Subject: rec.models.railroad FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING Part 1/2
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996 08:00:03 GMT

Date: 08 Jan 96 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING part 1, 01/21: Introduction

The FAQ consists of six parts, normally posted one day apart,
every month.

The rec.models.railroad FAQ is also available through WWW on:
http://www.kuai.se/%7Egriffon/railways/modeljvg/


GENERAL
SOURCES
OPERATIONS
LAYOUT BUILDING, 2 parts
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

Every separate article has it's own date stamp which reflects 
when that text was last updated, but I'm also planning to post 
major changes to the FAQ separately.

All contributions and corrections are welcome and should be emailed to 
Urban_Fredriksson@icl.se
Since I did write very little of the text, I'm probably not
the person to ask more detailed questions.

This file contains the following parts:

Introduction
Layout, curves
Roadbed, Homasote
Electrical power distribution
Track, glueing
Layout planning software
Track, ballast glueing..
Track, ballast, material
Curves, prototypical
Roadbed, bending cork
Track, bending
Track, code....
Custom turnouts
Track, detection units
Track, electrical gaps
Track, flex
Track, nickel silver vs brass
Track, soldering
Turnout problems
Turnout numbers
Dust control


------------------------------

Date: 27 Mar 96 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 02/21: Layout, curves

CORK, RADIUS
How do I get the cork to go around curves?
.Cork roadbed is typically provided in a split section, thin enough to
.follow normal curves in a given radius.  One netter suggests soaking
.the strips in hot water first.  This makes them flexible enough to do
.about 8" radius curves before breaking.  

CURVES, DRAFTING
How do I make the curve reasonably regular?

.Use a pencil on the end of a string and tack the free end of the
.string to the track base at the center of the curve (i.e. center of
.the circle formed by the curve).  Then keep the string taught and draw
.the centerline of the curve on the track base with the pencil.
.Similar methods use a solid beam instead of string.
...
I find using a metal measuring tape very easy to use. Pin a tack into the
board, and hook the end of the tape onto it.
(Dale Stanbrough, <dale@goanna.cs.rmit.EDU.AU>)


CURVES, KINKING
How do I keep flex track from kinking when I have a joint in the middle of
a curve?

.One simple way to REDUCE kinking is to stagger the joint (tends to
.happen naturally in curves anyway) so that the actual break in one
.rail is an inch or two (or more) away from the break in the other rail.
.Sliding the rails so that the break occurs over the ties of only one
.of the sections will also help.

...joint
   .================== =============================  <- rails
    .}  }  }  }  }  }  }  }  {  {  {  {  {  {  {  {   <- ties
   .============================== =================
....    joint

       } = tie from left section         
       { = tie from right section

.ELIMINATING THE KINK

.I solder the two sections together to ELIMINATE the kink.  I lay the
.first section, and glue it most of the way, leaving a few inches at
.end unglued.  Then I solder both rails of the two sections together
.while the ends are straight.  Then I finish gluing the rest of the
.first and as much as necessary of the second section.

.Concerning soldering rail, still use a metal rail joiner, but then
.flow solder into the outside edge of the joiner/rail area.  Don't
.solder the inside edge, or it will create problems with wheel flanges.
.The rail joiner helps hold the rails in alignment while soldering, and
.will keep them together should the solder joint fail (due to thermal
.expansion or contraction).

.A second note about soldering on flex... You'll want to be careful not 
.to melt the plastic "spikes" (I've melted entire ties).  Melting them
.will naturally exacerbate kinking/gauge problems.  How do you melt
.solder (374 deg F) without melting plastic?? Good question! If you are
.an expert with a soldering gun, no problem.  I've found that using a
.100 watt gun helps because it heats the rail fast, so you can get in
.and out quickly.  Plasitc meltage seems directly proportional to time,
.rather than temperature.

.Handling flex: I try to keep the sections straight until I really need
.them, and then I only bend the section for fitting purposes in the one
.place where it's going to go.  This way, no pre-kinking gets into the
.rail and the rail will on its own seek a smooth curve between the
.endpoints.  This also helps in making STRAIGHT mainlines.  Of course
.for old, somewhat overused yards or spurs, you might deliberately kink
.up the section first, and then try to lay it as straight as possible...
.this produces a good effect when sighted along at track level.

------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 03/21: Roadbed, Homasote


ROADBED, HOMASOTE
What do I need to know about homasote?

.[The following description of Homasote was written by Gregg Fuhriman]
.
....My Experiences
....-------------- 
.Homasote is a material made of densely compressed newsprint, and is
.usually sold in 4' x 8' x 1/2" sheets.  It is also available to the
.model railroad hobby as precut roadbed strips.  My experience is with
.the large sheets, which I purchased from a building supply store.  In
.1987, one sheet cost around 25 dollars.
.
.I cut it into many 8' strips, using a rotary saw set at 45 degree
.angle to get the "ballast slope".  The ascii drawing below shows an
.edge-on view of how I cut the Homasote sheets:
.
....     |   |<---- wide enough for track
.        ___________________________________________________________
..|\   /   \   /   \   /   \   /   \   /   \   /   \   /   \|
..-----------------------------------------------------------
....<---------- 4' ---------->
.
.These strips were then used as-is for straight roadbed. To make curves,
.I cut dozens of kerfs crossways about 3/4 of the way through the strip
.and about 1/2" apart.  The strip could then be "bent" into the desired
.curvature by compressing the kerfs on the inside of the curve. The
.purpose of this exercise was to reduce wasted Homasote; it is not a
.cheap material.
.
.The homasote strips were then glued to plywood sub-roadbed using
.carpenter's glue and clamps.  I also drove small nails through the
.Homasote into the plywood to help hold things in the right position
.while the glue dried. Special shapes, like around switch stands, were
.shaped by hand using a utility knife to carve the homasote.
.
..Summary of My Experience and Netter's Comments
..----------------------------------------------
.Benefits of Homasote are that it holds spikes and nails well, and it is
.a sound-deadening material to reduce train noise.  It glues easily, as
.it is a porous material.  It is relatively "soft", so it cuts easily.
.
.Cutting this material with a power saw generated piles of fluffy, gray
.dust that went everywhere and proved to be a pain to clean up.  I
.reccommend wearing a dust filter to avoid breathing in the dust and
.fluff.  Cutting with a utility knife is neater, but more difficult and
.tedious as the homosote tends to "grab" the blade (just as it "grabs"
.spikes and nails).
.
.Forming curves with the kerf-and-bend method was not 100% successful.
.At least half the time the strip would break in two. Also, the
.resulting curve is not super smooth ... they are actually several
.short straight sections.  Heavy sanding can smooth out some of this
.(but with more dust).
.
.Other netters have suggested painting the Homasote with a latex paint
.to help seal it against moisture (introduced mostly during ballasting,
.but also to guard against ambient humidity).  Its dimensional stability
.with respect to temperature and humidity has been panned, though I
.have not noticed problems with my layout so far.
.
ROADBED, HOMASOTE
I'm starting a first layout in my dorm room (4X6) and I'd like to hear some
of the pros and cons of plywood and homasote for the base of the layout.

.Homasote is something you laminate on top of plywood.  Don't use it
."free hanging" from the benchwork.  If you're using something like L
.girder benchwork with cookie-cutter trackbeds, one sheet of plywood
.goes quite a way (because you can splice together the cut-outs to make
.more track bed.

.1/2" or even 3/4" plywood with an overlay of 1/2" Homasote is what I've
.seen used on industrial strength layouts.  I'm using 1/2" Homasote on
.top of 3/8" plywood on my layout -- the downside of this is that it
.takes more supporting risers to get a decently rigid roadbed with
.thinner plywood.
........
.I'd recommend an open framework as being better for landscaping, but if
.you're sure you want one big flat area to build on, I'd recommend both:
.homasote over plywood over a 1x4 frame.  Homasote is much easier to
.drive track nails into, not to mention removing them if you want to
.re-arrange your trackwork.
.

------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 04/21: Electrical power distribution



POWER, DISTRIBUTION
I have an HO layout power problem. At the furthest parts of the layout there
is a noticable power drop. How can I fix this?

.What you need is a power feed to this part of track that needs power.
.If you use blocks, each block needs more that one feed from the block
.switch. Most people just put the power feed right in the middle of the
.block. Instead, the feed should be split in two (or more) and one be
.put towards one end of the block and the other towards the other end
.of the block. More feeds, less chance of having power drops.
.
.At my club, each joint has a wire jumper, and the joint itself is not
.soldered.  This controls the expansion/contraction of the rail in the
.heat/cold environment.
........
.Run a second pair of wires off of your transformer and attach them at
.the farthest point of track, or at the point where the engine seems to
.be slowest. This should allow the bad connections, or resistance of
.the track to be eliminated.
........
.Don't depend on track to carry your power to the ends of the world
.(layout). The conductivity of track isn't that good, and NS (Nickel-
.Silver) is even worse than brass.  I've been told that code 100 NS
.track has the same conductivity as a #22 copper wire. NS is recommended
.over brass however for it's lack of corosion.  What you should be using
.is feeder wires from the track down to a point below the layout, and a
.fairly heavy gauge wire to carry the power to the feeders.  Our club
.has a policy where we drop a feeder wire at every point where two
.tracks join.  This insures that every section of track has at least
.one feeder wire connected to it, and is some insurance against "dead"
.sections.  I like to solder the feeder wire to the bottom of the track
.connector.  That way the wire is not seen on top.  We use #10 stranded
.wire to carry power to the feeders.


------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 05/21: Track, glueing


        
TRACK, GLUEING
My track doesn't have holes in the ties for nails. How do I hold it in place?

.A construction cement called "Liquid Nails" will hold the cork and
.track in place.  Just a thin coating of this with the track pressed
.down onto it will set in about 30 secconds... even with the 8"
.radius curves which the flex track will not hold on its own.

.An alternative is to use white glue spread with a finger over the
.surface of the cork.  You will need temporary pins along the track to
.hold it in place while it dries.


------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 06/21: Layout planning software



===============================================================================
Layout planning software
===============================================================================

ABRACADABRA, DESIGN YOUR OWN TRAIN
Could someone please give me the name of the Abracadabra product that is like
"flight simulator for trains", i.e., the one that lets you simulate being the
engineer on a layout you program into it. There are several products on the
market with similar sounding names and when I call around to try and find it
at one of the local software houses I want to make sure that I'm asking for
the correct one.

."Design Your Own Train" and "Run Your Own Train" are a pair of
.programs that let you do what you say.  RYOT gives you a "hogger's eye
.view" of the road; that is, the view is supposedly that which you
.would see from the cab.

."Design Your Own Railroad" allows you to create a layout complete with
.scenery, then run trains on the tracks.  You only get a bird's eye
.view, though.

.I personally have used DYORR, and recommend it.  I have not used DYOT
.or RYOT, but have heard that they are less sophisticated products.  Of
.course, if you are determined to have the flightsim-style view out the
.windshield, RYOT is your only choice.

.All three products are published by Abracadata software, (800)
.451-4871.  It's cheaper to order the products from MicroWarehouse,
.however:  (800) 367-7080.

.[Editor's note: I've also seen advertisements for products which look
.more like CAD packages tailored to model railroading.  A review would
.be most appreciated.]

REALROAD
.REALROAD from Digital Power is a locomotive simulator that operates
.model railroad trains.  With this program, you enter information about
.the type of train you want to simulate. REALROAD uses this information
.and monitors throttle, brake switch, direction switch and many other
.user settings to control the model train, making it perform just as a
.real train of the same type would. It works with existing 8- to 20-volt
.dc model railroad and track wiring. No modifications are necessary.
.An interactive calibration procedure allows the program to learn about
.each model locomotive.

.REALROAD comes with enough information to simulate 150 locomotives.
.Freight and passenger-car information is also included. You can modify
.or add to the list of possible cars, as desired. Multiple locomotives
.can be combined on the same train with varying numbers of cars, proving
.*(?-providing?)* virtually endless train simulation possibilities.
.REALROAD's controller card installs in an empty PC/compatible slot,
.while power-supply and track connections are made via a terminal strip
.on the back of the card.


------------------------------

Date: 02 Aug 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 07/21: Track, ballast glueing

BALLAST, GLUEING
When handlaying track, how/when do you folks glue down the ballast?

Some people ballast their trackwork after they have layed the ties
but have not yet layed the track and some lay the ties and ballast
the track at the same time.  Although I have never layed ties and
ballast at the same time, I have ballasted before laying track.
Basically what I do is the following:

.1. cut all of the ties to length
.2. sand all of the tie ends smooth
.3. stain all of the ties one of three colors
.4. glue the ties down
.5. spread all of the ballast, making sure that
.   none goes above the tie tops
.6. fix the ballast using the standard
.   wet-water/glue method
.7. lay the track

This process is nice in that there is no way to glue your points
shut.  However, you do have to be careful to make sure the
ballast does not interfere with laying the rail, so I don't know
if you coul model fresh ballast where the ties are buried.  It
is also difficult to model old branch lines where the ties have
sunk into the ground.  But for modeling logging lines or older
mainlines, it works beautifully.

When staining ties, I like to have three colors of stain to give
some variety.  I usually stain about 75% of the ties one color,
20% of the ties a lighter color and 5% of the ties a darker color.
The lighter color represents older ties while the darker color
represents newer ties.  Because I model logging lines, my 75% is
a silvery gray color (20 parts alcohol:1 part grimy black), the
20% is a lighter gray color (20 parts alcohol:1 part gray) and
the 5% is a fresher wood color (20 parts alcohol:1 part dark tan).

...

.Ballast is added in the same fashion for both handlaid and
.prefabricated track. The roadbed is prepared and the track laid in
.position using your favorite method before any ballast is added. The
.method described below also works just as well for grass, dirt, etc.
.in the rest of the layout.
.
.There are several methods, but the basic idea is to spread the ballast
.in place (I use a cheap 1" paintbrush to shape it), soak it with some
.sort of wetting agent, and then flow a fixative into it.  Variants
.abound - this is a FAQ in the model railroading magazines as well, so
.look there for alternatives.
.
.The most common wetting agent is tap water with a drop or two of
.standard dishwashing liquid added to cut the surface tension (the
.water will just bead up otherwise and won't soak the ballast).  This
.can be sprayed on with a *fine* mister or carefully dripped on with an
.eye dropper.  The most common fixative is a 50-50 mixture of white
.glue and water, again with a drop of detergent.  This is dripped onto
.the ballast and allowed to dry.  All of the water will evaporate, so
.the ballast should be as wet as possible without floating it away;
.otherwise you may just glue down a top crust which will chip away
.later.
........
.1) Get a small paintbrush with loose bristles about the width of the
.   inside of the track.
.2) Get a really fine grind, almost dust-like.
.3) Mix up in a spray bottle half white glue and half water with a
.   little more glue than water.
.4) Fill another spray bottle with water.
.   [Usually it is a good idea to add a drop of dishwashing detergent or
.   rubbing alcohol to the water to reduce the surface tension and allow
.   the water to penetrate the ballast better. Ed.]
.5) Spray the grind with the water to compact it so when you apply glue &
.   water mixture it doesn't blow all over.
.6) Spray with glue & water mix. Do small sections when doing track.
.7) When doing gravel roads or grass, do large sections.
.8) Take your time and be patient.
.9) Have Fun!!!! 8^)



------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 08/21: Track, ballast, material

BALLAST, MATERIAL
Who makes good ballast material, and do you mix/combine several coarsenesses
or make it uniform?  

.Woodland Scenics is probably the most popular brand, but at least one
.poster described it as looking like kitty litter; a bit harsh but not
.far from the mark in my opinion.  Their finest grade should be used by
.N and HO scales, and it's really too coarse for N.  
.
.The other major source is actual rock.  You can just walk outside if
.you live in the area you model, you can try the local quarry or gravel
.operation to see if you can get a small sample, or you can order it
.from several operations which advertise in the model railroading
.magazines.  If you use real rock you must crush it, sift it to size,
.and then remove any ferrous particles with a magnet.
.
.Note that most real railroads use ballast that is available locally,
.so the color of your ballast will differ based on the area modelled.
.Most of it is a standard gray, but iron ore roads have a distinct
.reddish hue, and RMC just finished a series about a marble quarrying
.railroad which used marble chips!
.

------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 09/21: Curves, prototypical

CURVES, PROTOTYPICAL LAYOUT
I have a question about track laying and rail curvature.  I am under the
understanding that rail curves on prototypes are designated by degrees of
curvature. Does this mean that a curve in the track points the train in
a new direction X degrees from the way it was going?  If so doesn't this
have to occur in a specific distance to indicate the sharpness of the curve?

.Yes indeed.  The measure is in "degrees per chain", where a chain
.is an engineers chain (a unit of distance equal to 100 feet and
.traditionally measured with a chain).
.
.Just to keep things confused, land surveyors also measure distance
.in chains (and rods!), but a surveyors chain is not the same as an
.engineer's chain!
.
.Think of trying to survey a railroad line.  You can't just stick a
.compass point in the ground at the center of the desired curve and
.scribe the centerline of the track, the sizes are just too large, and
.in addition, your surveyors frequently can't leave the right-of-way
.for fear of death because the adjoining landowners are furious about
.the condemnation proceedings by which the right-of-way was just
.obtained.
.
.Instead, what you do is work your way down the right-of-way pounding
.stakes into the ground every chain (100 feet!) to indicate where the
.centerline of the track belongs.  The grading crew follows you and
.tries to make a level grade along the line you've surveyed (with the
.help of a leveling crew that uses different surveying instruments,
.specifically, levels), and then another survey crew follows,
.re-marking the centerline on the top of the grade for the tracklayers.
.
.To do curves, you set your transit over one stake and sight back at
.the previous stake (let's assume it was on the tangent, for simplicity).
.Then you invert the transit to make it point along the same line, but
.in the forward direction, and rotate it by the number of degrees in the
.specified curve.  Your partner is standing at the other end of a chain
.anchored to your stake, and you signal him with your hands to shift
.left or right until he is on the mark, whereupon he drives a stake.
.You then pick up your transit and your end of the chain, walk to the
.new stake, and repeat the process.
.
.Of course, it gets more complicated on rough terrain.
.
.The angle between the two stakes (spaced 100ft apart) with the center
.of curvature as the vertex is equal to the "degree" of the curve. The
.angle of the right triangle (stake,center,P) is one half of the
."degree" of the curve.  Thus with "d" = the "degree" of the curve,
."r" = the radius in feet, and sin and arcsin calculated in degrees we
.have:
.
..d = 2 arcsin(50ft/r)
.
.or solving for r
.
..50ft/sin(d/2) = r
.
.
.                        stake
.                        |\          ^
.                     /  | |         |
.                  /     | \         |
.               /    50ft|  |track   |
.            /           |P |        |
.    center ----------------|       100ft
.            \           |  |        |
.               \    50ft|  |        |
.                  \     | /         |
.                     \  | |         |
.                        |/          v
.                        stake
.
.           |<----- r ----->|
.
.Note: The 100ft is measured along the cord of the curve, .i.e.  a
.straight line, not along the curve, making "180 degrees" (r=50ft) 
.the sharpest curve that can be expressed in "degrees".
.
.One benefit of surveying curves this way is that, if the track needs
.to make a total curve of, say, 10 degrees, as measured between the
.tangents at each approach to the curve, all you do to determine the
.number of surveying stations between the start of the curve and the
.end of the curve is divide the total curve by the number of degrees
.allowed as the maximum curvature.  Thus, for the example 10 degree
.curve, if the maximum allowed curve is a 2 degree curve, then there
.will be 5 survey stations that must be offset by 2 degrees each to
.make the total curvature.
.
.Approach spirals into tight curves can be worked out similarly.  To
.start a 9 degree curve (that's pretty sharp), you might require one
.survey station at 3 degrees, one at 6 degrees, and then 9 degrees per
.station from there on into your spiral, and then work your way back
.to a tangent with a 6 degree step and a 3 degree step.
........
.Just to confuse matters a bit, _Track and Turnout Engineering_ by G.M.
.Kurtz mentions that in mountainous terrain the Southern Pacific used a
.50 foot chain for curves and in flatter terrain used the usual 100
.foot chain.
.

------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 10/21: Roadbed, bending cork

ROADBED, BENDING CORK
How do you bend cork roadbed?

.I have found it useful to soak the cork in hot water first, and then
.bend it while wet. (As per Life Like's instructions on their package).
.I was fortunate that the glue I was using (Liquid Nails) was able to
.bond securely even to the wet cork.  I was using N scale roadbed and
.was able to do about 8" radius curves without breaking the cork.


------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 11/21: Track, bending

TRACK, BENDING
I've heard that you have to be careful laying curves so that you end up
with a smooth curve instead of a series of chords going from one tie to the
next.  So how do people bend smooth curves? I know that there are expensive
rail bending machines available (sounds pretty specialized, and definately
beyond my means).

.A rail bending machine is easy to build.  As long as you're laying wide
.radius curves, you won't need one.  Balance a meter or so of rail on
.your finger and let it droop under the influence of gravity, whatever
.scale you're in, even up to prototype sized rail, you'll get it
.drooping to a wide radius curve!  Actually, your finger won't
.comfortably hold a meter of prototype rail, and you can safely spike
.rail in curves significantly tighter than the arc to which it sags,
.but let's get on with it!
.
.Suppose you're building a curve that does need pre-bent rail.  Most LGB
.stock curved track is in this class, most HO stock track isn't, but if
.you're building scale models of streetcar track or turntables, you'll
.need a rail bender in almost any scale you work in.
.
.Here's how to build one:
.
.Take three pieces of square wood stock (2 cm or 3/4 inch thick for HO,
.4 cm or 1.5 inch thick for O, 6 cm or 2.5 inch thick for G), make the
.pieces 5 or more times longer than they are thick, and glue and nail
.them to a solid base like so:
.
.      _____  _____  _____
.     |     ||     ||     |      The middle piece should be free to slide
.     |     ||     ||     |      but very snugly held between the outside
.     |     ||_____||     |      pieces.  The two outside pieces should
.   __|/////|_______|/////|__    be solidly glued and nailed to the base.
.  |                         |
.  |                         |
.  |_________________________|
.
.
.Next, build three "pullies" out of stacks of washers rotating on wood
.screws.  Each pully should look like this:
.          _
.    __   | |  _
.   /  |__| |_| |__________ 
.  (      | | | |          \  __ This screw should not quite come through
.  (    __| |_| |__________/     your wood square stock when screwed in.
.   \__|  | | |_|
.         |_|    \ This washer (or stack of washers) should be a tiny bit
.            \     thicker than the foot of the rail
.             \
.               This washer (or stack of washers) should be a bit thinner
.               than the gap between rail head and rail foot, so it rides
.               against the side of the web of the rail.  This washer
.               should stick out above the smaller washer enough to keep
.               the foot of the rail from running into the smaller
..       washers as this washer rolls (or slides) along the web
..       of the rail.
.
.Now, screw one screw (with its stack of washers) into each piece of
.square stock, about 1/3 of the way in from one end; don't overtighten
.them, since you want to leave the washers able to roll along the edge
.of the rail.

.From above, it should look like this when done:
.
.    ___________________________
.   |                           |
.   |       (O)                 |
.   |___________________________|_
.   | |                           |
.   | |       (O)                 | < the sliding member can be slid
.   |_|___________________________|   in and out with a bit of effort
.   |                           |
.   |       (O)                 |
.   |___________________________|
.
.Now you can start bending rail.  Clamp the bender in a vise with the
.slider offset about like is shown and try to force a length of rail so
.it goes under one guide washer, over the middle one, and under the
.final one, with the foot of the rail against the boards and the rail
.head away from the boards.  Adjust the offset of the slider until you
.can just manage to shove rail through, and the three guide washers will
.put a uniform bend on the rail.
.
.You'll find that you can only bend the rail a bit on each pass through
.the bending fixture, and the limit on how much you can bend it is
.determined by how hard you can shove the rail in.  Don't pull the rail,
.you'll lose control of the radius that way.  Shove it through, and
.after each pass, slide the slider a bit farther to tighten the radius
.on the next pass.
.
.I used this approach to bend perfect circles of rail for a turntable
.ring rail, and I figure it's good for many more applications.
.
.Note that the washers should be nice and round, with no flats or rough
.spots.  If they have flats or rough spots, they're likely to slide over
.the web of the rail instead of rolling, and that'll make it much harder
.to push the rail through.  For larger sizes of rail, you might want to
        grease the washers.


------------------------------

Date: 02 Aug 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 12/21: Track, code



TRACK, CODE
What does the "code" associated with track mean?

.This is the height of the rail, expressed in thousandths of an inch.
.Code 100 rail (common in HO) is 0.100 inches high.  This is equivalent
.to prototype rail weighing 152 pounds per yard, which is larger than
.almost all rail used by real railroads in the United States.  Advanced
.modelers typically use rail sizes closer to that used on the
.prototype, as shown below:

.----------------------------------------------------
.Nominal |   Mass   |  Scale   | Scale   |  Scale   |
.Scale   |  Market  | Mainline | Branch  |  Mining  |
.----------------------------------------------------
.G, #1   |  .330    |  .250    |  .175   |   .125   |
.----------------------------------------------------
.O       |  .175    |  .148    |  .100   | .070-083 |
.----------------------------------------------------
.S       |  .148    |  .125    |  .083   | .055-070 |
.----------------------------------------------------
.HO/OO   |  .100    | .070-083 |.055-070 |   .040   |
.----------------------------------------------------
.N       |  .080    |  .055    |  .040   |   n/a    |
.---------------------------------------------------
.Z       |  .062    |   n/a    |   n/a   |   n/a    |
.----------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 13/21: Custom turnouts
        
TRACK, CUSTOM TURNOUTS
What advice can you give me on making custom turnouts?

.I've made a number of turnouts including a double crossover that leads
.into a double-slip switch for a yard throat. (I did not make the
.double slip, just the crossover, but it was still an alignment
.challenge.) Iv'e used several methods and find the best one involves
.soldering the rail to PC board ties. This is the only way I have found
.to get the rail in correct alignment and keep it there. I've tried
.just spiking the rail to various materials as well as various contact
.cements. The latter are applied to the rail, allowed to dry, and then
.heated with a soldering iron to soften the glue as the rail is pressed
.into place. This last method works for running rail in code 55 and 40,
.and you can put down quite a bit of rail in a hurry. But I find it is
.too much trouble to get and keep alignment in turnouts.
.
.The best article I have seen on turnout building is by Ed Stimpson Jr.
.in the May 1978 Model Railroader, titled: Maintenance-free turnouts,
.beginning on p. 62. You should be able to get this from any
.decent-sized library. If not, ask for the interlibrary loan librarian.
.I have tried these techniques and they work. To summarize the article,
.you begin with a paper pattern. Glue PC ties at strategic points along
.the length of the turnout. Obviously, important spots are at the frog.
.Many turnout problems are in the area of the frog and guard rails. The
.most important tool is a NMRA gauge. Be sure the various gauges are
.correct. If you are not a perfectionist, don't bother to make your own
.turnouts. Quick-and-dirty or good-enough approaches eventually lead to
.trouble. Further, it is not a way to save money if your time is
.valuable. There might be some savings if you are making a hundred and
.can set up jigs and do mass production. 
.
.BTW, I do not like making turnouts in place on the benchwork as this
.is hard on my back, but many track layers prefer this method. This
.way, each turnout is custom-fitted to its location. The techniques in
.the article work for either method. 
.
.I deviate from the article when making the points themselves. I bend a
.piece of rail to the opposite or reverse of the angle needed (sorry I
.don't know the term... I flunked geometry). Then I file the bent part
.to a straight line until it is almost all the way through. Then I fold
.the rail backwards toward the filed-down part to form the point. Sorry
.it won't illustrate in ascii. Imagine bending your arm slightly, then
.filing your elbow down to almost nothing, then forcing your arm
.backwards so the outside of your forearm touches your triceps (ouch!).
.
.The straight rail is laid first, then the points are soldered in
.place, followed by the closure rails and the outside curved rail.
.Guard rails are added last. Gauge on the guard rails is important as
.they keep the flange on the other wheel from hitting or picking the
.points. Finally, the coper on the PC ties is slit to prevent shorts
.across the rails. There is more to it than this, and I suggest you
.find a copy of the article. Making yor own is often the only way to
.solve a special problem, and it's not all that hard.


------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 14/21: Track, detection units



TRACK, DETECTION UNITS
How should I go about setting up a track detection system?

.Get a copy of Bruce Chubb's book "Building Your Own Universal
.Computer Interface" available from Tab or Walther's.  This is a
.further development from his series several years ago in MR about
.the Model Railroad Computer Interface.
.
.He describes the system in there. If all you need is a track detector,
.this book also includes a description of his circuit that is compatable
.with command control systems.
.

------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 15/21: Track, electrical gaps

TRACK, ELECTRICAL GAPS
What are the recommended methods of installing/cutting/maintaining electrical
gaps?

.Here on the NEB&W, we use handlaid trackage, but we still have a large
.number of gaps, especially since we use solid metal frogs. And what do
.we do about the gaps? The answer is...nothing. That's right, nothing.
.Our gaps are just that, gaps. In fact, a little over a week ago I cut
.a curved number 10 turnout into the mainline, and there is a 1/8" gap
.right off the frog on the mainline route. And it ran perfectly during
.all twelve hours of our weekly open houses. In fact, the only problem
.we had with it was due to the angle of the frog. Being such a shallow
.angle, I had to install the guide rails to keep the wheels from taking
.the wrong route in the frog. After I did that, there were no further
.problems. And, all of our curved mainline turnouts are superelevated,
.which makes it all the more difficult.
.
.On a layout like ours, where we have no humidity control, the gaps
.should be left open to allow for the expansion of the rail and the
.benchwork. As long as the rail is spiked securely in place, open gaps
.will prove no problem.
.
.It also means that areas like turnouts, crossings, etc. and other
.special trackwork won't be knocked out of gauge by expansion problems.
........
.I have a small (3' X 4') N scale layout with mostly hand-laid track.
.Generally I cut gaps using a moto-tool cutoff wheel which makes nice
.straight, narrow gaps.  I usually use a small shim of styrene that is
.epoxied in place to fill the gap.  The styrene is easy to file down to
.the contour of the rail and can be painted to become invisible.
.
.As the layout is small, gaps are only about 2-4 feet apart and the
.amount of expansion and/or contraction would be minimal.  For longer
.sections, I would probably leave the gaps open as the plastic filler
.might not be flexible enough to take the compression and rails between
.the gaps would buckle slightly out of allignment.
........
.Here's a technique that works for me:
.
.1) spike track securely in vicinity of gap
.2) cut gap (if it wasn't built-in in the first place)
.3) fill gap with epoxy cement
.4) when set, paint over epoxy with rail color
.   [Some railroads fill their own rail gaps with epoxy. Painting is
.   optional]
........
.If the gap is on a curve, (to be avoided if possible) I puddle some
.epoxy on around where the joint will be, let it cure.
.
.I allow for expansion by allowing the "normal" rail joints on straight
.track to be a little loose and only solder joints on curves, to keep
.the rail ends in line.  I then run a pair eighteen gauge wires under
.the track to serve as a bus and run feeders up from this to connect
.to EVERY piece of rail on the layout.  Nickle-silver dosn't oxidize
.very quickly, but it is not a very good conductor.
........
.I cut my gap, usually using a Dremel cutoff wheel.  Then I take a flat
.or square, not round, toothpick and push it into the gap.  I then "set
.it" with some white Elmer's or furniture glue.  Next day, I trim up
.the toothpick to conform to the rail contour and have a permanent,
.fixed gap.  Have some that are still good, AND, for all purposes
.unseen, for over 20 years.
.

------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 16/21: Track, flex



TRACK, FLEX
What should I know when laying flex track?

.I used a construction cement "Liquid Nails" to hold my cork and track.
.Just a thin coating of this with the track pressed down onto it will
.set in about 30 secconds... even under said 8" radius curves (and my
.flex does not hold curves on its own).
.
.And about Liquid Nails, the stuff skins over fairly quickly (couple of
.seconds) but will remain usable for a couple of minutes.  Just make
.sure you press the track down into it firmly and you should have no
.problem.
........
.To join track on a curve, solder it while straight, and then bend it.
.You're best off avoiding joints on curves as much as possible.
.

------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 17/21: Track, nickel silver vs brass

TRACK, NICKEL SILVER VS. BRASS
Nickel-silver vs. brass: what are the issues?

.Nickel-silver is a copper-nickel alloy (mostly copper), considered to
.be metalurgically similar to brass but superior in corrosion
.resistance.  Brass oxidizes rapidly to a non-conducting surface, which
.means that power will not reach the locomotives or cars, resulting in
.stalls.  Both forms of track will accumulate other gunk on them,
.requiring some form of cleaning.  In general, nickel silver is much
.better than brass, and is worth the small extra cost.
.
.The more recently developed alloys used in high-quality G scale track
.are much less corrosion-prone.  Brass is sometimes favored over
.nickel-silver for outdoor use, because it expands and contracts
.somewhat less with changes in temperature.
.

------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 18/21: Track, soldering

TRACK, SOLDERING
Anybody have any advice on soldering HO rail?

.If you join the two piece of rail with metal rail joiners, then solder
.the join, the solder will flow much more smoothly. This assumes you're
.using nickel-silver or brass rail of course! Make sure that the
.soldering iron heats all three metal parts (ie. both rail ends and the
.rail joiner) to the same temp before applying the solder, and it should
.be drawn into the space inside the rail joiner without any trouble.
.
.Note that solder is not a very good gap filler, so if you've got gaps
.larger than about 0.5mm or so, you'll waste your time trying to fill
.them with solder without having a bulging great lump of solder in the
.way of the wheel flanges.
.
.Also note that you should still have non-soldered gaps every metre of
.so to prevent the solder joins fracturing due to expansion and
.contraction.  Ideally, straight track should have NO directly soldered
.rail joints, but you should use bridging wires to leave the rail ends
.free to move.  Curved track will usually need to have soldered joins
.unless you're particularly skilled at spiking rail on curves.
........
.I am one of the proponents that do not believe in soldered joiners.
.Joiners should be left free to move and expand as nature dictates.
.
.Joiners are a mechanical way to join two pieces of rail, and should be
.just that. They should not be electric current carriers. No matter how
.good the contact is, it will eventually fail due to oxidation.I believe
.that the "bus" method (ie. a wire line that follows each section or
.block around the layout) is the only reliable method to power a layout,
.but that is my own opinion.  There are a few different approaches to
.dispense power to all sections on a layout.
.
.A lot of people will say that it is a waste of time to solder the wire
.under the layout to the track, but think of the fewer headaces you will
.have with electric problems.
.
.I would like to give two examples:
.1) NTrak and modules in general (no explanation here).
.2) At the club I am a member of, the layout was built in the early
.   50's. The HO mainline is still the original one. It is code 100
.   brass and has 3 major blocks. Rail is laid down and spiked on True
.   Scale patterns (cannot think of the name). I do not know how long
.   the main line is but we had a train with 98 cars (we run mostly
.   modern cars) and 10 engines pulling and it occupied just less of a
.   half of the main line. Each rail is joined but not soldered.
.
.Back then they used a method used in O gauge layouts. A piece of wire
.was soldered near the end of each rail, connecting electrically the two
.rails.  Talking to the old members, they hardly had any problems as far
.as power flow is concerned (shorts yes). The only problems of power
.flow were due to failure of the solder joints. Even now, after 40+
.years we find the need to re-join some of the wire with new solder
.(after a good cleanup), although most of them are still the original
.solder joints.
.
.Performance is very reliable, and that is what counts in the end.
.

------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 19/21: Turnout problems

TRACK, SWITCHES
What problems can I have with switches and how do I avoid them?
.
.I have found problems with Atlas switches. The flangeways don't seem 
.to be deep enough through the frog, and the large plastic frogs can
.cause engines to stall. Also, the switch machine housing sticks up too
.far, and can entangle steam locomotives with wide draft gear. 
.
.Use Peco or Shinohara turnouts for N scale; they run and look much
.better.  Also, if you are nailing down the track, allow a little room
.under the nail head for the switch to "float"; putting the track nails
.all the way in can distort the rails.
........
.My first fault was that I tacked down the turnout. If the turnout is
.allowed to "float" it will operate better.
.
.Second, use a jewlers file, and file the points of the turnout, this
.was described in MR a few years ago.  
.
.The third thing I did was to get rid of the N scale electric switches. 
.I was lucky that my local hobby shop took them back.  I traded them in
.for the HO below ground throws, and some piano wire.  I cliped the
.plastic pin off at the base but befort the cone on the HO machine.  I
.then cut the piano wire about 2" long, then using an iron, heated the
.piano and forced it into the cone stub.  I then installed the machine,
.with the piano wire fitting in to the turnouts throwbar (between the
.rails).  Once the machine was secured to the underside of the layout,
.I then trimmed the piano wire (about .05) above the throwbar. 
.
.This made the turnouts not only work better but look better.  For a
.finishing touch I cemented pieces of ties (left over from flex track)
.next to the turnout for switch stands.  
.

------------------------------

Date: 20 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 20/21: Turnout numbers

TRACK, TURNOUT NUMBERS
What does the number associated with a turnout mean?  What's the difference
between, say, a #4 turnout and a #6 turnout?

.The number is based on the angle between the straight and diverging
.tracks.  Skipping the exact definition, a #4 turnout is generally the
.sharpest practical size and is equivalent to an 18" curve.  #6s and
.#8s are more gradual and are typically used on larger layouts both
.because they look more realistic and because longer equipment will
.work better on them.

.Traction models and models in the smallest scales (N and Z) can often
.get good results with much smaller turnout numbers, down to #2.5 in
.common usage.

------------------------------

Date: 18 Mar 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING, 21/21: Dust control

DUST CONTROL
Can anyone recommend a method of controlling dust on a layout?

        Short of covering up the layout after each use, a better method is to
        have the layout set up so that it's viewed almost from eye level AND
        has a 'roof' over it about 0.5 to 1 metre (2 to 3 feet) completely
        covering the layout.
        
        If you've ever seen articles on shelf-style layouts built at eye
        level, you'll notice that a lot have the scenery 'wrapping over' the
        top of the layout.
        
        I've got no permanent layout, but the small yard I have built on the
        workbench in the garage has a wall-mounted cupboard over one end, and
        it's amazing how dust-free this area stays. The section that's not
        covered over by this cupboard collects a lot of dust, dead insects, etc.
                                        ...
        A couple of years ago Jack Burgess wrote in RMC how he licked the
        dust problem on his layout (located in a CA garage.) As I recall,
        he did some weathersealing of the garage door (not 100%), carpeted
        the floor (concrete _creates_ dust as it is walked upon), and 
        lastly, he installed electrostatic air purifiers that run constantly. 
        

