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PRODUCTSI N F O R M AT I O N S TAT I O N

Tracklaying tips and techniques

AREA: The American Railway Engineer-ing Association is the prototype railroadorganization which establishes right-of-way material specifications and trackconstruction standards.Ballast: The crushed rock used to holdtrack in position, spread weight, andprovide drainage.B&B gang: A traveling railroad crewthat specializes in bridge and buildingconstruction, maintenance, and repair.Bridge: A structure which supports atrack passing over a depression in theterrain or a stream. A through bridge hasa floor structure which supports thetrack between its side beams or trusses,while a deck bridge has its supportingstructure below track level.Bridge guardrail: A set of heavy timbersor steel rails mounted inside the run-ning rails on a bridge or other structureto keep derailed cars in line. Bridge pier: An intermediate supportused between bridge spans.Bridge shoe: An iron or steel castingwhich transfers the weight of a bridgeto its supports. One end is normally asolid mounting while the opposite endallows for expansion or contraction.Bumper: A braced, coupler-heightblocking device which keeps cars fromrolling off the end of a track.

Track

Smooth-flowing handlaid trackwork has beenthe hallmark of the Detroit Model RailroadClub’s O scale Detroit Union RR for over halfa century. This view of Duncan Junctionincludes several regular turnouts, a cross-ing, a single-slip switch, and a double-slipswitch. Photo by Jim Hediger.

Many model railroadersdiscover a whole range ofunfamiliar terms when

they begin acquiring the trackcomponents to build a layout.Most of these terms match pro-totype track terminology andare clearly descriptive, whileothers require some explana-tion. The list which followsdefines the most common track-related terms, including somethat are often misused.

Bunk, camp, or outfit car: A passengeror freight car converted into movableliving quarters for track workers.Clearance: The space that’s required forrolling stock to pass an object or otherequipment. Vertical clearance is thespace between a car roof and an over-head object or structure.Clearance point: The location near aturnout where equipment may safelypass other adjacent equipment. Cross level: A reference comparing therelative heights of the two rails acrossthe track.Crossing: A level inter-section between twotracks or between atrack and a highway (above).Crossover: A pair of facing turnoutswhich allow a train to pass from oneparallel track to the other (below).

Cut and fill: A right-of-way constructionmethod that removes earth or stoneabove grade and uses it to fill in thegaps below grade. Deck: A bridge floor which may beeither ballasted or open (with the trackbolted to the supports). Derail: A safety device that’s used onspur tracks to keep cars from rolling outand fouling a main track. It usually hasa cast-steel frog which diverts onewheel up and over the rail to stop a carwell short of the clearance point. Somederails consist of a single switch pointthat’s normally left open to stop anymoving car clear of the main track.

Double or scissors crossover: Two pairsof facing turnouts with a crossing in themiddle which allow trains to pass fromone parallel track to the other (below).

Double-slip switch: A special condensedtrack component which combines thefunctions of four turnouts and a cross-ing in a short distance (below).

Drawbridge: A movable bridge thatspans a navigable waterway. Elevated: A reference to a high levelright-of-way, often constructed on a fill,to provide clearance underneath foranother track or a roadway.Elevation: The measured height of aspecific location above a base line. Expansion joint: A special slip joint thatincludes an open space in the center toallow the rails to expand or contract. Facing point: A track turnout or switchthat’s positioned so its points faceoncoming traffic.Flangeway: The space between a run-ning or stock rail and a guardrail forwheel flanges.Frog: The portion of a turnout or cross-ing where wheels cross the intersectionof two rails.

Gantlet (not gauntlet) track: A pair ofoverlapping parallel tracks which sharea single roadbed and track structure topass through a narrow obstruction likea tunnel or bridge (below).

Gap: A slot cut through the rail to breakthe electrical path. Gauge: The standard dimensional spac-ing required between the rails orwheels. Tight gauge refers to less thanthe correct spacing, while wide gaugemeans the rails are too far apart.Grade: The vertical rise or fall of a trackin units of height per 100 units of dis-tance, expressed as a percentage. A 2"rise in 100" is a 2 percent grade.Grade crossing: A level intersectionbetween a highway and the track.Ground throw: A low-level manual con-trol device used to operate and lock theswitch points and select a route througha turnout. Guardrail: An additional rail placedinside the running rail that engages theback of a wheel flange to help guide itswheelset through a frog.Headblocks: The pair of extended tiesbeneath the switch points which sup-port a switch stand. Industry track: Any side track wherefreight cars can be spotted so a railroadcustomer can load or unload them.Insulated joint: A mechanical rail jointwhich doesn’t pass electricity.Joint: An end-to-end mechanical railconnection using a rail joiner to main-tain precise alignment.Junction: A location where main linesdiverge or cross each other.

An introduction to railroad lingo

By Jim HedigerIllustrations by Rick Johnson

terminologyC

TRACK TIMELINE1832Wooden tieswere intro-duced on theCamden & Amboy RR

1893The firstconcrete tieswere testedon thePhiladelphia& ReadingRR

1921Mainline railweighed anaverage of83 poundsper yard (HOcode 55)

1937 The first 30-mile stretchof continuouswelded railwas installedon theDelaware &Hudson RR

Heavier railbecame neces-sary to handlethe increasingloads andequipmentweights

1956Mainline railweighed anaverage of105 poundsper yard (HOcode 70)

POST WW II 1957Prestressedconcrete ties(reinforcedwith steelrods) wereintroduced

1983Mainline railweighed anaverage of117 poundsper yard (HOcode 83)

Lap or three-way switch: A special trackcomponent which combines two over-lapping turnouts (below).

Main line or main track: The principleroute used by trains passing a givenlocation along the line.Milepost: A trackside signpost with anumber indicating the distance from anestablished starting point.Narrow gauge: A reference to any rail-road built with a track gauge that’s lessthan 561⁄2" standard gauge.NMRA: An abbreviation for theNational Model Railroad Association,which is the hobby organization thatestablishes the basic specifications orNMRA standards which ensure compat-ibility between products made by dif-ferent manufacturers.“On the ground”: A railroad slang termfor a derailment.Platform: A loading dock for freight orpassengers. A high platform is even withthe car floor, while a low platform maybe at any height below floor level.Portal: An entrance to a tunnel or theframing at the ends of a truss bridge.Profile: A scale drawing which showsthe grade alignment for a section ofmain track.Puzzle switch: A slang term referring tothe special track components used inextremely congested areas includingsingle- or double-slip switches andthree-way switches.Radius: The size of a curve measuredfrom its center point to the curved trackcenter line (circumference of the circle). Rail: A specially shaped rolled steelbeam with a wide basethat’s spiked to the tiesto carry the weight andguide trains along theright-of-way (right).Rail code: This is a reference to theheight of model rail in thousandths ofan inch: code 100 measures .100" tall,code 83 is .083" tall, code 70 is .070",and code 55 is .055" (below).

Railhead: The wide, top portion of a railthat the wheels run on.

Rail joiner: A formed sheet metalmechanical connector used to joinmodel rails end to end. Rail nipper: A specially ground pair ofmodeler’s cutting pliers used to makeclean, square cuts in soft metal rail.Relay: An electrical switching devicecommonly used to control polarity,power, and signal circuits.Reverse or “S”curve: A track arrange-ment where two oppo-site curves meet at acommon point (right).Reverse loop: A loopof track that beginsand ends at the sameturnout to turn trainsaround (right).Riser: A vertical piece in the benchworkwhich supports a trackboard. Roadbed: Any material used beneaththe track to simulate the prototype bal-last profile.Ruling grade: The maximum gradewhich affects train size in a given area.Single-slip switch: A special condensedtrack component which combines thefunctions of two turnouts and a cross-ing in a short distance (below).

Snow shed: A heavy canopy structurebuilt to carry snow slides over the track. Spike: A forged-steel fastener with anoffset head that’s driven into the ties tosecure the rails. Spiral curve or easement: A curve ofgradually increasing radius that makesthe transition between a fixed-radiuscurve and a tangent or straight track.Spring switch: A turnout which has itspoints controlled by a spring-loadedmechanism. Trains can make a trailingmove through the switch and then thepoints return to their normal position. Spur or spur track: Any single-endedtrack.Stub switch: A pointless turnout whichchanges its route by gently bending theapproach or “fly” rails sideways (below).

Superelevation: Banking built into acurve by raising the outside rail sotrains may operate at higher speeds.

Switch lock: A padlock or an interlock-ing device which secures a switch so itspoints cannot be moved.Switch machine: A remote controldevice which moves the switch pointsto select a route through a turnout. Switch rod: A metal rod that connectsswitch points to a switch stand or aremote-controlled switch machine.Switch stand: A trackside manual con-trol used to operate the points andselect a route through a turnout. Tangent: A straight track.Third rail: An extra rail mounted along-side or between the running rails tosupply current for electric locomotivesor traction cars.Tie: The structural element which runsat right angles to the track center line tosupport and hold the rails in gauge.Most ties are hardwood, but some aremade of prestressed concrete.Tie plate: A forged-steel plate usedbetween the rail base and the tie top tohelp spread the load.Timber: Any heavy wood beam that’sused in railroad construction.Trackboard: The horizontal wood sup-port beneath model roadbed and track.Trailing point: A reference to a switchwith its points facing away from thedirection of travel.Turnout: A track component with mov-able points that’s used to select whichroute a train will follow.

HeadWebBase

E

Code 100 Code 83 Code 70 Code 55

.100" .083" .070" .055"

G

H

TURNOUT PARTS

Points

Headblocks Switch rod

Closure rails

Stock rail

Stock rail

GuardrailGuardrail

Flangeway

Wing rails

Frog

Turntable: A revolving bridge structurecommonly used to turn locomotives inan engine terminal.Wheel stop: A wedge-shaped device,mounted on the rail heads, which isdesigned to keep a car from rolling offthe end of a track.Wye: A triangular trackarrangement which hasthree turnouts connectedat their frog ends to turntrains (right).Wye switch: A turnout which divergesequally in both directions.

1 Stagger all of the joints in the track, roadbed, and subroadbed.

2 Avoid humps or dips in the track, especially near curves, turnouts, andplaces where grades begin or end.

3 Drive spikes gently, using just enough pressure to seat themwithout putting a vertical kink in the rail.

4 If you’re using track nails, drive them gently until they’re snug without distorting the plastic ties.

5 Carefully align every rail joint and make sure both rails are fully seated in the rail joiners.

6 Eliminate any potential bump by removing the ties beneath a rail joint, sanding them thinner, and then replacing them.

7 Smooth the top inside corner of all rail joints with a small file until you can slide a fingernail over the joint without feeling any snagging.

8 Use a small file to sharpen all switch points to obtain a smooth path for the wheels to follow.

9 During installation, solder the wiresto the underside of the rails so they’ll be hidden by the ballast.

1 Use a National Model Railroad Association gauge to check and

adjust the spacing of the rails and guardrails in turnouts.

10 TRACKLAYING TIPS

0

� More on our Web siteInformation on preventing derailments canbe found at www.modelrailroader.com.

of plywood. This may not be the bestchoice as most beginners want to easilychange the track arrangement.

Sectional track is now made withplastic roadbed sections (fig. 1). Theroadbed sections have interlocking tabsto hold the track securely in place andkeep the trains above the floor enoughto avoid those dreaded carpet fuzzies.

Getting up and runningLaying sectional track is pretty sim-

ple. Line up two pieces and slide themtogether. Make sure the ends of the railare lined up properly and fit snuglytogether with little or no gap (fig. 2). Ifyou’re using track with moldedroadbed make sure the tabs locksecurely between sections.

Two tips: Don’t force the pieces. Themost common mistake is forcing curvesections tighter than the designedradius. This produces a gap betweensections and a kink in the rail that’s asure ticket to derailments (fig. 3).

Another common problem is lettingone rail slip up and over the adjoiningrail joiner (fig. 4). Make sure the rail issitting in the joiner before pressing thetwo sections together.

TurnoutsWatching a train chase its tail

around a circle can get boring. Thesolution is to purchase some turnoutsand additional track sections, whichwill enable you to vary the train’s route.

It’s hard to have trouble with sec-tional turnouts. Perhaps the mostimportant thing is to ensure the switchrod is correctly installed and the pointsthrow freely. Figure 5 shows the basiccomponents of a turnout.

While the standard geometry of sec-tional track somewhat limits layoutdesign options, for ease and simplicityit simply can’t be beat. Good luck! 1

So you opened that train set Christ-mas morning and couldn’t wait toget rolling. Chances are the set

came with a circle or oval of track sec-tions. While it’s pretty easy to put thisstuff together and change it around,here are a few tips for getting top per-formance from sectional track.

What it isSectional track comes in curves,

straights, and turnout (switch) sectionsin every scale. In HO scale the mostcommon curves are 15", 18", and 22"radius, with 9" and shorter straights.Turnouts are normally no. 4s or 6s.

Shorter fitter sections, such as halfcurves, 1⁄4 straights, and the like areoften necessary to complete any layoutmore complex than an oval and are also

available. Have a selection of them onhand so you don’t end up with a gapinghole in the main line.

Most folks start by snappingtogether a circle or oval of track on thefloor. After a while the rail joinersloosen and the track sections workapart, often from the weight of thetrain. The result is a spectacular derail-ment, with track and train sailingacross the room. While fun at first thisquickly wears thin and can play havocwith locomotives and cars.

Also, if you’re running your trains ona carpeted floor the carpet fuzz willwork its way into the locomotive mech-anism and cause operational problems.

To prevent these problems the tradi-tional solution has been nailing thetrack to a solid surface such as a piece

Sectional track

PHOTOS BY BILL ZUBACK

Fig. 1 TRACK AND ROADBED. Most manufac-turers offer track with plastic roadbed sec-tions, like this True-Track from Atlas.

Fig. 2 PROPER JOINT. Track sections shouldfit together easily, without any obvious gapsin the joint between rail sections.

Fig. 3 FORCING TRACK TO FIT. This is a com-mon mistake with sectional track. Trains willhave a tough time crossing this gap.

Fig. 4 HIGH-RIDING RAIL. Note how one ofthese rails is sitting over the rail joiner.Make sure both rails are seated properly.

Frog

Guardrails

Switch rod

Closure rails

Points

Switch machine

Fig. 5 TURNOUT COMPONENTS

Good track is the main differencebetween a layout that’s fun to oper-ate and one that gathers dust. Lay-

ing straight track is easy, but layingcurves with flextrack can be tricky, espe-cially when you need to join two sec-tions of flextrack in the middle of acurve. It’s easy to introduce a kink, guar-anteeing operating problems. Here aresome tracklaying tips that work for me.

Cutting and fitting flextrackYou need a good set of rail nippers.

To avoid damaging the cutting edgesuse them only for cutting rail. I happento use Micro Engineering’s but otherbrands are available.

To determine where to cut positionthe track and mark the rail with a knife.Figures 1 through 3 show how to cutthe track and file the cut smooth.

Laying curved trackBecause the rails start out the same

length and the inside of a curve isalways shorter than the outside, theinside rail will have to be cut. This isn’tall that difficult.

For all but the tightest curves you’llfind you need to use more than onepiece of track to complete the curve.But if you lay the curved track and thenadd a second piece on the curve you’lllikely end up with a kink.

To prevent that problem start thecurve by spiking down a piece of flex-track through the start of the curve,leaving the last 8" to 10" straight (fig. 4).Cut the rail ends flush, file smooth, andjoin the next section of track.

Solder the joint while the track isstill straight. Use rosin-core solder anda clean, hot iron. Heat the rail andtouch the solder to the metal. The sol-der should take only a couple of sec-onds to flow. After the solder cools bendthe track to the desired curve.

Smooth trackwork is critical toenjoying model railroading. Take yourtime and you’ll be surprised at how pre-cise your track can be. 1

Fig. 3 FILING RAILS. File the end and under-side of the rail as well as the web so a railjoiner will slip on easily.

Fig. 1 CUTTING FLEXTRACK. Use a heavy-duty rail nipper, like this one from MicroEngineering, to cut the track to length.

Carefully laid flextrack curves add up tooperating fun. Here a trio of GP60Ms leaninto the bend on Jack Kenefick’s HO railroad.

Fig. 2 REMOVING TIES. Remove a few tiesfrom the end of the track by cutting the web(the plastic piece between ties) with a knife.

Laying flextrack on curves

Spike track in place. Joint will assume curve

Leave 8"-10" of track straight. Solder next section on with rail straight

Bend track to curve, mark cut with hobby knife. Use rail nippers to cut longer rail ends flush

Fig. 4 LAYING CURVES

GEORGE HALL

CHRISTINE PAUL

CHRISTINE PAUL

CHRISTINE PAUL

ILLUSTRATION BY RICK JOHNSON

I’ve yet to find one thing that confusesmore model railroaders than grades.Sure, everyone knows what they are –

essentially track going up or downhill.It’s translating that to the layout thattrips folks up.

Doing the mathThe math for figuring out the per-

cent of grade for a model railroad isalmost ridiculously simple. The basicformula is the number of units of riseper 100 units of run (fig. 1). The “unit”can be any measure of distance, thoughthe easiest one for us to use is inches.

For example, a two percent gradeclimbs 2" for every 100" of travel. By thesame token, a track that climbs 1" in 50"of travel or climbs 3" in 150" of travel isalso a two percent grade. The length ofthe run is really immaterial, only theangle of the climb matters.

Don’t let the grades get too steep asit’s amazing what a slight grade can doto a locomotive’s pulling power. Startby figuring on two or 2.5 percent. If youneed to go steeper than that go for itbut try keeping grades under four per-cent if at all possible unless you plan torun short trains or geared locomotives.

1"

2"

3"

4"

5"

6"

7"

8"

50" 100" 150" 200"

Fig. 1 PERCENTAGE OF GRADE

Rise (height above base level) in inches

4 percent

2.5 percent

2 percent

1 percent

Run (length of track) in inches

Fig. 2 BUILD A GRADE

1.Secure subroadbed to top of joist at start of grade (0" in this case)

2. Measure angle of climb with grade gauge – 2.5 percent

3. Secure riser 11⁄4" above top of joist

4. Fill in with additional risers as needed, checking with gauge to make sure there aren’t any steeper “hidden” grades Run – 50"

Desired 2.5 percent grade

ILLUSTRATIONS BY RICK JOHNSON

F. L. BECHT

Capturing the image of a train climbing thegrade is the goal of many modelers. This isTehachapi Pass in California, circa 1973.

Grades

Making the gradeOne way to add a grade to a flat

tabletop layout is with the Styrofoamincline subroadbed from WoodlandScenics. These are precut subroadbedsections in two, three, and four percentgrades. Glue them to the plywood andyou’re ready to add roadbed and track.

It’s important to make sure the gradeyou’re building matches the one you fig-ured out on paper. The grade gauge(above) from K-Tool Products, is handyfor this. It’s available through Walthersand most hobby shops. Set the desiredgrade and place the level on your sub-roadbed. When the bubble reads levelthe subroadbed is at the proper angle.

To add grades to a long run I find it’seasiest to figure out what the startingand ending point elevations are, relativeto the tops of the joists. Then I securethe risers and subroadbed at thoseheights and fill in the additional risersneeded for support (fig. 2). While doingthat I check the grade with the gauge,since I don’t want any hidden grades(undesired steeper grades within thelength of the run) causing problems.

Finally, keep an eye on ceilingheight. It’s amazing how much eleva-tion you gain with a long grade. Ifyou’re not careful you may burstthrough the ceiling and end up on theliving room floor. 1

The grade gauge from K-Tool Products fits ona standard two- or four-foot level. Set thedial at the desired grade (here, 2.5 percent).

BILL ZUBACK

Laying tangent (straight) track ispretty straightforward but thosecurves can, well, throw you a curve.

Equipment that enters a sudden curveis more likely to derail. And even ifwheels stay on the rails the sight of atrain jolting into a sudden curve canmake even the most realistic layoutlook like a train set.

Your trains will look better and longrolling stock will track more reliably ifyou add an easement between thestraight and curved track. An easementis a gradual transition, or a very broadnon-concentric curve, inserted betweenthe tangent track and the circular curve.

Obviously, you can’t have a trueeasement with sectional track, althoughif possible you might want to insert abroader radius curve, like a 22"-radiussection, between the straight track andthe 18"-radius sections. Whether you’reusing flextrack or handlaying your trackyou’ll find easements will keep thingsrunning smoother and looking better.

The “bent stick” methodThe prototype uses all kinds of fancy

formulas to figure out easements, andyou can spend a lot of time adaptingthose same formulas for model railroaduse. But that’s hardly necessary. The

Curveradius9 ⁄ "16"18"24"30"

OffsetLength ofeasement

3

1

1 4

8

2

3

7

3 16

16

4 6"10"12"16"18"

Step 1: Mark center line of tangent (straight) track

Step 2: Mark center line of curve using trammel. Leave offset between the lines where tangent is squarewith radius. Offset should vary with radius andlength of easment: ⁄ " for 18" radius to ⁄ " for 30"radius, or greater for longer easements (see box)

3 18 2

Step 3: Lay flexible stick along tangent and curve, mark along stick

Step 4: Lay roadbed alongmarked center lines of track

Small brads to holdstick in place if needed

Easement length should be divided equally on both sides of this point

Easement

Co

nstan

t curve

Tangent

Tangent

TangentConstant curve

Offset between drawn lines

⁄ "⁄ "⁄ "⁄ "⁄ "

LAYING OUTEASEMENTS Easement

diagrams show how I plot easementsusing nothing more complex than apencil and a flexible piece of wood.

Start by drawing the center line ofthe tangent track directly on the sub-roadbed. To ensure a constant radiuscurve use a trammel, which is nothingmore than a piece of wood (a 1 x 1works fine) with a hole for a screw ornail at one end and holes big enough toclear a pencil every inch starting withyour minimum radius and ending upwith the largest practical radius. Or youcan use a template made from styrene,Masonite, or cardstock, cut to thedesired curve.

Draw a circular curve of the desiredradius. Don’t connect this line to thecenter line for the tangent track –instead leave a slight offset, about 1⁄2" to3⁄4", between the two lines. The offsetand length of the easement varies withthe curve radius. For an 18"-radiuscurve the offset is 3⁄8", with a 12"-longeasement. The offset is 1⁄2" for a 30"-radius curve, with an 18"-long ease-ment. Mark the point where the tangentis square with the radius and equallydivide the length of the easement onboth sides of that mark.

Now you’re ready to mark the centerline of the easement. Use a piece of flex-ible wood molding. Hold the woodalong the center line of the tangent andbend it to match the radius of the curveyou already marked. For very largecurves you may need to temporarilydrive a few small brads along the mold-ing to hold it in place. Once you’re sat-isfied with the alignment trace alongthe molding with a pencil, creating anice smooth transition. Remove themolding and lay your roadbed or trackin place along the center lines.

This is, admittably, a simple way tolay curved track with an easement. Adetailed explanation of easements, com-plete with a table showing suggestedmeasurements for various curves, canbe found in John Armstrong’s TrackPlanning for Realistic Operation (Kalm-bach). John also presents convincingarguments for using easements. 1

Easy easements

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ROBERT WEGNER

When it comes time to lay track fora first layout, many beginningmodelers think that laying

roadbed is a hassle and are tempted toskip the step and lay track directly onthe plywood table or subroadbed.

However, what they fail to realize isthat model roadbed serves many impor-tant purposes. The first is appearance:Look at a real railroad main line andyou’ll see how it’s elevated above thesurrounding ground on roadbed andballast. Model roadbed allows us tosimilarly raise the track profile, makingthe track look more realistic.

Model roadbed also provides asmooth contour for ballast. The slopedshoulders help define the ballast profile.

Other important reasons for usingroadbed are that it provides a smooth,level base for track, and it also quiets

operations by insulating the track fromthe underlying wood base, which oth-erwise can act like a sounding board.

Using traditional corkThe most common roadbed material

is cork. It’s available from many manu-facturers such as Busch, Faller, Mid-west Products, and others. It’s easy tofind, relatively inexpensive, and avail-able in scales from N through G.

Cork roadbed comes as a singlepiece that’s perforated down the middleand must be separated (see fig. 1). Thesamples shown are in HO scale, butinstallation of other sizes is the same.

Peeling the two halves apart, flippingone half over, and placing the piecesside-by-side provides a beveled edge oneach side. The beveled edge helps to re-create the proper ballast profile.

Glue is the best way to install cork.Start by running a bead of white or yel-low glue next to the track center linedrawn on your subroadbed. Press thecork onto the glue, then use push pinsor wire nails to tack the cork in place asshown in fig. 2. Don’t drive the nails allthe way into the cork – once the gluedries the nails will be pulled out.

Cork often has a burr along thebeveled edges that can keep ballastfrom lying smoothly along the slope. Toremove the burr, lightly sand it with asanding block and coarse sandpaper.

To provide a smooth roadbed, besure to stagger the cork joints so theydon’t fall directly above any subroadbedjoints. It also helps to stagger the jointson the two halves of the cork.

When laying track on cork, the headsof track nails should be just above the

Laying roadbed

Fig. 1 SPLITTING CORK. Cork strips are per-forated at an angle down the middle, andthe two halves must be peeled apart. Youneed to sand the rough edges after laying.

Fig. 2 GLUING AND TACKING. Run a bead ofwhite glue along one side of the track centerline, press the cork in place, and secure ituntil the glue dries.

Fig. 3 ROADBED UNDER TURNOUTS. Start bylaying the outside two pieces of cork follow-ing the track center lines. Then cut the innertwo pieces to fit and glue them in place.

JIM FORBES

JEFF WILSON JEFF WILSONJEFF WILSON

ties. Driving the nails too deeply canbuckle the ties and kink the track, shift-ing it out of alignment.

Laying roadbed for turnoutsPrecut turnout pads are available in

various sizes and scales from Midwestand IBL, but it’s also easy to cut evencomplex arrangements yourself.

Start by laying cork strips along theoutside of both the straight and diverg-ing routes. Add the inside part of thestraight route, using a hobby or utilityknife to cut off the beveled edge whereit will meet the other cork strip.

Lay the remaining strip of cork inplace and draw a cut line with amarker. Cut the cork and lay it in posi-tion as shown in fig. 3.

Here, the joints don’t have to be per-fect, as they’ll later be covered by bal-last. Simply make sure that the cork islevel so it will firmly support the track.

With a little knowledge and practice,you’re now well on your way towardproviding a smooth roadbed base foryour trackwork! 1

ROADBED ALTERNATIVES

In addition to cork, there are someother manufactured roadbed prod-

ucts available. Each offers uniqueadvantages as a base for layingmodel railroad track:

AMI – Instant Roadbed – a self-adhesive uncured butyl rubber stripthat sticks directly to the sub-roadbed. It can also be shaped tomake roads and sidewalks.

California Roadbed Co. –HomaBed – a manufactured Homa-sote product with several contourprofiles available. It works well forhandlaying track.

Hobby Innovations – VinylBed –a single-piece roadbed made frommulti-shaded gray granules of recy-cled vinyl. It is very flexible and hasgood sound absorption qualities.

Tru-scale Models – Milled bass-wood roadbed. It is available with asmooth surface or with pre-gaugedties for handlaying track and comesin straight sections and variousradius curves.

Woodland Scenics – Track-Bed –a flexible single-piece sponge-rubber roadbed. It is easy to cut and also available in sheets formaking yards. – Jeff Wilson

You’ve managed to find the perfecttrack plan in a book or magazine,or you’ve spent hours at the draw-

ing table or computer carefully draftinga track plan. The next step is transfer-ring the track plan to your layout tableor benchwork.

If you’ve never done this before, thefirst thing you’ll probably learn is that –regardless of how carefully you’ve mea-sured – track will almost always take upmore room on the layout than it did onpaper. It is important to take your timeand be precise, as any miscalculationwill hinder tracklaying.

Tools and tricksOne of the first steps in track planning

is drawing a grid on the plywood (orwhatever surface your layout top hap-pens to be). As fig. 1 shows, a drywall T-square with a four-foot arm is invalu-able for this. A 12" grid is usually suffi-cient, but for complex plans you mightwant to add grid lines at the 6" marks aswell. It’s also important to draw grid

lines on the track plan to match thoseon your layout surface.

Once the basic grid is drawn on thelayout and track plan, the next step is tomark out the radii of curves. Figure 2shows how to find and mark the centerof the radii on the track plan. Transfer

From track plan to benchwork

PHOTOS BY JEFF WILSON

Fig. 1 GRID ON TABLE. A drywall T-squarewith a four-foot arm works well for laying outa grid on the table. A 12" grid is sufficientfor most track plans.

templates in 2" intervals from 18" to 44",and as the photo shows, there is differ-ent radius on each side of the template.

Planning turnoutsProbably the most difficult part of

track planning is leaving enough roomfor turnouts. They always seem to takeup more space than originally figured,and every manufacturer’s turnouts varyslightly in size and shape. Because ofthis, complex trackwork in publishedplans often doesn’t fit the same way ona layout.

To remove the guesswork, make sev-eral paper turnout templates by placingturnouts on a photocopier, then run-ning off as many copies as you need. Besure to label them with the brand nameand size.

As you use templates, tape them inplace, as shown in fig. 4. Alignment isthe important thing – remember thatyou can trim turnouts to fit tighterareas as long as you maintain properalignment and track center spacing.

From paper to benchworkLarge rolls of newsprint or brown

craft (or wrapping) paper work well forlaying out full-size plans. You can dothis even before starting benchwork bylaying the paper on the floor where thelayout will go.

Getting your track plan to the bench-work is a fun step in visualizing whatyour finished layout will look like. Workcarefully and take your time, as theprocess is vital in getting track to fitproperly, which will enhance operationsand enjoyment. 1

Fig. 4 LAYING TURNOUTS. While turnouts canbe trimmed for size, they must be kept inproper alignment. As you use the turnouttemplates, tape them in place to prevent thetrack from becoming misaligned.

the center point to the layout table, thenuse a compass to transfer the curve tothe table.

You can make a large compass byusing an old wood yardstick. Holes inthe yardstick at 1" intervals make handyguides for a pencil.

However, some curves are too broadto easily use a yardstick, or the center ofthe curve may be well off the layouttable. In this case curve templates workwell (see fig. 3).

My curve templates are about 40"long and made from large pieces of.060" styrene that I had on hand. Youcan also make them from hardboard(such as Masonite) or thin plywood.Cardboard will work, but it is not asdurable as hardboard. I made my

Fig. 2 CURVE CENTERS. Measure to find thecenter point of each curve, then mark it onthe track plan.

Fig. 3 CURVE TEMPLATES. These templatesare especially handy for drawing broadcurves. They can be made from styrene,hardboard, or thin plywood.

Track switches – usually called “turn-outs” in the modeling world – arethe key trackwork component that

make running our trains interesting.Part of reliable operation is to make surethat the points, the moveable part of aturnout, always stay put in the directionthey’re set. Otherwise a train can end upon the wrong track, or worse yet, derail.

There are many different ways tooperate the points. Electric switchmotors are popular and work well; how-ever, many modelers use manual con-trols as they are reliable, inexpensive,and easy to install.

The prototype and the modelLet’s start with a look at a prototype

(real) switch. The points are secured atone end to the switch rod. The switchrod extends under one stock rail to the switch stand as shown in fig. 1. Themechanism holds the points securelyagainst one stock rail or the other,depending on how it’s set.

Model switch points operate in sim-ilar fashion. Having a manual switchstand or ground throw might not seemnecessary at first, but you’ll eventuallyfind it important to have some type ofmechanism to hold the points in place.

Manual switch controlsPHOTOS BY JEFF WILSON

Without positive locking, the points cancreep away from the stock rails andcause a derailment.

Ground throwsSome model turnouts, like the Atlas

HO and N scale turnouts in fig. 2, comewith a manual switch controlleralready attached. These often look thesame as above-table electric switchmotors but without the wires. Althoughthis type of mechanism works, it’sunsightly and bears little or no resem-blance to anything found alongside areal switch. As you gain experience inthe hobby you’ll find that for estheticreasons, it’s best to discard this type ofcontroller and change to a less con-spicuous ground throw.

Operating ground throws are madeby Caboose Industries, NJ Interna-tional, Rix, and others. You’ll find themin functional sizes from N through Oscales. Although many tend to be a bitoversize compared to a real switchstand, these ground throws look muchbetter than the manual controls in fig. 2, and they operate very well.

Fig. 1 PROTOTYPE SWITCH STAND. On thereal thing, the switch rod connects thepoints to the switch stand, which is operated by hand.

� Fig. 2 BASIC CONTROLLERS. These AtlasN and HO turnouts come with manual switchmachines. Though they work well, the largemechanisms don’t look very prototypical.

N scale turnout

HO scale turnout

Switch rod

Stock rails

Switch points

Manual ground throw

Installing a ground throwThe procedure for installing a

ground throw is simple. Start by deter-mining which side of the turnout youwant to position the ground throw.Next, check the unit’s mounting pin asstyles vary among manufacturers.Caboose Industries’ throws, such as theno. 202 ground throw (shown in fig. 3with an Atlas HO turnout), have a pinon the bottom of the operating rod,designed to fit in a hole on the turnout’sswitch rod. If the switch rod doesn’talready have a matching hole, it’s easyto drill one to fit the pin.

For good operation, the groundthrow must sit at the proper height tomatch the level of the switch rod. Asseen in the prototype photo, real switchstands rest on the turnout head blocks– long ties on either side of the switchrod. You can make extensions formodel turnouts out of stripwood orstyrene if you like, but in this case Isimply added a thin piece of wood toshim the ground throw to the properheight. The shim can be glued in placeand hidden when you ballast the track.

To install the ground throw, set thelever of the ground throw so it’s at the halfway point and the switch rod isat its midpoint as well, as seen in fig. 4.Next, fasten the ground throw in placewith small track nails or spikes. Whensecure, move the mechanism each wayto make sure the points are held tightlyin each position.

The toggle spring methodYou can also make a latching device

for your turnouts from wire. It’sanother inexpensive project that’s easyto make and quick to install.

Straighten out a small paper clip,then bend a portion of it into a V-shaped spring as fig. 5 shows. To installthe spring, insert its long leg into a holedrilled through a tie near the throw bar.The short leg should then be set into ahole in the center of the throw bar.

For the proper tension, the space atthe open end of the V should be slightlylonger than the distance between the holes in the throw bar and tie. Thepaper clip spring provides a toggleaction that snaps the points into placewhen pushed by hand. Once you’veinstalled and tested the spring, paint itblack or dark brown so it blends inwith the ties and ballast.

With a little effort, you can quicklyhave smooth-working turnout controls,which will go a long way towardimproving your layout’s operation. 1

Fig. 3 MOUNTING. Caboose ground throwshave a pin that mounts in a hole on theturnout’s switch rod. If a matching hole isneeded, it’s an easy task to drill one.

Fig. 4 ALIGNMENT. Set the ground throw inplace with the turnout switch rod and groundthrow lever at their halfway points. Securethe ground throw in place with track nails orsmall screws.

Fig. 5 TOGGLE SPRING. A simple springmade from a paper clip works well for con-trolling turnouts. After installing and testingthe spring, paint it black or dark brown toblend in with the track ties.

We’re all familiar with the sight offlashing lights and descendinggates as we approach the railroad

tracks. These intersections, where rail-roads and roads cross each other, areknown as grade crossings. They are aninteresting feature of railroads that canbe a focal point on our model railroads.

The most common types of gradecrossings on real railroads today (usedon most new installations since the late1960s) are prefabricated rubber-and-concrete crossings made up of panelsthat are secured to the ties. See fig. 1.

Prior to prefabricated designs, themost commonly used material forcrossings was hardwood with planks

bolted in place over the ties. These canbe found on all types of roads, fromconcrete and asphalt highways to gravelcountry lanes. Although wood crossingsare being phased out, you can still findthem in service in many locations.

Paved grade crossings are also incommon use, with asphalt laid up toand between the rails.

Modeling grade crossingsYou can either model your own

grade crossings or use commercial kits.Modelers in HO can choose from rubbercrossings from Accurail (no. 117) orWalthers (no. 933-3137) as well as awood crossing from Blair Line (no. 165);

Grade crossingsPHOTOS BY JEFF WILSON

Fig. 1 PROTOTYPE CROSSING. Prefabricatedcrossings, like this rubber one, are the mostcommon type in use today.

Fig. 2 KITS. Two HO models available are theWalthers plastic kit for a rubber crossingand the Blair Line timber crossing.

Test-fit each piece to make sure it fitsproperly. Add drops of medium or thickcyanoacrylate adhesive to the ties, thenpress the pieces in place as in fig. 7.

Once the crossing is in place, test itby running a locomotive and carthrough it to make sure that nothingcatches. A National Model RailroadAssociation standards gauge is handyfor checking the flangeway widths tomake sure they are correct.

Now you can add the road material.I cut my roads from pieces of .060"sheet styrene, painted them gray, andweathered them with black chalks, asshown in fig. 8.

You can also make your own asphaltcrossing. To do this, run the road mate-rial (styrene in fig. 9) up to the outsideof the rails, then cut a thin piece to fitbetween the spikes and the rails. Thisis also the easiest method to use forcurved grade crossings, as the roadmaterial can be cut to match the curveof the track.

You can also make wood crossingsusing scale stripwood. Curved crossingsare made by cutting the stripwood insix- or eight-foot lengths and placingthem end-to-end at a slight angle.

Finish the scene by adding ballastand scenery materials. You’ll appreci-ate the added realism that these gradecrossings bring to a layout. 1

N scale modelers don’t yet have prefabrubber crossings, but timber models areavailable from Blair Line (no. 65) andCal Freight (no. 1185).

Figure 2 shows two HO crossings:the Walthers rubber crossing, made ofunpainted injection-molded styrene,and the Blair Line timber crossing,made from stained wood.

Whether using a kit or making acrossing on your own, it’s importantthat the crossing materials not inter-fere with operation. See fig. 3. Thematerial on the outside of the railsshould butt firmly against the rails butshouldn’t be any taller than the rail-heads. Keep the material between therails below railhead level to avoid snag-ging uncoupling pins or otherwiseinterfering with operations.

It’s easiest to add grade crossingsbefore you have ballasted the track, butyou can add crossings over ballasted

track as well – just make sure no straypieces of ballast interfere with thecrossing materials.

Paint the ties and insides of the railsto match the crossing materials. See fig.4. This helps disguise the fact that mod-eled flangeways must be noticeablywider than those on real crossings.

The Walthers crossing is made for avery wide street, but the pieces can becut to any length to match the width ofthe road material. See fig. 5. I cut mineto 23 feet to match my styrene highway,then painted it black.

The wood crossing requires someprep work as well. Carve away enoughwood from the bottoms of the outsidepieces (entire length) on the side wherethe timbers meet the rail. See fig. 6. Ifyou don’t do this, the track spikes willkeep the pieces from butting firmlyagainst the rails. The Walthers crossingis molded to fit over the ties.

Fig. 9 ASPHALT CROSSING. You can make anasphalt crossing by simply continuing theroad material across the rails.

Fig. 8 ROAD. Add the road material so thatit is flush with, but not higher than, the top

Fig. 3 CROSS-SECTION Crossing material betweenrails should be below railheads

Carve material to clear spike heads

Fig. 4 PAINTING. Paint the ties and insides ofthe rails the color of the crossing material to

Fig. 5 CUTTING. The Walthers grade crossingcan be cut to almost any length needed, soeven wide highways aren’t a problem.

Fig. 6 CARVING. Carve away any materialthat interferes with the crossing fitting nextto the rail.

Fig. 7 PLACING. After test-fitting the parts,place drops of CA on the ties and set thecrossing in place.

ILLUSTRATION BY RICK JOHNSON

When it comes to nuisances thatinterfere with running trains,dirty track is probably the num-

ber one offender. Running trains is thegoal – not nudging stalled engines. Bycleaning track regularly, you can keepyour trains running smoothly.

Dirty track is caused by a combina-tion of dirt and dust that accumulateson railheads. In addition, an oxideforms on both brass and nickel-silverrail over time. The oxide on brass railinhibits electrical contact, but the oxideon nickel-silver rail is conductive. Forthis reason I recommend using nickel-silver rail.

An important factor in keeping trackclean is eliminating sources of dust and dirt. Among the best ways to dothis is to put your layout in a finishedroom. If you have a layout in a base-ment or attic, install a ceiling (solid orsuspended) in the entire room or justover the layout to minimize the amountof dust and dirt that gets on the railsand scenery.

You’ll also want to isolate the layoutfrom sources of dust, such as work-shops. Keeping windows closed alsohelps, as open windows let in a greatdeal of dust. Smoking also results ingrime on the track, so if you mustsmoke, do it away from your layout.

Methods of cleaning trackCleaners fall into two broad cate-

gories: track cleaning cars, which aredesigned to do the work for you; andproducts that require you to do thecleaning work.

In general, I’ve found that whenstarting with extremely dirty track –such as newly laid or painted track, or alayout that hasn’t been run in severalmonths – the only way to get track trulyclean is with elbow grease and an abra-sive cleaning block such as the WalthersBright Boy or Roco cleaning block seenin fig. 1.

Rub the block along the rails, asshown in fig. 2, being careful not tobump into nearby details. Also use carearound turnouts and other complextrack areas, but make sure the points,frog, and other rails in these areas arethoroughly clean.

Follow this with a cloth, wiping therails to remove any residue left behindfrom the cleaning block. Going over the

Cleaning trackFig. 1 TRACK CLEANING TOOLS. Many prod-ucts are made for cleaning track, including(clockwise from lower right) the Roco no.10002 cleaning block, Walthers Bright Boy(no. 949-521), Centerline track cleaning car,Life-Like no. 1415 track cleaning fluid, andAztec track cleaning car.

PHOTOS BY JEFF WILSON

track with a vacuum to suck up straydust, dirt, and ballast is also helpful.

Don’t use sandpaper or emery paperto clean track. The abrasives in theseare harsher and leave small grooves inthe railheads, which accumulate dirt,dust, and oxidation. The net result isimpaired electrical contact.

Liquid track cleaners are anotheroption. With these, you brush thecleaner on, then wipe the rails with acloth. Some products are made specifi-cally for cleaning track, such as theLife-Like track cleaner in fig. 1. Otherfluids that work well are Goo Gone andTV tuner cleaner.

Keeping it cleanOnce you have the track clean, the

best way to keep it clean is to run trainsfrequently. Although I have no scientificproof, I’ve found – and I’ve talked toother modelers who agree – that metalwheelsets and track tend to polish eachother, much in the way that well-usedwheels and rail stay shiny in real life.

Track cleaning cars also keep trackclean. There are two main types: thosethat use a wet pad and those that use adry abrasive wheel (some use both).

The Centerline car in fig. 1 uses acloth wrapped around a heavy brassroller. The cloth is moistened with trackcleaning fluid and the car pushed orpulled around the layout. Some model-ers use these in pairs, with the lead onewet and the trailing one dry. They areavailable in scales from N to G.

The Aztec car in fig. 1 uses a pair ofabrasive wheels to clear grime off thetracks. The wheels are set at a slightangle to the rails to increase the drag.Versions of these cars are available inboth HO and N scales.

You can make your own inexpensivetrack cleaning car using a small piece ofMasonite hardboard, as fig. 3 shows. Apair of galvanized roofing nails gluedwith epoxy to the Masonite fit throughholes drilled in the floor of a boxcar.The weight of the pad is enough to holdit to the rails, so it polishes the rails asthe car moves along.

Because the pads aren’t permanentlyattached to the car, you can removethem at any time. These pads won’tclean the track if it’s especially dirty,but they help maintain track alreadycleaned. The pads have to be sandedclean before each cleaning (or operat-ing) session, otherwise they end up justspreading dirt.

Model railroading is the most funwhen you don’t have to worry aboutoperational problems, and keeping yourtrack clean will make that possible. 1

Fig. 2 ABRASIVE CLEANERS. Abrasive clean-ers, such as the Roco cleaning block, areeffective for extremely dirty track.

Fig. 3 MASONITE CARS. Simple – and effective – cleaning cars can be made by gluing a padof Masonite hardboard to a couple of nails. Drill holes in the floor of the car to clear the nails.The pads can be sanded clean when they become dirty.

TWO PHOTOS BY JIM FORBES

Dream it. Plan it. Build it.

Big-time railroading on a club layout

Expand your layout in just 4 weeks!Add a new industrial district to your railroadHow to install DCC sound, page 64plus programming tips, page 74

September 2008 • www.ModelRailroader.com

• Scratchbuild a rural overpass• Add fl agmen to your freight operations

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Track plan for a short line

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