oleirish wrote: You do not have to remove your atlas switch, just remove the switch machine.
You do not have to remove your atlas switch, just remove the switch machine.
I am assuming that after ballasting the remnant, or lack of ties I think it was after I removed one of the switch machines (I am at work and I don't have one in front of me), will disappear or look better. In other words, the original reason I decided to replace them was that I did not like how they looked after the removal. That being said, I would much prefer to save the money and follow your advice.
dgore
Not over kill just good sence,Tortoise are the best switch machines I know of,I have ten of them right now are going to get more.You do not have to remove your atlas switch, just remove the switch machine.
I don't like to mess around with my cork so I get my center line drawn,and use an stapler to put the cork down With 9/16" staples,smooth the edges of the cork,and then lay the track,A little practice placeing the staples and they dissaper.After you ballest you wount see them.
When I lay my track I use medium set C.A. a drop in the holes in the ties for the track nails does the trick!
The smother you make your track joint the better it will run! I work my joints tell ther is no gap,then space them with an 3X5 card,also test fit your rail joiners for a tight fit,I dont like to solder the rails in less I have to,the small gap is to allow for the weather changes,and sounds good with metal wheels on my rolling stock!
My 2 cent's worth
JIM
A tip I learned from Chuck (tomikawaTT) is to take a small metal file and bevel the rail heads and flange path side of the rail ends.
I don't know how they are cut at the factory, but the edges are quite sharp. Make strokes from along the rail downward at a 20 deg angle over the top lip of the edge of the rail, and do the same for the side where the flanges will run. Do each end, and when you join them, the wheels will glide over this "eased" join much more trouble-freely.
The gaps should not be more than about 1/16" at the most, and 1/32" is great. And, as Mouse has said, the rail heads should abut nicely, no height differences discernable. Even then, you may not notice it, but your cars will rock over the join noticeably if the disparity is greater than 1/32"
I like the looks of what you have shown us so far. Looks like it will be fun.
Yes the rails do have to abutt pretty darn well. The joiners take a lot of the guesswork out of them, but if there is any difference in height, you should flat file them level as well as file them smooth on the sides. You don't want the wheels hopping around at all if you can help it. The better the trackwork, the more rewarding the operation of the layout.
Latex caulk is good to connect the track to the roadbed. As for the tortiose for the turnout, it depends how solid you want the turnout to be. My feeling there is no such thing as overkill in trackwork.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
Well,
Thanks to all the helpful hints and commentaries on my previous posts I have been able to get the roadbed and track layout to match and lay down well. Pic links below.
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/500/DSC_0019_JPG2.jpg
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/500/DSC_0024_JPG2.jpg
Questions:
Do the rails have to abut perfectly?. Not being an electrician and a newbie to the hobby, I would assume electrically the railjoiners take care of the connnection. However I am guessing the gaps make for a jerky ride to the train, perhaps derailments. Do you fix the gaps by soldering the joints or can you file down the rails until they abut?
Also, how do you fix the track to the cork? I was planning on using a thin layer of latex caulk? Is that the best choice for cork over foam over plywood?
I am replacing the snap switches with plain Atlas turnouts and below the table tortoise switch machines? Does anyone thing that is overkill on such a small layout?
Thanks for the input.