track laying question

[Anonymous]

when laying my track for my new layout, should I put in the switches first and build the regular track around it, or start with straight and curved sections and add switches as I go along?

[FThunder11]

I would lay everything where i wanted it with out nailing it down, then that way if you see something you don't like its very easy to change. Then once you get it the way you like it you can permanatley put it down.

[IRONROOSTER]

Assuming you have laid road bed or drawn center lines to serve as a guide, I find that for me it works best to start from a switch and work from there. Usually I jump ahead and postion switches as I start to approach their location. Frequently, I'll temporarilty connect track with rail joiners to the switch to make sure I have positioned it correctly. Then I'll lay track back from the second switch toward the first. If possible I try to have the connecting piece be a straight one. I'm sure there are other methods - whatever works for you. Before fastening anything down, I sight along the rails to make sure every thing is flowing smoothly. Look for kink where ever you have joined the rail. When I find a kink I take care of it before moving on. Sometimes this means cutting out a soldered joint.
Enjoy
Paul