Laying Track, Don't Make These Mistakes (358) 

I would like to meet both of you.

Sorry, I still need to get the chapter information added to the description so they will show onscreen.

I appreciate that!

Oddly enough as I have dug into my family history I have run into a branch that lived around Amherst. But then my families has lived in Virginia since about 1640 so there likely are branches just about all over the state!

I have a few of those too but prefer not to use them as they tend to damage scenery and catch on cars flipping them over. I have even seen guys flip,locos off the track with one. In addition they can catch in the KD couplers and lift cars off the track. On a double deck layout they can also catch on wires hanging under the upper deck. One friend of mine with a huge layout told me he has to spend at least a full day after each op session, fixing all the broken fences, trees, signs, utility poles, etc. that operators break with the skewers. Magnets do’t do that!

The fascia in most cases is simply there for appearances. It hide the raw wood frame of the benchwork, the wires, the switch machines, the lights, etc. Its height depends on 2 opposing factors: (1) the need to hide everything, and (2) the desire not to hinder your field of view on a double deck layout like mine. On a single deck it depends almost entirely on the need to hide the mess. Also on a main deck or single deck layout there often is a cloth skirt attached to the backside of the fascia to hide all the other junk stored under it. In those cases where structures are located close to the front edge of the layout, owners often install a piece of plexiglass for protection.

Marc-we moved down here on 2009, so we’re pretty settled here now. It was good to get out of the DC area, plus it stays a bit cooler here during the summer months. Enjoy the videos-Larry

See videos #88 and #194

Good question. With the Walthers turnouts the frog rails are independently powered by jumpers so polarity/phase is correct. With Micro Engineering turnouts the frog rails are independently powered by the rails they are connected to so no problem. With other types it will depend on how they are wired internally. For example the old Peco turnouts need to be modified as I showed in previous videos. I will add a pinned comment on this and maybe do a followup video too.

Lofts, attics, garages, sheds, barns all can suffer from the expansion/contraction problem. Even the railroads have to deal with it. I saw a RU-vid video recently that said that in very hot regions such as Florida, Texas, Arizona they only lay rails on very hot days to take advantage of the fact that steel rails can deal better with contraction that expansion. Fortunately my basement is heated and cooled as well as dehumidified so I really don’t have to deal with expansion/contraction but I still stick in a few floating joints on the long expanses just in case.

I’ll have to look for them. However being that long do they tend to stop locos in their tracks?

No effect on the Locos. I would only use on sidings and spurs though since any pause on a loco while over them could cause an uncoupling on the mainline if used there.@@TheDCCGuy

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Sounds like you’re saying the distance between the points and the stock rails is not wide enough? First what turnout brand and size? Second have ypu checked the wheels,on your cars to make sure they are properly gaged?

Hi Larry it is a Walthers 24/28 curved turnout, I opened 4 brand new Atlas side hoppers, wheels are in gauge , I compared the cap between a new turnout and one I installed, we are going to investigate further, but the wheels seem to jump over the open side of the point on inner curve only , when backing up into the turnout I will let you what we find , but we were looking at several new Walthers turnouts today, the space looks bigger, going to measure the gap new vs one installed

Hey Larry just a update, we fixed the problem,it was the switch, filed the rail on one side so points would move better, tested a train, worked better, will install a new switch in time

I checked the one in the video and ran 40’ cars and passenger cars through it without issue so maybe you got one put together just as the midnight shift was finishing up and didn’t do the QAQC.

Larry I think so, watching your video just made me look more , thanks

There are also magnets that fit on top of the ties as you remember but they are not very prototypical looking and are mainly used for adding uncoupling later when it is difficult to install the under track magnets. Notice that these under track magnets are much bigger than the ones placed on top of the ties and can easily penetrate ballast and do the job.

It is 1/2” foam over 1/2” plywood. See my video #140 on the use of foam. You can find it at Lowes, it is their house brand.

Thanks so much for your quick reply. Great video as always with really helpful tips.

The largest that will fit!

The largest that will fit!

Larry, what do you use to solder the joiners without melting ties or globbing solder in the area?

I use standard 63:37 solder with my Hakko iron. I showed this stuff back in video 214 I think and also in a few other videos. The trick is to get the iron tip in against the rail joiner and flow in the solder quickly. The melted solder transmits the heat very quickly and presto you’re done. It also helps that I have been practicing for over 30 years.

I have been to some of those in the past but to be honest with you I have so much stuff accumulated, as my wife often reminds me, I could open a hobby shop in the basement! Consequently when I do go to shows it is mainly out of boredom or just to get out of the house and long drives are not something I look forward to. I used to go to the big shows up in Baltimore MD regularly but any more my needs are so limited and specialized I pretty much have to special order stuff. I really miss Blue Ridge Hobbies, I ordered from him on a regular basis for about 10 years until he shut down last year.

I’ve always installed them with the long axis of the magnet parallel with the track. I just checked and that’s the only way they work!

@@TheDCCGuy I guess I didn’t see it correctly. Thank you for the fast response.

Most are 16” but at Tye River I dropped it to 15” where the top and bottom deck tracks converge on the helix.

Thank you sir. I enjoy your content. It's always informative.@@TheDCCGuy

Right now it would take a week or two just to clean it up enough for that. I am currently in my last big push to get all the track laid this spring and then knock off the last helix. Maybe in about a year I can do a full tour.

Actually I have been using Digitrax since 1993 and my HO layout is largely Digitrax but with some DCC Specialties and NCE Switch 8 accessory decoders. Back in the early days of DCC I also had a Lenz set and Wangrow System One which was essentially the same as NCE since they made the firmware and some other parts. I started using the PowerCab a couple of years ago when I did the series on building a modular layout. If I were starting all over I would still have a hard time deciding myself which way to go.

Lol!!!! I'm in that boat right now. I have been looking at mrc. But ppl say there instruction book I very hard to understand. So I guess it's up to me and my budget. Heck I will go for a good used one too. That's if I can find one.

I am looking forward to your presentation on how to incorporate the DCCconcepts Alpha Box and Alpha Central with a Digitrax DCC system.

I personally think it does go back a few years when wheel flanges were much larger. In many cases back then the flanges could actually bump along on the cast in spike heads on code 83 and smaller rails. Now that flanges and spike heads much smaller that shouldn’t happen. I use code 83 in most places but also have some code 70 on some sidings and spurs-no problems.

@@TheDCCGuyOkay, thanks.

It was in Asheville.