I think I goofed

[Duce]

I started laying track for my new layout. I desided to do the yard part without and roadbed. but I wanted the mainline to have road bed. So being excited to jumo into this thing. I went ahead and nailed down the whole yard all the way and including the switch to the mainline. Forgeting two inportant things. When you add roadbed the track rises and I didnt paint the wood under the track. I had used black ballest in the yard and it took ALOT of balles to cover the light wood under the track.

I dont know how to fix this. I tried to go ahead and put a section of flex track in front of and behind the switch with road bed my engines front coupler is getting cought up in the switch. How am I going to fix this and suggestions? I guess this is the part where you learn as you go.

Another thing is can i paint the board with the track on it. I have seen people spray the track with something that looks like rust. Can I do that? How hard is it to get off the track and what do I use?

Thanks

[egmurphy]

QUOTE: I tried to go ahead and put a section of flex track in front of and behind the switch with road bed my engines front coupler is getting cought up in the switch. How am I going to fix this and suggestions?

My suggestion is to remove the nails far enough back from the main so that you can gradually drop the yard lead from the main, while keeping the main level. I don't think there's any good way to keep going with that dip in the main line. jmho

Regards

Ed

[dgwinup]

I agree with Ed. To eliminate the dip, you will have to use a looooong section of track to dip down to the switch and back up again. Plus, you will never be happy with a dip in your mainline, no matter how shallow the angle. The only real solution is to pull up some of the yard tracks, re-lay the mainline on roadbed and slope down into the yard. You may still have trouble getting your road engines out of the yard depending on how short the grade is from the yard to the main.

As far as painting track, you can use most any modeling paint of appropriate coloring. Before painting, using a tight-knit piece of cloth as an applicator, wipe a small amount of lubricant on the tops of the rails. WD-40 will work, so will other lubricants. DO NOT SPRAY the oil on! Wipe it on by hand! Paint the rails, allow the paint to dry, then wipe the tops of the rails off with clean towels. The oil on the rails will prevent the paint from sticking to the top of the rails. You will still want to take extra time to clean the railheads with Goo Gone or a similar product or burni***hem with a Bright Boy cleaner. Then ballast as usual. Should look pretty good when you're done.

Darrell, quiet...for now

[rrinker]

After painting all of the main line on my layout (well actually my father in law did the painting, I did the wiping afterwards), I found the WD40 on a rag step is more a time waster than a help. We used Polly S paint - safe for the plastic ties and foam roadbed and extruded foam benchwork - and I found a Bright Boy does short work of wiping the railheads - let the paint st up for about 5-10 minutes, and then swipe the BB over it and the paint just peels right off the railheads. I don't know what would happen if you let the paint set up for a hour or so - like if you were doign this all yourself, so the WD40 may help in loner situations. But if you have a helper - just pick up a Bright Boy - the REAL Bright Boy, those Model Power knockoffs do NOT work nearly as well.
Disclaimer: The track is all Atlas Code 83 nickle-silver. Brass track or other brands with different variations of nickel-silver may behave differently.

--Randy

[Medina1128]

If you're coupler is fouling in the turnout, make sure that the coupler height is correct. Prototypically, your mainline is higher that the track leading to it. This keep any cars from rolling into the turnout and fouling the switch. I would extend the approach track from the yard to the mainline, easing the transition angle.

[rayhippard]

Duce, Best way is to pull up all the track nailed directly to wood. Then lay down flat cork sheet for the yard and from the yard lead you continue with regular cork roadbed for the mainline which will make all your track at the same level but the mainline will be above the plywood or foam base for the desired effect of drainage ditches, etc.. You can ballast the yard without paint because if any cork shows it will blend in with the dark ballast color that is typical of yard color because of all the oil and dirt that collects in the original ballasting of the prototypical yard. This was how I did my last layout and it looked good and operated well. Remember, even the most knowledgeable modeler has started over to improve or change something on their layout. We are truly never " finished " with our layouts as we try to improve as we go. Happy railroading !
Ray ---- Great Northern fan.

[SpaceMouse]

Short of pulling up the track there are a couple things you can do. Depending on where the plywood breaks, you could raise the yard on the frame. They you would have to blend in your elevation change with scenery.

OR, you could cut a two foot long strip that went from the height of the cork roadbed to the height of the yard or zero. Put this under the mainline instead of the last piece of cork. This will give you a 1% grade in the transition.

I agree with Randy on painting the track. I just sprayed my track with an air brush and (unlike Randy) waited for the paint to dry. It came off easily with the Brite Boy. This is something that would have been better before the ballast, but hey.

[Duce]

Thanks guys.
I guess ill have to do some track removel. Was kinda not wanting to do that. But i need that switch to run smooth. I will let you guys know how it goes. Ill be in there tonight working on it.

thanks

[Anonymous]

One other thought, "Cookie cutter" the yard lead so that it can be eased up to the road bed height, and possibly do the same for a section before and beyond the switch to allow it to "droop a littleto make the switch level but the mainline run down a bit. You could cut spacers to sit beside the track under the road bed and then span the cut out section with a thin plywood like luann to support every thing. Doing is learning, and you're farther down the line to that sucessful light bulb! Good luck.
Will

[davekelly]

Duce,

I think you'll be happy with the results of the extra effort. And don't worry about it . . . "I think I goofed" has become a regular part of my vocabulary. On the other hand, after fixing my "goof" the right way I almost always like the result better than some jury rigged or less than optimal solution. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

[rtesta]

This converstaion would lead me to another consideration, dont nail anything down. i used to do it that way 20 years ago and since getting back into the hobby a few years ago i am thrilled with the latex caulk approach to putting down track. its tough pulling nails straight from plywood or anything else with the exception of foam.
Caulk also holds things down pretty hard but it seems easier to work it up with a sharp spackle knife without as much damage. also, a thin layer of caulk in key areas will hold the track well until the ballast work helps keep it all in palce.