3" section of bridging track to take care of those small deviations. In your case I doubt you need those. However, if a module is always bolted to another module, I assemble the modules, glue the cork so its aligned, and lay the track starting at the edge. I use the atlas tie strip ends so that the rail joiners can be used. This has worked over the curves (although ours are broad). I think the slight flexibility helps. On the pinned yard tracks, I did not use any rail joiners.
Pictures, plans, and rules are here if you are interested:
https://ssjd-nmra.000webhostapp.com/16-Modules/
Eric
Thanks a lot for the great info. How do you guys ballast the track and roadbed on the 3" bridges?
Was thinking about pinning the sections. Now it is two 5/16 bolts in 5/16 holes. Clamped the sections together then drilled the holes through both sections at the same time.
Current plan. Trying to keep only straight track at the joints and no switches over a joint.
There is always this if you can find one:
https://www.fleischmann.de/en/product/4469-6110-0-0-0-0-0-005003/products.html
It is an expanding track section.
mbinsewiI'm having trouble picturing the brass screw thing in my tiny mind
May be late in the game but here's what I did. For my new layout, which I knew would move at some point, the break tracks were covered underneath with duct tape. (9" sectional track) (In one spot I do have a 12.5 crossing bridging the break.) That way the tracks could be ballasted and still be removed without tearing it up or cutting the track. The idea of that comes from having been in a club that used standard NMRA 48" W x 30" D HO scale modules. The offset on the ends was 4.5" inches (meaning a standard 9" track would connect two modules.)
Thanks Bear! Got it! I always did like pictures.
Never regarded you as having a tiny mind, Mike.
Can I use you as a reference? There are some that I need to convince! Including my self, every once in a while.
Thanks Bear!
I used brass nails for the rails on my drop bridge (on both ends of the bridge, and both abutments). It works great. I used nails instead of screws so I could adjust the height if needed without unsoldering. Once I made final adjustments on the latch and fit of the bridge, its been flawless.