Layouts and layout building

Hello Group,

I am just starting to lay track on my newest layout. I'm in HO scale. I use flextrack.

Is it necessary for me to super elevate the curves? If so, how should I do it?

Should I use easements into the curves?

This is my third layout and I never did the above before and did'nt seem to have any problems.

Thank you and have a great weekend.

Paulie

Hi.  In "Search Community" at right, you can do a search and find all sorts of threads on this subject...it is well covered.

Here are some examples:

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/135563/1520660.aspx#1520660

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/58350/728885.aspx#728885

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/120219/1369794.aspx#1369794

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/126347/1424944.aspx#1424944

It is strictly a personal choice.  It looks good for most of us, providing you don't overdo it.  A 3-5 degree tilt is about optimal, but your models won't need it...it'll just look realistic in head-on images.

-Crandell

 While super elevation is for appearance, easements are useful especially with our overly sharp curves.  The easiest way to do easements is with a template.  This page here on Kalmbach's site http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=290 has them along with instructions.

Enjoy

Paul

I wanted to answer your question, but the other two posters beat me to it    Still, I will add this opinion; I perfer using the template for easements along with the super-elevation using the tape method to create ramps from level track to super-elevated track.  I saw it somewhere on the forums (probably in one of the short cuts listed above ).  It is simple; you apply slim strips of tape to the roadbed under the outside rail at predetermined lengths along the area of the easement into the curve......I use 5-6 strips of tape.  the super-elevation "ramp" starts at the begining of the easement going into the curve and coming out of the curve.  If you use the template mentioned earler, you have a length to divide by 5 or 6 to make your ramp constant through your easements.  You do not "need" this super elevation, but it looks great and is easy to put in.  I love the look.  Good luck with your project!

 On my spline I used a rasp and built it in to the spline. Elsewhere like on the foam I used a variety of methods such as tape, thin cardboard and even spackle.  I wanted to experiment with different methods. It's just the way I am and it drives my wife crazy sometimes. I just tell her variety is the spice of life.

The best thing I did was get a small 2" long bubble level and put a mark on the glass as to where the maximum tilt should be. This made for good consistency in bank and I could tell how smooth the transitions in and out of the curves were. I would just slide the level along and observed how smoothly the bubble would move. Just my .

                                                                             Brent

BATMAN:

... it drives my wife crazy sometimes. I just tell her variety is the spice of life.

When I told MY wife that she kicked me. Of course the context was not trains.

 I do it with a mix of tape and strips of Evergreen styrene. I do N scale, so for you, you should use a max of .040" thick strips of styrene and have stepped-up strips 50 scale feet in length going up to that thickness.

For instance, when your track starts to curve, a .010", then a .020", then a .030" then the .040".

 Here's how I installed it on my N scale layout blog:

http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/blog.php?b=1894

In HO, Precision Scale (PSC) makes a line of flex track where the ties are built up at one end so it is super-elevated.  Two observations 1) first make sure you bend it the right way so the super elevation is not exactly wrong and 2) it is by no means easy track to bend.  Maybe bendable rather than flex is the better word for it.  And you still have to do a transition to flat, which I did by snipping off the nubs at one end of a piece. 

It does look neat to see cars and locomotive lean into the curve.  But I agree with the above poster that spiral easements (as opposed to tangent track meeting a fixed radius curve a la snap track or tinplate track) also have visitual appeal AND actually are useful.  John Armstrong tested things out and showed how easement curves can allow equipment to run on an 18" radius curve that would otherwise need 24" radius if that 24" fixed radius met the tangent w/o an easement.

Dave Nelson 

For information purposes here's what I do in HO: I lay out the centerline using the bent stick method for easements, then I lay the cork roadbed with caulking. I mark it out to the outer end of the ties and mark the two ends of the easement, ie: the tangent and full radius points. I then glue down a 3/32" square balsa or basswood strip along the inside of the end-of-tie line the full length of curve plus easements. Using the curve ends of the easements I lightly sand the strip to a taper the full length of the easement. I then lay the track in place with caulking and hold it in place overnight with cans of food and bottles of water. I wait until after making all my power wiring feeder drops to do the ballasting, which hides the superelevation strips and wiring connections. One can paint the rails and tie plates either before or after ballasting. Enjoy the learning curve. John

There are some more ideas HERE.  

If you're using L-girder or open grid benchwork, with either plywood or spline sub-roadbed, I've detailed an easy and effective way of accomplishing superelevation, as shown within that linked thread.

Wayne