Safety Valve wrote:There is a item that is basically a plate that sits on a rail between two tracks. However it has a spacing of about 2.5 inches and not always useful.In all my vain attempts to lay straight track was for naught until I learned to use the simple laser a few days ago. Now I feel much more confident about laying track that is reasonably straight.snip
There is a item that is basically a plate that sits on a rail between two tracks. However it has a spacing of about 2.5 inches and not always useful.
In all my vain attempts to lay straight track was for naught until I learned to use the simple laser a few days ago. Now I feel much more confident about laying track that is reasonably straight.
snip
What he said!
Joe
joe-daddy wrote: Safety Valve wrote: There is a item that is basically a plate that sits on a rail between two tracks. However it has a spacing of about 2.5 inches and not always useful.In all my vain attempts to lay straight track was for naught until I learned to use the simple laser a few days ago. Now I feel much more confident about laying track that is reasonably straight. What he said! Joe
Safety Valve wrote: There is a item that is basically a plate that sits on a rail between two tracks. However it has a spacing of about 2.5 inches and not always useful.In all my vain attempts to lay straight track was for naught until I learned to use the simple laser a few days ago. Now I feel much more confident about laying track that is reasonably straight.
You lay YOUR tracks, I lay mine.
Enough said.
Safety Valve wrote: joe-daddy wrote: Safety Valve wrote: There is a item that is basically a plate that sits on a rail between two tracks. However it has a spacing of about 2.5 inches and not always useful.In all my vain attempts to lay straight track was for naught until I learned to use the simple laser a few days ago. Now I feel much more confident about laying track that is reasonably straight.snip I thought I was totally agreeing with you. Joe What he said! Joe You lay YOUR tracks, I lay mine.Enough said.
joe-daddy wrote: Safety Valve wrote: There is a item that is basically a plate that sits on a rail between two tracks. However it has a spacing of about 2.5 inches and not always useful.In all my vain attempts to lay straight track was for naught until I learned to use the simple laser a few days ago. Now I feel much more confident about laying track that is reasonably straight.snip I thought I was totally agreeing with you. Joe What he said! Joe
Safety Valve wrote: There is a item that is basically a plate that sits on a rail between two tracks. However it has a spacing of about 2.5 inches and not always useful.In all my vain attempts to lay straight track was for naught until I learned to use the simple laser a few days ago. Now I feel much more confident about laying track that is reasonably straight.snip
I thought I was totally agreeing with you.
Those qoutes are not doing me any good. I dont know who is agreeing with who with that dots image.... one thinks I wrote too much garbage on that post or another thinks I did not.
So which is it?
Cheers.
Safety Valve wrote:Those qoutes are not doing me any good. I dont know who is agreeing with who with that dots image.... one thinks I wrote too much garbage on that post or another thinks I did not.So which is it?Cheers.
I removed the offending dots and replaced with snip. To be clear, I agree with you, straight track is important and devices other than the laser level have not been completely successful for me. Hope this clarifies.
Best regards!
joe-daddy wrote: Safety Valve wrote: Those qoutes are not doing me any good. I dont know who is agreeing with who with that dots image.... one thinks I wrote too much garbage on that post or another thinks I did not.So which is it?Cheers.I removed the offending dots and replaced with snip. To be clear, I agree with you, straight track is important and devices other than the laser level have not been completely successful for me. Hope this clarifies. Best regards! Joe
Safety Valve wrote: Those qoutes are not doing me any good. I dont know who is agreeing with who with that dots image.... one thinks I wrote too much garbage on that post or another thinks I did not.So which is it?Cheers.
Thanks, I learned something today about dots.
Hopefully no hard feelings. I tend to shoot my mouth off.
Jason-Train wrote:Everytime I look at real rails, they never seem straight to me. I eye-ball my n-scale flex and sort of enjoy watching the train shift slightly as it goes along.
Class I rails normally run in a straight line where they're supposted to be straight. I think you know what I mean. Beyond that, all bets are off, especially on Short Lines, little used branches and sidings.
UP2CSX wrote:... I have a few spots that seem to always give me trouble - not enough for a derailment but enough that I know something's wrong. The trouble is my conventional level always shows things are fine but I'll bet I have a rail joint that's slightly too high or too low. I just can't tell which but a laser should pick it out right way. Maybe it's just a matter of adding a shim or slightly jacking a section of track back to perfectly straight. Great idea and I never would have thought of it if I hadn't read this thread.
... I have a few spots that seem to always give me trouble - not enough for a derailment but enough that I know something's wrong. The trouble is my conventional level always shows things are fine but I'll bet I have a rail joint that's slightly too high or too low. I just can't tell which but a laser should pick it out right way. Maybe it's just a matter of adding a shim or slightly jacking a section of track back to perfectly straight. Great idea and I never would have thought of it if I hadn't read this thread.
I hope you don't mind my interjection, but if you have trouble-prone sections of track, it could be things that a laser will not reveal. For example, gauge is not always perfect in commercial track, and less so on curves. They tend to tighten in gauge on curves. Also, rails that are not at the same height; left is marginally higher than the right, say, and the rolling items will visibly wobble, or engines loose their footing and spin there/slow. Dips can be revealed by a laser if shot along one rail, and the same applied for rises. But a quick way is to use a straight edge and backlight the rail tops while you get your Mark 1 eyeball down to that height. If you see light one place and not another, you have uneven trackwork.
jbloch do you have a link for Ribbonrail or a dealer that sells them. I spent my last day off laying some 22" turns that came out good but the gauges sure would save some time.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Here are three pictures of the Level examining track. The block on the track is to highlight the location of the rail and serve as a target for the level.
Joe Daddy
Agreed. As far as I'm concerned as long as they start and end at the same point (in relation to the sides of the module) it is straight. I like my rails to be a bit crooked. Not laser straight.