Contents Introduction .............................. 4 1 Prototype track.......................... 7 2 Model track basics ...................... 12 3 Roadbed .............................. 18 4 Sectional track ......................... 23 5 Laying flextrack......................... 33 6 Laying turnouts......................... 42 7 Controlling turnouts ..................... 51 8 Crossings and other special trackwork ...... 58 9 Handlaying track........................ 66 10 Detailing, painting, and ballasting track .... 76 List of manufacturers ...................... 86 About the author ......................... 87 1 CHAPTER THREE Roadbed Popular roadbed choices include cork Once you’ve built the benchwork for your layout, with (the Midwest N scale sample shown at front) and foam (the Woodland Scenics its plywood or foam subroadbed or table surface, you’re Track-Bed shown under the Atlas HO concrete-tie flextrack). Roadbed elevates ready to lay track, right? Well, not quite. Adding road- the track and makes it look more realistic. Its smooth surface provides bed improves the appearance as well as the operation reliable operation. of model track, 1. Although some modelers—especially beginners—are tempted to skip adding roadbed, expe- rienced modelers will tell you that roadbed is more than worth the additional work and investment. 18 2 3 4 Cork roadbed comes in 3-foot-long strips Flopping the pieces so the bevel is Run a bead of white glue along one that are perforated down the middle and toward the outside provides the proper edge of the centerline and then press must be separated. roadbed shoulder. the cork into place. 5 6 7 Pushpins or wire nails (partially driven in) One side of the cork usually has a rough Use a sanding block with coarse or can be used to hold the cork until the burr along the top edge where it was medium sandpaper to remove the glue dries. connected to its mating piece. rough edge. Real railroad tracks are elevated Woodland Scenics Track-Bed), fiber for securing cork to plywood and above the surrounding terrain, as board (Homasote and Homabed), and Woodland Scenics Foam Tack Glue for chapter 1 explained. A layer of composites (such as Hobby Innovations adhering cork to foam. crushed-rock ballast sits atop a Flexxbed). Here’s a look at the most Run a back-and-forth pattern of subgrade, which provides drainage common commercial products. glue along one side of the centerline, 4, and allows a smooth path and even and press the cork in place. You can use transitions in grade. The exact profile Cork pushpins to hold the cork in place until varies among railroads, with heavy- Cork is by far the most popular choice the glue dries, 5. If you use nails, don’t traffic main lines having deeper ballast for roadbed, and for good reason. drive them in all the way—remember, and a neater profile than secondary Widely available in all scales, cork is they’re there only temporarily. Once main lines, branch lines, or industrial inexpensive and works well. It is also the glue has dried, remove the nails or spurs. easy to cut, bend, and install. Most HO pushpins. Model roadbed doesn’t serve cork is 3/16" thick, and N scale is 1/8", Stagger the joints of the roadbed identical purposes, but it is still with the top surface cut slightly wider halves, and don’t locate roadbed important in providing a smooth, than the length of a standard tie. joints above those in the subroadbed even surface for the track, helping Most cork is sold in 3-foot-long (and likewise don’t later place track ensure reliable operation. It improves strips with a diagonal perforation joints above joints in the roadbed). model track appearance by elevating running down the middle, 2. Peeling Staggering all joints results in much the track and making it look like the the two halves apart and arranging smoother track. real thing. It also helps deaden noise them so that the bevels are on the The top bevel of one side of the from operation, as track laid directly outside results in a correct roadbed cork usually has a rough edge where it on wood or foam acts like a sounding profile, 3. was separated from its mating piece, 6. board to amplify noise. To lay two-piece cork, start with a Remove this lip using a sanding block Several types of commercial track centerline drawn on the layout with coarse (120-grit) sandpaper to roadbed are available. These include table or subroadbed. Cork can be smooth the edge, 7. This process makes cork (made by Busch, IBL, Midwest nailed in place, but glue is a much it much easier to get a smooth shoulder Products, and others), foam (such as neater option. I prefer white glue when you ballast the track. 19 2 3 Test-fit track on the layout, even if you’ve copied track center- Make sure rail joints are tight and square, with both rails lines from a track plan in place. pushed firmly into place. 4 5 If a rail joiner becomes bent or twisted, Joints on curves shouldn’t kink, either to make the curve tighter (left) or broader discard it and substitute a new one. (right). Make sure the rails butt together at both joints, making the joint square. Good and bad opt for flextrack (see chapter 5) for when reusing them, discard it, 4. Bad The biggest advantage of sectional the bulk of your trackwork, you’ll still rail joiners work loose, won’t hold track is that it’s ready to use—just start find sectional track handy for many rail in alignment, and don’t conduct connecting pieces and you’ll soon be situations. electricity well. able to run trains. Especially in HO and Be sure that all track sections— N scales, there are hundreds of sections Laying sectional track especially curves—meet squarely available, from pieces under 1" long to The first step in laying sectional track and don’t kink, as shown in photo 5. the standard full-length straight pieces is to test-fit all of the track sections in Kinks are usually caused by trying to of 9" in HO and 5" in N scale. a given location to make sure they fit make a curve tighter than it should Sectional track’s biggest the space. Even if you’re following a be. Although it’s tempting to try to disadvantage is its inflexibility, published track plan, understand that fit a bit more track in place, don’t especially with curves. Most brands and track sometimes won’t fit exactly as do it. Joints like these will lead types of sectional track feature fairly shown. Sometimes track-plan designers to derailments and you’ll end up tight curves—18" and 22" are the most are a bit hopeful in determining how reworking the troublesome areas. common in HO scale, and 93⁄4" and 11" much track will fit into an area. Track Once the track is arranged the way in N scale. With some lines of track, pieces such as turnouts must sometimes you want it, adjust the track centerlines you’re also locked into wider than be trimmed to fit tight locations (more as necessary by marking between the realistic track spacing to get turnouts to on that in chapter 6). ties every few inches, 6. Remove the work for sidings and crossover tracks. Even if you’ve sketched track track, and then connect the dots as Nonetheless, sectional track is an centerlines in place, test-fit the track shown to mark the centerline. You’re easy, quick way to get trains running. pieces, 2. You can use pushpins or tape now ready to add your choice of Experimenting with arrangements of to temporarily hold the track in place. roadbed, as described in chapter 3. sectional track is a good way of testing When connecting the track sections, Once the roadbed is in place, you’re potential track layouts, whether for a be sure that all pieces fit tightly, 3. ready to lay the track. Depending complete model railroad or a town or Use good rail joiners. If a joiner upon the type of turnout control scene on a larger layout. Even if you becomes bent, which often happens you’re planning, you may have to drill 24 6 Mark the track center between ties every few inches (left). Then remove the track and connect the dots to mark the centerline. 7 8 9 Place a nail in a hole in the tie and use a Use a nail set to finish driving the track Leave a paper-thin gap between the nail small hammer to drive it just above the nail below the railhead level. head and the tie to avoid causing a kink railhead level. in the tie. 10 11 12 Make sure both rails are in—and not on Leave small gaps between straight Wire cutters or rail nippers work well top of—their rail joiners. This can easily pieces every few sections to allow for for grabbing track nails that need to be happen with combination track (shown) expansion and contraction. removed. Carefully work the jaws under or standard track. the nail head. access holes under the roadbed under middle) to accept nails. Small black tack it in place. When the nail is still the turnout throw bar (see chapter 7). nails (such as Atlas no. 0540 track above railhead level, use a small nail set When the track is positioned properly nails) do the job and aren’t very visible to finish driving the nail, 8. Don’t try to on the roadbed, you can begin securing when in place. Avoid larger wire nails, drive the nail all at once—instead, tap it it.