Soldering track ON the layout is easy with a weller trigger style soldering gun, (NOT the 50 watt pen style iron that remains hot on a stand) With the fast heating action of the trigger style "soldering gun", you won't melt your ties so easy. Just make sure you apply a bit of flux paste on the area to be joined BEFORE you heat a drop of solder into the joints. It is very effective and gives you bulletproof rails that don't lose power when many joints are involved and it won't melt your ties with the prolonged heat of the traditional iron. Your planning skills are great and the video's are very informative. Thanks for the ideas! 👏😄
Thanks Crabbin Moose! Good to hear you find the layout design videos usefull. I think my dad had a soldering gun back in the day. Maybe something for my next layout :-) Thanks for reminding me!
@DubaiTrains you're welcome! I found your choice of music and style of camera work to be very inspiring and thorough. Kind of reminds me of a Johnny Costa and Fred Rogers opening. The soldering gun I recommended is a must for any serious modeler who does any electronic work and is great for speeding up the process, which is why I love it so much. Trust me, you won't look back once you get one because it makes it so much easier.
Great layout, love the video's at 12:20 where you had to move the turnout this could cause derailments for you as it created a "S" route. The turnout deverts left then you added the curve to the right to make the line up to the other turnout. You should try another switch combination to strengthen it out. As for the track aligned with little wiggle in it is as prototype track is. Having all track in a prefect line is modeling. The ground shifted ,a derailment, sunkink miss alinement. As long as it is not to foul the next track or industry the railroad will leave it. So having a little wiggle in your yard is ok, since yard movment is 10 mph or walking speed. Main line is different subject. Look at your photo's or any photos track spacing, tie spacing. Ballest or lack of at industries track, leads even in sub yards like the photo you posted. Is to make your railroad the stage for your actors the cars an locomotives. I like your layout design it has great operation for several operators. Being a modeler since I was 5 now at 60 and the past 35 with the UP as a cond,swtmn,yardmaster, but mosu of all always a modeler.
Hi Shelley, the best compliments come from you guys & galls out in the field! I am certainly not aiming for manicured and perfectly geometric track. But i guess uou already figured that out. And honestly it also fits my track laying skills better. The S curves are noted. I am aware of that issue. I think it will be all right with the speeds i intend to run and the radius of said curves. But if there is any issue i for sure will rip it out and make something that works flawlessly. Whilst operating my old layout I had a derailment once every 1000 movements or so. I would like to reach that level of reliability again. Thanks for the input. Keep em coming!
Thanks! I must say that it really was not too difficult. Of course there was the odd piece that i scrapped but overall ut was fast and fun. I used to nail my track down. Gluing is definitely the way to go. It is so much more forgiving. And less noisy!
One, when laying out and building new yards, etc., the turnouts are usually built first so they are accurately located then the tracks to connect them are built in case any finessing needs to be done. Two, the switch-work you call a double crossover is technically a double slip turnout which takes the place of a double crossover of 4 turnouts and 1 crossing in the space of one turnout of the same number or angle. A single slip switch has the route connections for one side only making for one less possible route choice. Because of the complications involved, slip switches are called "puzzle switches" and are very expensive so are only used in very tight locations where there is little room for track to be placed and serve the routing needed, such as depot leads or yard leads. Three-way or lap turnouts are also in the category of special trackwork to be used in tight locations.
Thanks for the addition Roy. I do need to think of a good infographic for the facia for that double slip. That turnout will be controlled by 2 manual rods. Some combinations will lead to the train going through a closed half of the turnout, which should be avoided.
Thanks. That wasn't an easy curve to get right. At the end of the day I'm modelling a worn out busy urban area. The track just needs to function. So maybe i made it too nice ;-P
Awesome job so far mate! Smart to start with all the critical track pieces, outlining them and then prepare all the connections and holes for the switch machines. I hope you are having fun doing this, and I look forward to seeing the first train running up and down a stretch of the new track! KR Richard
Thanks Rich. Yes it is fun! If one doesnt enjoy the track laying stage than I fear the worst for that layout. And for the YT videos, you have to find a format that is enjoyable to make. Otherwise you will simply burn out. I have seen several MRR channels talk about and / or suffer from this. But i am pushing forward to get the trackwork done and over with. Fun only lasts for so long. And i want to run some trains!! The brewery section is next and once that's finished its only some sidings and a few loose turnouts. Have FUN with your channel!
W.r.t the factory speed. It is all about making an assembly line. So first i cut all wires for all the turnouts, then i pre-tin all the track of all the turnouts to solder the bridges onto, etc etc. I probably pre- tinned 60 sections of track in less then 15 min. I had them all lined up and ready to go. 4sec heating with the iron, then add tin, next. Hope this extra explanation is useful, cos your layout is massive so any efficiency gains can really save you days.
Just curious about the switch selection you used at around 10:43 ish.... You have a little wiggle in the straight section. From that camera angle it looks like you are using a "Y" turnout. Why not use I left hand turnout? Or moving the "Y" out a little more to get that straighter line-up? Just wondering. It's all looking great. Always look forward to the videos as they come out. Thanks for sharing.
An alternative could be as you say, to move the wye up a little. That would eat from the industry siding though. Ill see if i can incorporate a small segment to show it in the next video. Don't forget, it doesn't have to be perfect! A little bend here and there can add character, and break up what would otherwise be a pong straight stretch.
I initially wanted to buy the atlas feeders, but they are a few dollars a pop. Making them yourself with that NCE Bus kit is a fraction of the price. And you learn how to solder!
I think I missed that from old videos... Gluing everything up wouldn't mess adding ballast, grass and tarmac eventually, or you wouldn't do it alltogether?
Hi Pavel, It will all work out fine. Laying the track is the first step. I am repeating the steps i did for the diorama build. See this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3lb4oCSVGtI.html
I got ya covered! I built this diorama first to test just that. How am I going to to it? We'll just have to wait and see ;-) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Wq7K2foHXY4.html
