Been several years since I laid any track. Plan to solder two 3' lengths together before laying 42" radius curves. the question is movable rail to the outside or inside of both pieces or alternate one piece outside and one piece inside?
I have used Atlas HO scale Code 83 flex track on all of my layouts. I solder three lengths of 39" pieces together with the movable rail to the outside of the curves.
I also use Ribbonrail Metal Track Alignment Gauges to form the curves.
Rich
Alton Junction
The same for me. I'm not sure if putting the sliding rail on the outside matters that much, but it just seems to work better. I use curves down to 18 inch radius.
I also use Ribbon Rail gauges to monitor my curve radius.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Peco flex track have little arrows molded into the underside of the plastic ties. Instructions say to point the arrows to inside of curve. The inside is the movable side. I suppose the theory is to not increase tie spacing artificially on the outside edge. Kinda ironic seeings how Peco ties are among the least prototypical in the model railroading industry.
Anyhow, maybe other manufacturers of other brands have similar guide arrows.
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ROBERT PETRICK Peco flex track have little arrows molded into the underside of the plastic ties. Instructions say to point the arrows to inside of curve. The inside is the movable side. I suppose the theory is to not increase tie spacing artificially on the outside edge.
Peco flex track have little arrows molded into the underside of the plastic ties. Instructions say to point the arrows to inside of curve. The inside is the movable side. I suppose the theory is to not increase tie spacing artificially on the outside edge.
I have never used Peco flex track (just Atlas and a piece of Model Power I had from a collection of stuff my Uncle gave me. It actually held the needed curve better anyway.) However everything I've ever read indicates to put the moveable rail on the inside as well. The reasons given above make sense to me.
I've laid a lot of Atlas flex track and always have the sliding rail to the inside.
As for Peco, I've laid about 60 pieces of code 83 flex and the ties on both side can be slid when curving.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Just a note to pre-curve your flex track to close to what you want and then straighten a couple of inches at the solder joints for soldering. This was neccisary to get smo curves and non kinked solder joint areas with the flex track I used which was Shinohara (which was also Walthers at the time).
Sliding rail on the inside. On a real railroad, the tie ends are closer together on the inside of the curve. Making the tie ends further apart on the outside of the curve would take the trackage out of the intended standard.
It really doesn't matter which side has the movable rail as long as you solder all of the joints in the curve to avoid kinks.
I solder together 2, 3, 4, or 5 pieces of Atlas c83 while straight and then move the assembly into position. I always place the moveable rail on the inside.
I use N scale. I laid flex track curves with the moving rail both inside and outside, and I can't tell any difference. Both ways work equally well.
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."
I laid my Atlas c83 flex with the moving rail inside, but I don't know that it matters much. What was more important for me was, if the section I was laying was more than two pieces long, I had to start laying the track from the middle of the curve and work out toward both ends; if I started at one end, then the inside rail would have to move so far by the time I got to the third or fourth piece that the rail joint on the inside would move too far ahead of the one on the other rail, with the result that the joiner -- or my lumpy soldering jobs -- would squish against the ties. Even starting in the middle this would become an issue by the time I got to the ends, and so I was forced to remove more ties.
Also, yes, ALL joints that would be on the curve I made sure to solder while they were lying straight, so that kinking would not be an issue.
-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.
How do you keep the inside rail with the joiner from pushing into the ties when curving that many pieces all soldered together. Surely the inside rail would progressively push further and further out, along with the joint and joiner. I do mine one at a time and it's always worked well. Like someone else said, I curve the track but leave the last bit straight, solder on another piece and continue around.
riogrande5761I curve the track but leave the last bit straight, solder on another piece and continue around.
I use code 83 Micro Engineering track. While more expensive than Atlas, I like how it maintains curves easier. I solder both inside and outside tracks with metal joiners before curving them.
Hello All,
When I did this...
DIY Flex Track
The cut tie spacers were on the inside of the curve.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
Flip it over one side will have solid plastic. The other plastic connecting every other rail. That's the side with the rail that will slide. That side will be your inside curve
2 important points:
IF you are going to lay curves, solder the rail joints together before you bend it.
If 42 is a bare minimum because of something like brass, get some ribbon rail curve testers. They have roadbed and metal inserts of various radius. You want the metal inserts. If will slide between your rails and you should be able to slide it and tack. Slide a little more and tack. It's saved my tail once or twice around close clearance curves.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
riogrande5761 I solder together 2, 3, 4, or 5 pieces of Atlas c83 while straight and then move the assembly into position. I always place the moveable rail on the inside. How do you keep the inside rail with the joiner from pushing into the ties when curving that many pieces all soldered together. Surely the inside rail would progressively push further and further out, along with the joint and joiner. I do mine one at a time and it's always worked well. Like someone else said, I curve the track but leave the last bit straight, solder on another piece and continue around.
My minimum curve is 40" and I remove 2 ties from each end of each section. This provides enough space for the inside ties to not bind at the joint/joiner.
The way you fix extending rail is cut it, that is the reason you pre-curve to the extent you can.
richhotrain I have used Atlas HO scale Code 83 flex track on all of my layouts. I solder three lengths of 39" pieces together with the movable rail to the outside of the curves. I also use Ribbonrail Metal Track Alignment Gauges to form the curves. Rich