Subject: rec.models.railroad FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING Part 2/2
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996 08:00:06 GMT

Date: 08 Jan 96 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING part 2, 01/05: 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:


FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING part 2, 02/05: Introduction
FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING part 2, 02/05: Layout design
FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING part 2, 03/05: Benchwork - Tools, Girders and Legs
FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING part 2, 04/05: Benchwork - Joists, Risers and Roadbed
FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING part 2, 05/05: Comments


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

Date: 22 Jul 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING part 2, 02/05: Layout design

This, and the two following sections on benchwork comes from
Frank Kastenholz, who as an introduction writes this:

I'm going through the process of building a railroad right now.
I thought that as I went throught the process I'd journal
any hints and the like that I've discovered during construction.

As of 17 April 1994 I've got a design complete, and I have 
the L-Girders, legs, major joists (i.e. enough to hold everything
together under the 'stresses' of construction), and plywood
'surfacing' is in place. I've chosen to build using the
'cookie cutter' method on a plywood base. I'm using plywood
because I couldn't find any Homasote. I'm doing cookie cutter
for two reasons: 1) I do not have enough
space to set up a second work-area to cut roadbed strips out
of the plywood -- with cookie cutter I can put the plywood
on top of the joists and cut it in situ and 2) I'm doing
an urban setting so most everyplace will have horizontal surfaces
anyway.

As of 17 May, the benchwork is pretty much done. I still
have some trimming and minor adjusting to do, as well as
adding any supports or joists that I find that I need. 

As of 13 June, the main line (cork roadbed and track) is in
place and I am starting to thoroughly test the track.

As of 6 July, I've thoroughly tested the mainline trackwork
and have started working on the wiring.

Anyway, here are some hints and tips that I've developed during
design and construction:

DESIGN
======

1. Read and thoroughly comprehend "Track Planning for Realistic
   Operation" by John Armstrong (Model Railroad Handbook Series #6,
   Second Edition, Kalmbach Books 1979, ISBN 0-89024-504-5).

2. Read and thoroughly comprehend "Track Planning for Realistic
   Operation" by John Armstrong (Model Railroad Handbook Series #6,
   Second Edition, Kalmbach Books 1979, ISBN 0-89024-504-5).
   (In case you missed it the first time :-)

3. As you do the design, make cheat-sheets. These save huge amounts
   of shuffling through books and recalculating numbers and the like.
   What I've done is photocopy Figures 5-1, 5-8, 5-9, and 8-9 out
   of Armstrong's book (Standards {such as minimum radii} for different
   types of line, Crossover dimensions, Grade Chart, and Turnout
   Dimensions, respectively). I've also made out a sheet of paper with
   various useful calculations pre-computed on it -- stuff like
   rises for a given length of track at a given percent grade, linear
   distance around curves for things like 30, 45, 60, 90, and 180
   degrees of curve at various useful radii, and so on. I'd suggest
   that you put these cheat sheets on colored paper so that they
   will be easily found among the piles of paper that you generate
   as you design.

4. Take your time with the design. At this point, things are very easy
   to change. You should also use this time to get as much input as
   you can, reading books, looking at other layouts, looking at the real
   things, and so on. I spent about a year doing the design work,
   probably with about 10 fairly detailed track plans and maybe another
   20 rough sketches, and did plans for 2 different rooms. No doubt
   my friends and family thought that this would be entirely a paper
   endeavor...

5. Make a very carefully drawn diagram of the space you have and then
   photocopy that diagram. You are going to go through several
   iterations and it is easier to put a failed plan aside and start
   on a fresh piece of paper than it is to erase the failed plan,
   or make another drawing of the space. This also gives you a history,
   letting you refer back to see what ideas didn't work out and what
   ideas did in previous iterations.

6. Leave space in the design. Inaccuracies, errors, and so on will creep
   into things at every stage of the effort. If you want to try
   something that needs the exact amount of space that's available, you
   will probably end up being disappointed. Rooms are not square, walls
   are not straight, all the errors add up. Under-design for your
   space.

   I've designed my layout to fit into a space that is 6" (about 15cm)
   smaller in each dimension. I can always expand the layout to fit
   into the extra space.

   I've also designed into the 'critical' track work places where some
   track can be removed, making things smaller, without adversely
   affecting my basic design rules.

   With luck you will end up with more space than you planned for. I
   am sure that you will have no problem filling that space. If you are
   not lucky, then the plan that you have made should still fit.

7. When making plans for the benchwork, remember that l-girders and
   their webs, legs, and joists all have width -- don't draw them as
   single straight lines.
   
8. Your paper plan should be considered only a final first draft of the
   final plan. Draw a full size version of the plan, preferably on big
   pieces of paper on the floor of the actual space to be occupied by
   the layout.  Unfortunately due to space constraints I did not have
   this option -- I've had to build the benchwork 'on faith' that things
   will more or less fit. I'll put the plywood surface in place and then
   draw the plan on that. 

9. When doing the design, select grades that are easy to measure
   directly. If you have a sophisticated, culturally advanced measuring
   system available, such as the Metric system, this is easy, 10mm in
   1 meter is a 1% grade... For those of us living in more backwards
   portions of the world, who have to make do with the English
   system, a 2% grade is just under 1/4" per foot, a 3% grade is just
   3/8" per foot. By choosing grades that are easily measured like
   this, you will make setting the elevations in the benchwork much
   easier.

10. When doing the design, remember that you will have to be able
   to conveniently reach and work on every spot of the layout. Leave
   ample room for aisles and access holes and place them so that all
   parts of the layout are within easy reach.

   Simply being able to reach some spot to put a car back on the rails
   is not sufficient. In fact, this is a relatively minor concern
   since the trackwork will (hopefully) be good enough so that there
   will be no derailed cars. Of more importance is to be able to reach
   spots to install and clean the track, work on the scenery and so on.

   Another facet of this is to arrange the layout so that the taller
   elements are farther from the access spot than the lower elements.
   In one place on my layout I have some elevated track that is right
   next to the aisle, with 'ground level' track behind it. As soon as
   I put in a temporary structure to hold the elevated tracks, I could
   see that the arrangement was 'suboptimal' and I will probably
   rearrange it when I build the permanent structure.

11. When placing turnouts on the plan, don't forget that the switch
   machines require room. They take up 'footprint' on the layout
   (e.g. an 'above-ground' machine such as from Atlas will require
   about 1" by 3" (25mmx75mm) parallel to the turnout). "Underground"
   machines will also require 'depth' (e.g. a Tortoise will require
   about 6" (150mm) of space for the machine and access). This is
   most important when you have multiple levels of track.


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

Date: 22 Jul 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING part 2, 03/05: Benchwork - Tools, Girders and Legs

BENCHWORK I -- Tools, Girders, and Legs
=======================================

1. The wood that is available today seems to be softer, and presumably
   weaker than that which was available in the past. I've assumed that
   Linn Westcott used the strength figures for 'old time' wood in his
   benchwork book. As a result, I'd suggest that you use one size
   'quantum' larger wood than his book would otherwise recommend.
   Not only will this cope with possibly weaker wood, but it will give
   you a margin for error.

2. Use screws to put the whole thing together. You'll make mistakes
   and simply unscrewing the mistakes is a lot easier and cheaper than
   throwing them away.

3. Use 2 drills when you are doing the work. I have one drill with the
   screwdriver bit in it and the other with a drill/countersink bit in
   it. There are a lot of screws in L-Girder construction. If you
   constantly have to change bits, you'll never get anywhere.

4. Make sure that all the benchwork is accessible. I have one section of
   benchwork that runs parallel to a wall. I did not want to attach it
   to the wall so I built it as a standard L-Girder table -- with the
   L-girders attached to the outsides of the legs and the flanges of
   the girders facing 'out'. Then I moved the section into position.
   About an hour later I had to make some adjustments to the section,
   but of course, the screws attaching the 'back' girder to the
   legs were facing the wall -- and there was not enough room in behind
   them to make the changes. I had to take the section out and rebuild
   it so that the back girder was facing the room, making it
   accessible.

5. When doing the benchwork construction, make one schematic diagram
   with all of the relevant plans on it. This should also have all the
   dimensions you need. Then take all other pieces of paper and put them
   someplace else. This avoids confusion as to which one has the
   right dimensions on it. I had two copies of the benchwork plan
   where I was working. One was an early plan and the height marked
   on the plan was about 4" (10cm) too high. I built about half the
   benchwork too high. Once I discovered the error I had to rebuild
   things to be lower. Fortunately it is easier to make a long piece
   of wood shorter than to make a short piece of wood longer...

6. The person who invented the big wood clamp that's sort of like
   an alligator clip should receive the Nobel Prize for Model
   Railroading. These can be put into place and 'clamped' with one
   hand, making it real easy to hold things together with one hand
   and clamp them with the other. More traditional screw-type clamps
   require two hands -- which leaves you one short for holding things
   in place while clamping. 
   
   Get several of these. 2 is probably an absolute minimum.
   4 would probably be optimum. They should be big enough to clamp
   l-girders to legs, but not so big that they can not be opened
   and manipulated with one hand.

7. At least one pair of bar-clamps is useful for clamping joists
   to the l-girder and holding it all in place while you drill pilot
   holes and screw them together.  The more you have, the better
   since you can then clamp the risers to the joists, set the
   roadbed's elevations and grades and THEN screw everything together.

8. When assembling the benchwork, I've found that you should build
   one section very carefully, making sure that it is level, at the
   right height and position, and so on. Then build each successive
   section off of what has already been built. This way you are always
   working from a known good point in the benchwork. What I did was
   as each section was finished, I got the L-Girders for the next
   section and put temporary legs on them at about the right height
   (connected with clamps so that they were relatively easy to adjust),
   then I'd butt the 'new' l-girders to the existing ones, get them
   level and then connect them up. Then I'd replace the temporary legs
   with the permanent ones.

   I never measured the girder height after I built the first section --
   I'd just get the girders level and then connect them to wherever they
   met the legs.

   My layout is roughtly 'C' shaped. The baseline section that I built
   was the 'middle' of the C -- then I built the arms out from that
   section. When I was done, I checked the level from the end of one
   arm to the end of the other arm and the two arms were within 1/4
   inch (~6mm) of each other.

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

Date: 31 May 94 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING part 2, 04/05: Benchwork - Joists, Risers and Roadbed
BENCHWORK II -- Joists, Risers, and Roadbed
===========================================

1. If you are setting any sort of grades, a gauge similar to the one
   in the February 1994 Model Railroader is extremely useful.  The
   only addition is to have a longer base available, so that you can
   span between risers.

2. I've found that there are two sets of risers that one uses.
   One set are the 'first' risers that are used to set the
   elevations and grades of the roadbed.  These risers are the
   ones needed to get the roadbed at the right height. They are
   also the hardest to put in since they must be installed before the
   roadbed is in place.

   The second set are added after the roadbed is in. They deal with
   adding additional support where it might be needed, for example,
   if the roadbed sags someplace.  They are easier to add since the
   roadbed can be used to set the height of the riser.

3. When installing the risers, the first ones should be spaced no
   farther apart than you can level.  For example, if you have a 24"
   (600mm) level, then these risers should be no more than 24" (600mm)
   apart.  This allows you to set the riser-tops by levelling directly
   from the one to the next.  You could use long pieces of wood for
   this, but the wood may have a slight warp and then you would end
   up screwing up the grades.  Over a long distance, these errors can
   add up.

   The other way to set riser-tops is to measure up from the top of the
   L-girders, but if the L-girders are not level, then you repeat the
   error. 

4. If there are spots in the layout that must be at certain,
   unchangeable, heights (for example, to go under/over fixed
   obstacles) then start setting the elevations at those spots.
   If you start someplace else, the small errors that occur may
   add up and you might find that you do not reach the target
   elevation where you should.

5. When splicing sections of plywood roadbed together I've been
   using scraps of L-Girder, attached under the roadbed with the
   flange facing down and perpendicular to the roadbed joint.
   The L-Girder is strong and, because of the flange, will not be
   likely to twist or bend, so the roadbed joint will be kept
   in alignment.

6. When attaching the roadbed to the riser cleats, I've found that
   temporarily screwing the roadbed to the cleat from the top will
   hold everything together. Then you can drill the pilot holes
   and screw them together from underneath.  Then remove the
   temporary screw.

   You have to firmly hold the roadbed to the cleat while drilling
   the pilot holes and screwing them together since the drill bit,
   and then the screw, would tend to push the roadbed up, away,
   from the cleat.  A clamp would work, but sometimes getting the
   clamp in the right spot is difficult, and anyway, it would probably
   be in the way.

Cork Roadbed
============

Laying the cork roadbed was pretty simply and straight forward.

1. Make sure that the sub-roadbed is clean and reasonably
   flat before laying cork on it. Any surface irregularities or
   large bits of dirt, sawdust, goop, and the like, can telegraph
   themselves up through the cork.
   
2. After I nailed the cork to the plywood roadbed, I went over it with
   a 'shaper' such as a Stanley Surform. This eliminated any significant
   irregularities in the cork surface. These irregularities could affect
   the track -- causing sudden rises or dips in elevation, or perhaps
   raising or lowering one rail with respect to the other. These
   These irregularities occur at the joints in the cork -- usually
   the butt joint where one strip ends and the next begins, or in
   switches and other 'fancy' trackwork where there is a lot of cutting
   and fitting. Generally there is little variation side to side since
   the two parallel pieces are the same 'strip'.

3. The actual layout should be designed on the sub-roadbed and the cork
   laid out on that design. This should all be done as accurately as
   possible. The best guide for laying the track has turned out to be
   the center seam in the cork.

Track
=====

The track that I am working on is my main line; it is all
double-tracked, code 100, Atlas nickel silver. I thought about doing
code 83, or the like, but I've never worked in code 83 before and since
this layout is my 'return' after about 10 years, I figured I'd better
stick to the more forgiving code 100 until my skills got sharpened.

0. After long thought, I decided that I'd sacrifice 'prototypical
   realism' for 'modelling reliability'. Code 100 is bigger than
   real life, true. On the other hand, it would be more forgiving
   of my rusty track laying skills, of cars and engines that might
   have big flanges, or out of gauge wheels and the like.

   If the track 'looks good' but suffers constant derailments then
   the layout will just sit and gather dust.

   I'm not saying "don't use code 83." I am saying that when you select
   your track, remember that the real role of the track is to physically
   support the trains and to provide an electrical distribution medium
   and the track size you select should be one that you feel comfortable
   working with to provide this physical support and electrical
   distribution. Poor trackwork means poor operation which means an
   unhappy model railroader.

1. Lay the track slowly and carefully. Do not rush. If you get tired or
   bored or distracted, go do something else. Good trackwork is the key
   to having the trains run without derailing. I've found that I can lay
   2 or 3 sections of track before my mind starts to wander -- then the
   curves aren't quite as smooth as I'd like them to be, the straights
   are not quite as straight, and so on.

2. I've been soldering the rail joints. A high-power soldering gun is
   preferred here since you want to get the joint up to temperature as
   fast as possible.  The longer it takes to heat up the joint, the more
   time there is for the plastic ties to get gooey and melt and throw
   the track out of gauge.

3. I am using Atlas Flextrack. In order to make sure that the track
   curves are right, I bought some curve gauges. However, I've found
   them to be non-obvious in their use. Basically, if you stick the
   gauge between the rails, then the nail-holes are covered up so you
   can't nail the track into place. The best method I've discovered
   is to use the gauge 'half way'. You place the gauge so that part of
   the gauge is in track already of the right curvature (the 'back end'
   of the gauge) while the 'leading end' gets the 'new track' properly
   lined up. The 'leading edge' of the gauge should come right up to
   the next nail-hole, but not obstruct it. 

   I could machine out a slot along the center of the gauge, but
   only thought of this remedy after I started writing these notes
   (and well after I'd finished with the track....)

   I've found, however, that if you are careful in laying out the
   cork roadbed, the center seam of the cork is an excellent guide.
   I laid most of my track following the seam and afterwards, after
   checking with the curve gauges, found that things were 'just
   right'.

4. When soldering the track, keep the tip of the soldering gun very
   clean and hold the soldering gun to the inside of the track and
   apply the solder to the outside. Enough solder will wick in and
   around the rail joiner and into the joint between the rails to hold
   everything together. This technique reduces the amount of solder that
   gets on the inside of the rail at a position where it could interfere
   with wheels running by. Less solder on the inside, means less cleanup.

5. Get a metal wheeled truck and run it constantly over the joints. Any
   clicking sounds indicate flaws. A Kadee truck works fairly well for
   this.

6. Use your files alot. I've found it convenient to do the filing in
   two steps. First, before joining any track, I file all the ends.
   Then, after a joint is made, I file the joint so that the railheads
   are smooth and there are no obstructions.

   Before joining, I file the following spots of the rail:
   - Under the base and on the base's shoulders to make sure that there
     are no burrs and to put on a bit of a bevel. This ensures that
     the rail-joiner will slip easily into place. This is especially
     important for the ends that are 'field soldered' since excessive
     force in putting on the joiners could kink or misalign track.
   - Straight across the end of the rail. This is especially important
     if you've cut the rail with rail-cutters. This ensures that the
     ends butt tightly with one another, ensuring a good surface for the
     wheels to ride on.
   - The top and inside edge of the railhead. This removes any burrs
     that could impede the wheels.

   It is much easier to work with the track while you can move it around
   and hold it in the 'optimum' position for filing. Once the track is
   on the roadbed, it stays where it is and the file (and the person
   using the file) have to move to get into the right position.

7. Keep the workarea clean. You don't want goop in the railjoints or
   under the ties -- it can throw things out of alignment.

8. In working with flextrack, it's easier to solder things together in
   a fixture to maintain alignment. I did 2 and 3 sections together in
   a fixture and then installed them on the roadbed.

   Atlas flextrack has one rail that 'slides' along the tie strips,
   the other doesn't. Things seem to work better (laying out curves
   and the like) if you join the tracks so that the sliding rail of
   one piece is joined to the fixed rail of the other.

9. Try to arrange things so that the 'field soldered' joints fall on
   straight sections. Also these joints should be made in spots
   where there is easy access to the track. It is easier to keep the
   alignment.

10. I tried to first lay all the track, then check everything for alignment,
   etc etc etc and then do the field soldering. didn't work. Things would
   shift slightly, joints would come apart a bit, or get out of 
   alignment. This was not good. Put a piece down, get it aligned, and solder
   it to its neighboer and then go on to the next one. 

11. Check everything with a rail gauge. I like the NMRA guage since it is
   made out of thin sheet metal it can not only check the guage but the
   thin metal will easily pick up any irregularities, burrs, or nicks in
   the rail.  When found, get out the file...

   I have checked the entire track, not just the joints. One common
   problem that I've found is that if the nail in the track is too
   tight, it will create a bit of a depression in the cross-tie, which
   then tends to pull the rails together slightly. The rails are then out
   of gauge and derailments occur.

12. Have plenty of light available while working. Once you have what you
   think is enough, go get some more. You'll do a much better job. Plenty
   of light will reduce eye strain, making it easier to work. Good light
   also makes it easier to see flaws in the rail joints. Burrs, nicks,
   and dents in the track (all derailments waiting to happen) are
   also more easily seen. Especially useful is a small light that you
   can use to shine on a section of track from different angles. This
   way, you could get a good reflection off of a flaw.

13. After laying the track run trains. Run lots of trains. Spend as much
  time as possible running trains, using as varied an assortment of
  cars and engines as you can. The idea is to find and fix bad sections
  of track now, before the ballast or scenery is in place. (It's also
  fun :-)
  
  One particular test I am thinking about running is to take a car and
  make it 'top-heavy' so any excess swaying will topple the car over, or
  at least sway a lot. This should (in theory) allow me to find spots
  where there might be dips in one rail and other 'cross-railhead-level
  problems'.

  The next edition will have the results of this test.


14. Try to arrange your track laying so that place where you have to cut
   a piece of track to fit will occur in easily reached locations. This
   makes it easy to cut the track, check it for fit, adjust it, and so
   on. The two most common positions where this will occur are where
   the track 'meets up' with the next turnout (since turnouts generally
   have to be in fixed positions, and when we get to the next one, we
   are left with 'a little bit' of track to lay) and where loops get
   closed.

I've written this about a week after I completed the main line of the
layout that I am currently building. I've been running test trains
on the track for much of that time. For the most part, the track is
excellent. There are some places where there are problems -- and those
places seem to be where I had to learn one of the above hints 'the hard
way'. 


Switch Machines
===============

I've been using Tortoise switch machines throughout the layout. While
these hints are specifically a result of experiences with them, they
should apply to just about any switch machines.

1. Test the machines before installing them. I haven't had any problems
   with the switch machines, but I figure that if there are any
   problems with them, it is better, and easier, to find the problems
   standing at the workbench than once the machine has been installed.

2. I've attached the switch machines to the underside of the roadbed
   with screws. One thing to be very careful of is to get the screw
   holes going straight into the roadbed. In a couple of places 
   access is a bit tight and the pilot holes went in at an angle.

3. I've found it convenient to run power to the switch machine locations
   as the machines were installed. This way I could test each machine's
   alignment as it is installed.

4. Tortoise machines, including the mounting flanges, are a bit too wide
   for mounting side-by-side for parallel HO tracks that are spaced the
   minimum distance apart (2"/51mm). 

5. In general, switch machines will take up space -- either underneath
   the roadbed or next to the track. The roadbed should be wide enough
   for mounting the machines, and for under-roadbed machines, there
   should be enough vertical clearance for the machine, and for
   your hands and tools in order to install and align the machine.


Control Panel and Wiring
========================

1. Masonite by itself it too flimsy for building the control panel. It
   should be either a stiffer material, or some stiffeners should be
   added.

2. I've screwed the panel directly to the framework. This is not good.
   Attach the bottom of the panel to the framework with hinges so that
   you can open it up. 

3. If you can, leave plenty of room between the individual block and
   turnout control switches. It makes soldering the connections much
   easier.

4. I've daisy-chained the power from one switch to the next. This has
   led to a rat's nest of short wires. Yuck. Some kind of a bus
   distribution scheme would be better.

5. The wiring has run directly from the switches on the control panel
   to the terminal blocks. If I ever have to remove the panel,
   disconnecting all the wires will be painful (and I'll almost
   certainly make mistakes when connecting them back up). I'd
   suggest using some kind of connectors, such as Molex or Amp between
   the control panel and the terminal blocks.

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

Date: 17 Aug 95 01:00:00 GMT
Subject: FAQ LAYOUT BUILDING part 2, 05/05: Comments

From Lennart Elg <lennart.elg@nutek.se>

In his excellent comments on layout design, Frank Kastenholz stresses the need
to leave room for errors etc. I could not agree more, but in my experience,   
leaving a margin of 15 - 20 cms around the room is too little:                
                                                                              
It may take care of drawing errors etc, but unless you possess super-human    
self control you are still likely to end up with a plan overcrowded with nice 
ideas you cannot bear to leave out.                                           
                                                                              
My advice is more drastic: If you want to model in HO, design the best O scale
layout that fits your room, make sure you are happy with it, and only as the  
last step convert the layout to HO - and this is important ! - do not fall for
the temptation of introducing a single extra building or track!! Sidings will 
suddenly seem to be of realistic length, buildings can be reasonably sized    
etc.                                                                          

