Laying Flexible Track at Chadwick Model Railway | 119. 

A Great Deal of People Are Building their Layout one way or Another and I wish All Model Railroaders Good Luck👍👍👍👍.

I’m 68 years old and starting a new layout adventure in an apartment. I’ve built many layouts over the years (since 10 years old) and have acquired considerable experience. Watching your videos has helped me to realize that I still have much to learn and benefit from. Charlie, you have become my newest mentor, you are the man. I will do what I can to support your efforts as you further develop your current project. Thank you so very much. Tim

My childhood model railway constructed by my dad was made totally with flexible track so he could create the exact track plan desired. When building Ewood I bought some flexible track to try the same method ..sadly it didn't go well and I reverted to the standard pieces. Dad was a design engineer and a perfectionist..I'm not .RIP dad Ewood Railway was not at your standard but you'd have loved it. Thankyou for this video it's bought back memories.

DOING RAILPLANNING INTO A REAL ART - PRACTICALITY AND FUNCTIONALTY IN ONE SWIFT WORK! WELL DONE!

I agree with Robin Holland, I too would like to meet the lady who gave you such a long leash around the house.😁

Im not even a train enthusiast and I found this so interesting. I want to see those trains running round this set-up. GREAT WORK!

I have no idea why this was in my recommended videos while watching a guy repair 8-bit computers but I fully watched it anyway. Oddly relaxing.

Charlie, once again your video's are extremely informative and helpful. Thanks again for all you do, love me some Chadwick Model Railway!

These videos are really good. Some great ideas for building a model railway and avoiding mistakes.

Merry Christmas to my model railroad professor! Thanks for all your great videos throughout the year! And I do love the Tracksetta tools!

Informative as always Charlie. Thanks for all the time and effort you give the modelling community. Hope you and your family have a happy Christmas and prosperous New Year. Cheers Euan

You’re layout is really coming together Charlie! It’s so exciting to watch it as it begins to establish itself. I’ve just laid the cork on my first ever layout thanks to all your trusty advice. Thank you so much!

Thank you Charlie!

Great update Charlie.

A big thank you sir for not just a good model RR education but for keeping me sane last spring. Weekly videos were a god send during lock down. Have a wonderful holiday.

Thanks for the great tip on the flexible track tool from Golden Valley Hobbies! This is just what I need and have ordered an N gauge version for when I start laying my own track. Cheers!

Great video as usual. Given me confidence to have a go with flexible track as I'm fitting a turntable with limited space.

Thanks, Charlie. I don’t know why I didn’t think of staggering rail joins before.

Wow, you continue to amaze me with your layout and your building skills. Have a Very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New year!

Very informative video Charlie , what I would have given to have this 40 years ago when my Dad and I were trying to build our garage layout. Always enjoy these so thanks.

Charlie, I have to thank you for this great video. I saved it all year knowing that it would come in handy when it came time to setup my layout for Christmas and I can tell you that it took me half as long this time to lay twice the amount of track! Fantastic job here. I did use the Piko track screws, which for me were a godsend as well. Thank you!

That little track spacer guide is pretty darn nice. Seeing the way you staggered the joins is really good. I never thought of that and that will get rid of that dreaded space where flexi's join that has no sleepers. Thank you for such an in depth and educational video. I really do appreciate it.

Useful video. In my experience, staggering the track joints is absolutely the best way to go. No kinks or doglegs, and because of the staggered joint, the sleepers are retained. Brilliant.

Another great video Charlie, I find them very helpful so thank you very much.

Informative and entertaining! It's great to see how well your track work is coming along; those spacing tools certainly seem to do the trick!

Thanks Charlie!

Thanks Charlie for some great track laying tips. I’ve certainly learnt something today ,hopefully it will help me lay my N gauge track better...or not as the case may be.

Its coming along nicely now Charlie...all that track looks amazing. See you next week. All the best.

Nice one Charlie, I think taking your time helps to make thinks look good as well as being functional, and of course my mantra is 'if it looks right it is right' and that trackwork looks right for sure. regards Gareth

Thank you Charlie for the plug, I've certainly had more veiws and a few more subscribers. Glad to see the track put to good use. I have the hornby rocket and have to say it's amazing, not only in detail but its size. Something that small shouldn't work. I will put up a video of it soon. I'm ballasting at the moment. Your layout is looking great, enjoying the vids regard Jim

Well done Charlie, another great video. Have a great Christmas I look forward to your next one. Happy modelling

Hi Charlie, I started following you before I even had my loft fully boarded, I really like your videos as I always learn a lot, and as my wife has commented, “you don’t have a boring voice”. I do have a DCC layout in my loft now and I thoroughly enjoy running the trains and changing the track (several times). I think it’s great that you leave your mistakes in, it proves your human.

Interesting video Charlie. Thanks for sharing. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones and a good and healthy 2021 !!!

Thank you so much! This was very interesting and informative. Going to watch your other videos now as I am just beginning! Merry Christmas in advance!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Excellent video Charlie with some great tips, thank you.

A method I used in a similar situation, laying multiple parallel tracks around a corner with a filler like yours: I cut an extra piece of plywood to fill in the corner temporarily to set the center of the various radii. Swinging an arc equal to the radius of the proposed end of the incoming run, and intersecting that arc with the planned start of the continuing run, I established the center point. With a nail in the center point, I was then able to scribe the inside edge of each curve at the sleeper ends at the desired radii. (I used the inside sleeper ends as being the easiest to see from my position.) I held the track in position using 2" foam nails (with the TEE end), allowing me to pick up the track sufficient to place the glues, then slid the track right back down the nails, checking to see that the sleeper ends were in the proper position. After the glue dried, it was very easy to pull the nails. It was necessary to weigh down the track so the glue could properly take. Also, I glued the track in position from the largest radius inwards, just for convenience. I left the filler [piece of ;plywood in place until the area was done just to be able to crosscheck right before and after gluing.

Wowzers Charlie you have some track down there What a cracking little tool that golden Valley tool is. Excellent as usual clear and precise for us sausage fingers to learn from

Brilliant video Charlie. A very Merry Christmas to you and looking forward to the next installment at Chadwick.

As always Charlie very informative and for myself extremely timely as I’m commencing track laying 🤔. All the very best for the festive season to you and your family, hope you stay safe over there! cheers Paul

learning a lot , thankyou !! merry christmas

Thanks again Charlie for another interesting video. I never thought of threading the track a couple of inches into the next piece of track, which is an excellent tip. I have managed to dig the track into my finger when trying to move it along providing me with bloody track. Now I use pliers or Spencer Wells artery forceps to move the track along to prevent injury. The track does look good.

Thank you for tips. Very helpful

Nine beautifully parallel curved lines is a great accomplishment!

Hi Charlie, I wish I had known about those Piko screws when I was laying the track on my 8' x 4' main layout, still never mind my track is down but some will be coming up as I have decided to change it a bit. Your good lady is an absolute treasure, the main reason I've been sent out into the garden is due to my wife not being as amenable. Never mind. Keep up the good work Charlie as we can all learn from watching other people's videos, I know I am. Best wishes for the coming "Festive season" and I am sure all your followers will wish the same.

hi charlie what a great vlog very interesting andgood advice and tips the technolagy has come a long way in the years since i had my early model thank you your advice has been so good and it has made me even more keen to build a model again once again i thank you for your advice and expertiance in the great work / love of model railways

Great video. Alot of use full tips thanks. Merry Christmas to you and all.

Fascinating as always Charlie, I bought a tracksetta 42” radius piece after seeing you use them on your layout. Fantastic simple piece of kit that has made a previously horrible bend on my layout a much smoother and accurate curve. I’m modelling New Zealand Railways in S scale (1:64) and the largest wagon is 39cm. It didn’t like the previous rough attempt at going around a hand/eye judged curve, however now it goes through no trouble. Cheers!

Found it all now thanks

What I found though, before I gave up was that if you pin or glue the track down all that happens in real life is that the sleepers will stay locked in place but as soon as you try to take the track and form a curve the rails will end up moving and become different lengths and so completely useless.

Mamothly helpful, Charlie!! Thank you!

Very informative as usual. Excellent

Yet again another great video, the tip for avoiding dig legs was very interesting, thank you again Charlie

From your recommendation, I managed to buy a pair of the gauges from Golden Valley Hobbies - and they have saved me so much time!! Also good for parallel tracks too. So thanks very much!

Very impressive sweeping curves Charlie. Will never complain about just two double track loops again! Very useful tip to avoid doglegs on curves, much better than hiding them in tunnels!

Fantastic video!!!!! Thank you.

Hi Charlie, I look forward to your videos as they are always interesting and informative. I've seen many different ways of joining flexible track on curves, staggering the joint looks like it gives excellent results and aids removing the "dog leg" from the joint. I usually remove about 6 inches (150mm) of sleepers and then bend the exposed track to the desired radius to remove the natural spring of the nickel silver track. I usually cut the last half inch (13mm) off as it's difficult to form the curve right to the end of the track. Next time I lay flexible track with a joint on the curve I will also stagger the joint. Regards, David.

Nice video Charlie! Nice tool very nice to have, layout looking good!

Thanks for a great year, excellent videos, all combined with a great sense of humor (perhaps with a bit of an English twist). I am an N scaler and now continue on working on scenery. I am building some structures from kits but now working on scratch built from card. It is a little more difficult than the various yoube videos suggest, but fun to continually improve how they look. I have been using computer drawing and modeling tools and then seeing where I go from there via card and some 3d printing, while trying to maintain everything and keep it running smoothly so my Grandchildren learn to enjoy it (they seem to) and perhaps learn something about how it all works. Its Chrismas time so hopefully Santa gives the trains a thought. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and looking forward to watching your layout expand and grow. Thanks!

Thanks Charlie very informative and entertaining videos. I only wish I had found your channel before I embarked on my loft layout as a complete novice. I could have avoided some of the errors and expensive mistakes but, hey, it is still fun learning!

Hi Charlie great video your fiddle yard will be amazing when its finished. You mentioned the Hornby princess. I have two of them and they both perform fantastically well had them for 6 months or so. Great model. Can't wait for your next video

Hello Charlie, thanks for all the helpful uploads, I have learned a lot from you over this year, I am about to try the rear lamps on 5 brake vans, will follow your guide, wishing you both a very Merry Christmas, all stay safe, Allan.

Excellent video as always. Hope to start my railway by March and you are supplying great tips as always. Happy Christmas from us in Seychelles

13:00 I have to say I've extensively used those miniature screws (mine are Jouef branded) since... the early 70s (call that the (maybe one and only) silver lining of being 71 and counting) on my main H0 layout and never regretted it. Discreet, nifty, not damaging whatsoever the tracks and points - and ttackbed - and what's more important easily allowing repairs, amends, rectifications an even total replanning of the track layout.👍🤗

Merry Christmas to you and yours Charlie, happy new year!

As an old railroad track surveyor, I might comment that it appears that at about 21:00, where you are preparing to fix the curve between the two gauges, that the track has chorded or straightened out slightly. I would suggest the use of a third gauge right at the proposed fixing site, or at least mark it while the gauge is at that point before moving the gauge beyond. Also, are you providing any spiral transitions in and out of the curves. It appears that the third track is self-spiraling on (my) left end, which might give a better ride, especially on the tighter radii. Using set track, that would necessitate a flex track for the transitions, say 20-30 cm. When superelevating the curves, doing so in the length of the spiral gives a much more pleasant curve. ON prototype lines, spirals are laid out using all sorts of formuli and tables, but the eyeball would suffice as a good survey party for us.

Another great informative video Charlie.

Golden Valley has the tool back in stock as of today (Jan 30). Just bought mine. Thanks again for the tips, Charlie!

Both Hattons 66’s with sound have performed beautifully, next job is to order the track spacers Thanks for another brilliant video.

Bought 2 hattons class 66's, No issues with them, Beautiful models and run like a dream :)

Another fantastic video Charlie 👍🏻👍🏻

Great tip. Regards. Sharad Sharma from India🇮🇳

Another useful how to, you mentioned how much track you used, it never ceases to amaze me how much track we all use. My current layout is in a 9ft x 10ft room at the moment it has two continuous running lines, a six road fiddle yard and a small goods yard and engine shed and I have used about 60 yards of track. It will hopefully next year be moving into my converted hayloft which is 10m x 5m so goodness knows how much track I'll need for that. On the subject of locos I am hoping in the new year to purchase a Dapol Western with sound so I'll let you know how I get on. Merry Christmas and all the best for the new year let's hope it's better then 2020.

Hi Charlie, another fact finding video (wish I had seen these before I built my storage yard) with hard to reach hidden in tunnel sections I soldered the lengths of flex track together and used tracksetta with Peco pins. Because my layout is in the loft I found leaving a 2mm gap every 2.5 metres allows for any expansion/contractions and the sound of the rolling stock passing these gaps adds to the realistic value. To ensure Santa sent me the items I wished for, I ordered items and my wife wrapped and hide them up (don't tell the Grand children) Merry Christmas to you and your family and remember stay safe...

Good update keep posting updates up

Very timely video Charlie. Since I have over 50 feet of O-16-5 Peco track climbing and looping I have ordered the Piko screws as an added measure of track security. I have been using a small half inch Truss head screw for now. I had it in mind to just have extra ballast at the screw locations to hide those heads. The Piko screws will be a better fit for this layout and disappear. I am still tweaking my track, marking locations that need attention so I can go back later and spend time working on those spots. When I modeled in N scale I always laid my flex track curves first so that there would be no joiners/fish plates at the mid point of the curve. I then added the rest of the layout track after the curves were in place. The thing is that a meter of flex track doesn't cover as much scale distance in the larger scales as it does in N scale, thus making it more difficult to do. I did not see a link for those track gauges you are using to equally parallel your tracks. I think those would work well when layout a yard, especially if the yard curves. I will look into those.

Bought 4 Hattons 66's. 3 DCC and 1 Sound. 1 DCC model dead on arrival. Returned it to store, they "serviced" it and and sent it back. It ran for 20 minutes before stopping again. Sent it back to Hattons where they refunded me. Other three works brilliantly. Wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas

Whoa, you have a first aid kit and fire extinguisher among your recommended equipment. Maybe I should reconsider this hobby .... Seriously though, another great video. I am getting back into the hobby after an extended hiatus, and am enjoying my relatively simple oval, so now I am of course planning an empire. Your videos are a great source of information, and I am furiously noting down every new tip and gadget. Thanks again. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and stay safe.

Great informative and instructional video as per your usual standard. Nicely demonstrated laying of track, I use the staggered fishplates on curves and straights, using a two playing cards to put expansion gap between tracks. The other thing I do, is to cut one chair at a joint, to allow the fishplates to slide over the sleeper. This strengthens the joint and leaves no gaps that need additional sleepers installing after. It should be noted, that care should be taken when pinning the centre of the track, not too fasten down too much, this will tend to distort the gauge of the rail. Look forward to your next video. All the best to you and yours for Christmas & New Year.. 🎅 x The Bigfella x

Always a good video Charlie they stagger curves on the real railways and I’ve always done it myself when it comes to curves but never soldered them due to it being a bit to permanent and something always gets changed as you know 😉 hope you and your family have a loverly Christmas all the best and stay safe

Great vid as always Charlie. Love those curves and the two tools to help you do it.

Coming along nicely. Still plenty to keep you out of harm’s way for the Winter! Have a great Christmas and stay safe. Roy.

Looks great Charlie, I have used all three of the fixing hardware you demonstrated but settled for Peco and Piko. Regarding the joining of the rails I have found it challenging to say the least and have made far too many cuts in attempts to matchup the rails. It was suggested that I solder lengths of track together and I did that wherever possible in the limited space I have but that certainly helped. Those jigs you are using for the curves look really useful and would have saved me a lot of grief had I known about them and it would have allowed me to possibly get more track in and I might just reconsider what I have. I never thought of using those Hornby curved tracks but it might have made things easier. Once again, thanks for inspiring and sharing.best regards

Hello Charlie. I thoroughly enjoyed your flexi track tutorials on PECO TV. Ive had a bit of an up and down relationship with model railroading. Ever since my first visit to a hobby shop back in South Africa where I grew up and saw my first Loco which was Rivorossi steam loco. The detail and the running captured back then. Now at 53 Ive collected sold off several locos and even a DCC system. for many reasons I never found myself having the space to have a layout that really wanted. That is now changing. My first love of model railroading was American freight and the locomotives but being quite a stickler for detail trying to make sure I got it right was becoming an issue, not being an American and never been to the States I found myself asking more questions and getting a little disheartened. Then I started seeing the Class 66 Freightliner locos here in the UK. Now that circumstances are changing for me it seems sticking with local is a far better idea. I would like to go current modern British freight with more focus on that over passenger rail. However a passenger train or two of course would be in the plan but a bit later. Ideally Id like more a mountain terrain for my layout than urban. Id appreciate your advice on where to start and go about getting into modern UK freight model railway. DCC is of course the way id go with NCE Power cab which i still have. Im looking at a 3.5m x 2.5m Garden office fully insulated.

As always enjoy your videos

Happy Christmas Charlie to you and all your loved ones,

Thanks Charlie, I have only found your video's since last thursday's zoom meeting, I only recently started to use RU-vid when I added a few of my own videos. I now have a lot to watch and have picked up some good tips from you already. Cheers John

That was another really good Video Charlie, as usual you make it so easy to follow, trust that you have a safe and peaceful Christmas, looks like that old Covid will be ensuring many in the Hobby will be spending Time on their Layouts if they are lucky enough to have one.

Another fantastic video by you Charlie i enjoyed my visit to your channel your track laying is certainly better then my track laying. hope you have merry christmas and a happy new year and all the best of luck for 2021. Cheers and all the best. Nicholas.

Very interesting and might well be very helpful. Happy Christmas

Interesting as ever Charlie. I would certainly recommend using the "staggered" rail joints for curved track in fiddle yards, as it reduces the strain and distortion at the actual joints. They use this arrangement on the prototype on North American railroads. However, for curved track in scenic areas, I'd still have the two rail joints opposite each other, as this looks more prototypical for British track.

Not sure how I came across your channel Charlie, but I am glad I did. I have only watched two of the videos so far, but they are very informative and you have a good presentation style. You can count me as a subscriber now.

Another great video mate, merry Christmas to you and your family

Your track looks great and you still have a lot to lay,so Happy Solstice and festive season, keep well and safe, regads, Jed

Hi Charlie, this video is driving a lot of traffic to my most popular video! I don't know why, but it's helping me a lot. Thanks! 😊😊👍

Merry Christmas, Charlie

Evening Charlie. Round the bend with this one lol 😂 That new tool looked just the business for getting the nice radius curve as I would think most modellers would struggle 🤔 But again with your fantastic tutorials those curves will look as good as yours 😂 Have a lovely weekend with your family cheers Stevie 😎

Charlie Bishop changing his mind?? Never lol. Great stuff as always mate. Hope you are keeping well

Just caught up with your videos now. The fiddle yard and helix have come out great so far. Looks like you have space for fiddle yard roads that don't link with the helix if you find in the future needing more room for stock. Hope your Christmas and New year were as good as things can be given the situation in the world etc. Look forward to future updates.

You are the man, professionally done...I have thought about flexitrack but have been worried I would make a hash of it...have a great Christmas in spite of all the chaos ( designed for me )...stay well.