NorthBritDon't beat yourself up, Harrison. Most of model railroading is a learning curve. We are all learning as we go along. Gosh; truth be known we have all been where you are. Many of us are still there. You're in good company. Sure you want to be up there with the best. They (whoever they are) did not get to where they are overnight. At one time they were where we are. Don't beat yourself up. Have fun with it. Before long we will be looking up at you admiring your handiwork. David
Most of us have a hack or two that can save time and money and produce "just good enough" (however each of us defines that term). And most of us have tried shortcuts that just do not work. Solid trackwork is the foundation to this hobby. Nothing worse than constant derailments to take away the fun.
Keep up the good work, keep trying and you will have an excellent layout.
Aaaaaaarrggghhh!!!. Bear is bringing back memories that happened to me not so long ago.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Harrison,
Glad you got it resolved, or will finalize the tweaking of the area. Welcome to the world of true model railroading.
One thing you can't do is give up and quit. If you quit here, what will that do for you when you get out in the real world? This hobby is fun, and many people enjoy your posts. Be a role model for the younger crowd who want to get into model railroading, but may be afraid. If they see you succeed, then they will try the hobby, and we hope they succeed as well. Our hobby needs more young men like you Harrison!
Good luck and keep working on the railroad!
Neal
Harrison2. I will make a separate thread in General on how I post photos.
Looking forward to seeing this.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
1. I just had my dad pick up Peco jointers. That problem should be solved now.
2. I will make a separate thread in General on how I post photos.
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
BigDaddyHow did you post a picture that we can magnify? Is that a new forum feature?
Harrison, please tell us about your photos.
Mike.
My You Tube
It appears the rail joiner is sitting on top of a tie on the left side and not so on the right. I would think that's raising the left side rail up. The end tie on the left needs to be removed, then replaced later with a thinner tie when the rest of the gap is re-tied.
That loose rail joiner also has to be addressed as mentioned in other posts. I can't tell from the photo resolution if the rail has been painted (rust) or not, but if so the paint needs to be removed where the rail joiner slides on or it won't conduct. My own experience is that rail joiners in general are a major source of later issues unless they are soldered.
BigDaddy Harrison but the joint at the turnout still isn't "perfect"... Is the turnout and the flex track different brands?
Harrison but the joint at the turnout still isn't "perfect"...
Is the turnout and the flex track different brands?
Track is Atlas code 100. Turnout is Peco code 100 "compatible with all major brands of track...
Just stick a toothpick under each of the low side and when even, solder it.
LastspikemikeTo my eye it looks like Code 83 "matched" to code 100.
I think that you might need better glasses, Mike. Those rail joiners are overly loose, and require only a little adjustment with pliers, plus a couple of ties under them to level things out, followed by soldering the joiners in place. The same method would have fixed the earlier glitch, too.
Wayne
Hi Harrison,
First, you should congratulate yourself for attempting to create a solution to a very fussy problem. That is part of modelling. The fact that it didn't work is almost irrelevent although it was frustrating. The point is that you learned something. That is a major part of modelling.
To me it looks like you have two problems with the new joint:
The first is that I believe, as others have said, that you are mating Code 83 track to Code 100 track (Please confirm that or tell us if you are using two different brands of track). That is not a problem but you have to modify the rail joiners a bit (or buy specific Code 100 to Code 83 rail joiners). You need to add a small brass shim under the Code 83 rail inside the rail joiner. A perfect shim would be 0.017" thick but it is not necessary to get that close (Code 100 rail is 0.100" high, Code 83 rail is 0.083" high. You can do the math). Anything from 0.010" to 0.020" would work. If you don't have brass sheet stock then you could grind down a rail joiner to get the piece you need. You might have to file the tops of the rails a bit to get them lined up perfectly.
The second problem is that the rail joiners are not tight on the rails. When you blow up the picture you can clearly see that the rail joiners are not parallel to the tops of the rails. They slope down towards the right. That is allowing the Code 83 rail to sag and therein contributing to the difference in height between the tops of the two rails. Also, you can see a gap between the bottoms of the Code 83 rails and the bottoms of the rail joiners at the right end of the joiners.
My suggestion would be to remove the new piece of track, make up a pair of suitable shims, put the shims and the rail joiners (crimped as needed - they should be stiff to push onto the rail) onto the Code 83 rail and then solder them in place. That will help keep things lined up when you put the piece of track back. Once the track is in place, solder the rail joiners to the Code 100 rails.
Finally, getting discouraged is a normal human reaction when things don't go right. I got tired of working on my layout so I have taken a break, and I won't go back to it until the garage warms up in April. If you are still discouraged, take a day or two off. Definitely don't tear things apart. You will regret doing that I'm sure.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Looks like a Peco turnout to me. Code 100 turnout??? and Code 83 track???
Ok I see it has been picked up on above. How did I miss that.
Ties on the right look thinner than the ties on the left.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Thanks guys, I ended up replacing the whole section (once I forced myself to) but the joint at the turnout still isn't "perfect"...
Looking at this picture as it posts on my laptop screen:
Never, ever use tiny pieces of filler rail unless you're going to solder them in. With a jig that aligns them both laterally and vertically, and with the ends of the rails dressed. That's a useful skill for fairly advanced trackwork. You can use something like a heavy straightedge under the track, with fairly level blocks spanning the rails about an inch from the joints, and clamp at those points, to get things level for soldering, using a rail gauge to get horizontal alignment before tightening the clamps down. (And use a good eutectic solder, flux well, and prepare any ties that need to be fudged in spacing by having their 'webs' in between ties cut out...) When done, slide the clamps off and use a level to bed the track in to level or grade, letting the spring in the joined section 'spiral' any transition,
In your case go back from the turnout a reasonably far distance... as far as you can go before the joint will be in a curve, if you can... and put in a corresponding length of flextrack with its rails very carefully cut and dressed to the right length. That will average any 'spring' over the length of the piece while allowing rail joiners to 'float' the switches, as others with experience note is valuable.
It does not help that the pieces you inserted are the wrong size rail.
It also does not help that they are visibly kinked up by nearly exactly the height of that popsicle stick or whatever.
One very useful lesson is that the old adage about 'if you want to see the places for improvement in your modeling, look at an enlarged photograph' applies thoroughly to trackwork.
Harrison Tracklaying "standards" and my frustrations are getting to the point where I'm thinking of leaving the hobby.
Tracklaying "standards" and my frustrations are getting to the point where I'm thinking of leaving the hobby.
HarrisonToo much pressure to do things 'right' ie perfect. I know I was the one who asked the question, it's on me, but I tried to do a 2 inch section replacement and even that failed. I guess I'm just not cut out for this at least at my age. Although I don't see how I'll magically be better in the future.
Harrison Maybe I'll tear what I've built down, or maybe I just won't care so much and see where that gets me.
Maybe I'll tear what I've built down, or maybe I just won't care so much and see where that gets me.
Rich
Alton Junction
Harrison I'm in a place where MMRs and amazing modelers are looking at me at eye level, instead of down like before. And I can't live up to that. Oh well, sorry guys...
I'm in a place where MMRs and amazing modelers are looking at me at eye level, instead of down like before. And I can't live up to that. Oh well, sorry guys...
HarrisonTracklaying "standards" and my frustrations are getting to the point where I'm thinking of leaving the hobby.
You have too much talent and ability to just chuck it all. Unless you really don't enjoy the hobby, why not give it a couple of days and try again.
York1 John
I asked my doctor if I gave up delicious food and all alcohol, would I live longer? He said, "No, but it will seem longer."
Ok guys, I get it, Last Pike Mike was right for once. Tracklaying "standards" and my frustrations are getting to the point where I'm thinking of leaving the hobby. Too much pressure to do things 'right' ie perfect. I know I was the one who asked the question, it's on me, but I tried to do a 2 inch section replacement and even that failed. I guess I'm just not cut out for this at least at my age. Although I don't see how I'll magically be better in the future. Maybe I'll tear what I've built down, or maybe I just won't care so much and see where that gets me. Problem is, I'm in a place where MMRs and amazing modelers are looking at me at eye level, instead of down like before. And I can't live up to that. Oh well, sorry guys...
Hey, I'm cheap too, but flex track is not the most expensive item at a LHS. Even soldered, your piece will likely cause problems - and will look awful.
Simon
I messed up this week re-doing an area on my layout (first re-alignment in the 15 years I have had it) I cut the track too short somehow and had a spare turnout within easy reach and installed that. The next day I realized it was a perfect spot for a small siding for some MOW equipment and added another piece of flex to the diverging route of the turnout.
We all screw up, that's what spares are for. I have two boxes of Walthers track on the top shelf. Like the local mall, I always seem to need more parking.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Yes, OP could replace just the closest couple of inches and not the entire piece. It would obviously have a new joined seam where a new piece of flex track would not. He needs to have a spare chunk of track...probably not a problem finding a scrap piece.
He has to re-lay a given portion of the flex and can't really mend the seam as shown, IMO.
- Douglas
speedybee Assuming the flex track going into the turnout is straight for at least a couple inches before it gets to the turnout. It'd be easier to insert a larger piece, like ideally 2" or so, of straight track into a gap that you've cut to be the perfect size for the track you're inserting.
Assuming the flex track going into the turnout is straight for at least a couple inches before it gets to the turnout. It'd be easier to insert a larger piece, like ideally 2" or so, of straight track into a gap that you've cut to be the perfect size for the track you're inserting.
What you did could work but not without soldering everything together, railjoiners just aren't perminant enough.
Lastspikemikereally, it's just easier to cut out a longer piece of the flex track that's now too short and cut a new longer but still short piece to connect the gap.
Seconded. Assuming the flex track going into the turnout is straight for at least a couple inches before it gets to the turnout. It'd be easier to insert a larger piece, like ideally 2" or so, of straight track into a gap that you've cut to be the perfect size for the track you're inserting.
If the flex track is going directly into a curve it might be difficult to get a nice joint without kinks... I've only used Atlas flex track though which likes to spring straight. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad with whatever track you're using
From another thread I believe he said he is using google to host the picture.
I for one would be very appreciative if he did a master class on how he posts pics - step by step!
charles
BMW airhead motorcycle owners have a saying "The cheapest thing on the bike is the owner" I suppose thermite welding would risk burning down the house.
How did you post a picture that we can magnify? Is that a new forum feature?