Hello all,After reading Pelle Søeborg’s article in the April, 2016, issue of Model Railroader; pg. 28-35, How To Model Realistic Track And Roadbed, he showed how to make a turnout "slightly" flex by cutting specific tie beds.On my pike I use sectional track for ease of installation. There are two transitions that don't quite fit no matter how I cut the sectional track. I had considered purchasing a section of flex track and cut it to down fit these sections.After reading Pelle's article; pg. 32, I decided to make my own flex track by cutting out all the tie bed sections on one rail of a 9-inch piece of track.After performing this "surgery" I bent the track to fit the curve, checked it with my track gauge and VIOLA! Homemade flex track without having to shell out anymore money and time to drive the hour and a half to my LHS. À la Pelle Søeborg. Next I'm going to try to "flex-ate" some curved sectional track to fit some problem areas. Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
I did something similar using the "transition tracks" that Walthers sells that goes from Code 100 to Code 83 and Code 83 to Code 70. As they come they are short straight sections. I needed just a very slight gentle curve to mine so an entire siding could be the smaller sized rail. Like you and Pelle, I cut the under-rail tiebed sections and curved it ever so slightly. And your mention of checking it with a track gauge is good advice.
Dave Nelson
I had to do some of this to fit tracks into my tight yard area. It works. I did this on many places on my previous layouts, back in the late 70's and early 80's, trying to expand 18" radius track to "widen" the radius a little.
Mike.
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