Hi everyone,
I recently completed my corkbed installation on a 12' X 4' test bench layout. It's version 2 because I've doubled the amount of trains I've had and wanted one additional mainline track and some yard ladders in the center. Someday this will tie into a larger layout.
Version 1 involved micro engineering flex track which was amazingly easy to install. But I must have tacked in over 300 nails and I prefer not to subject the residents in my condo building to weeks of noise in the basement.
Another change is I used atlas flex track and atlas + walthers turnouts this time. It was ultimately what was readily available. I found atlas flex not as nice as micro engineering keeping a smooth curve. Next are the rails are painted rusty brown with the tops cleaned so they're a little more stiff to bend. The reason I say this is nailing has also been more complicated controlling.
To keep curves neatly spaced, I've cut templates out of plywood to bend the tracks against. Im wondering this time around if I should use glue. I heard contractor glue works. Any product recommendations and techniques? I don't care if the track is permanent. I don't intend to ever change it, and I plan to put in turnout stubs to tie into other modules in the future.
https://flic.kr/p/2oJ8W8y
Using a plywood template to bend flex against is a really good ide to get consistent curvature. With the idea one did a good job cutting the template
most use latex caulk to do the gluing. Or white glue. Easy removal later on when rebuilding. I never understood the idea myself. Properly placed nails always worked for me. When I used flex and sectional. I handlay my own.
shane
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
I'm concerned about the spacing of your track. I would put you longest cars on the inner radiuses of cork and see how they look.
It's a little late to add homosote, but it works great with track nails. I use caulk, Larry Puckett uses construction adhesive. You don't want so much that it oozes up over the ties and keep it away from the points.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Centerlines 2.5 inches apart seem like a good distance.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761Centerlines 2.5 inches apart seem like a good distance.
If we go with that, the inner radius is at least 6" less than half the width of the 48" plywood sheet or 18" Of all the MR books I have purchased, the only one I cannot find is John Armstrong's Model Railroading for Realistic Operation. That one has the needed separation for adjacent tracks based on radius an length of cars.
I use nails myself but I seems to change my mind on track layout. One other thing I would suggest is to put some Duck tape on the bottom of your turnouts before you install them. (Find a color that somewhat matches your ballast.) This may sound strange but there is a good reason. When you go to ballast, it allows you to install a layer of ballast without having to worry about getting the ballast high enough to gum up the points. You will need to remove the tape around the throw rod to make sure the turnout works.
use clear latex caulk for the track. I don't see a base for the ply, without one you are looking at warp city down the road.
I put down cork, then a smooth layer of adhesive caulk, and put down the flex track (with strategic pinning so it holds the curves -- pins removed when adhesive caulk sets. The caulk is smoothed to a thin layer using one of those "Your Name here" fake credit cards that come in junk mail, or old cards showing membering in this or that organization. They are useful for all sorts of things!
And I push the flex track into the wet caulk using a small wood roller that might be meant for wall paper.
However, when putting down the cork I use templates made of sheet styrene (old signs -- free) that reflect the easement curves I want. Then I just follow the center line of the cork for the center of the flextrack
It is also possible to fasten the cork to plywood with adhesive caulk and eliminate all hammering noise.
Having lived in apartments and condos I appreciate your concern for your neighbors.
Dave Nelson
Thanks everyone on the latex caulk recommendation.
The track spacing is 2 inches on the straight sections and 2.25" at the curves. Based on version 1, it ran my long intermodals, auto racks and metra trains at higher speeds without collisions, derailment, uncoupling or binding. The inner track center is just shy of 19" and will be more a service track of sorts for the yard. Tested 18"r in version 1 and it worked OK at lower speeds before i decided to make it loop around in version 2 but gave a little extra radius
Here's the track center radius:
Outer: 23 3/8"
Middle 21 1/8"
Inner: 18 7/8"
Wish I could use the common area for a big layout There's no rule against me doing so and my neighbors would be fine with it. But the basement is a forest of columns as in 2010, it was gutted to a 4 story brick shell, rebuilt inside steel frame and they just left the 120 year old 24"x24" abandoned brick columns in place It's heavily partitioned and any open space that is long along a wall is interrupted with a fire pump, hot water tank, meter or transformer
NorthsideChiBut I must have tacked in over 300 nails and I prefer not to subject the residents in my condo building to weeks of noise in the basement.
-Matt
Returning to model railroading after 40 years and taking unconscionable liberties with the SP&S, Northern Pacific and Great Northern roads in the '40s and '50s.