B&M Railroad (Ben & Me)


My choice is DAP Alex Plus siliconized latex caulk. It goes down white but dries clear. It holds well, but is easily taken up with a putty knife. You will need to get a caulking gun to use it. You don't need much, just run a thin bead down the centerline of your track plan and spread it with a putty knife. You can use it for both the cork and the track, but for the cork I would just get the cheapest latex caulk you can find at the store. Save some money that way.

Hi flyboy,

Thanks. I'll look for that. Already have a caulk gun and several putty knifes. My order should be in sometime this week and hopefully I'll have time over the weekend to start putting it all down.
 
Ok, just laid down some cork. I'm not sure what I was thinking but I split the cork down the center, butted the sides together, then spread caulk over them using an old credit card. I have more to but down and I'll follow flyboy's advice and spread the caulk down the center line then spread it out then but down the cork.
 

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Before you go any further with laying cork, in one of your pics it shows the top of a downward grade. In that pic the "transition" (the term for where you start the slope up at the bottom, or in this case the top level to go down) appears very sharp. Both of these transitions need to be as gentle a curve as possible. As shown it is way too sharp, the track will have a kink in it if fixed to it. I can see by the last 2 pics that you have changed the height of the packers to extend the grade's lengths. The longer the grade, the easier the transitions are to form. Obviously you intend having an entry bridge. So that the track across that bridge can be installed flat across that, you will need to address the "up" transitions on the bench ends themselves.
 
Before you go any further with laying cork, in one of your pics it shows the top of a downward grade. In that pic the "transition" (the term for where you start the slope up at the bottom, or in this case the top level to go down) appears very sharp. Both of these transitions need to be as gentle a curve as possible. As shown it is way too sharp, the track will have a kink in it if fixed to it. I can see by the last 2 pics that you have changed the height of the packers to extend the grade's lengths. The longer the grade, the easier the transitions are to form. Obviously you intend having an entry bridge. So that the track across that bridge can be installed flat across that, you will need to address the "up" transitions on the bench ends themselves.

Hi tootnkumin,

Thank you for your reply. I think I understand what you're saying about the transition but I'm not sure where it is you are talking about. The track between the back left and right corners where the curves start is level. The top of the of the plywood bed is 3 inches tall. From the curves in both back corners I have the grade starting to decrease. On the right I have the grade running 102 inches before it flattens out on the bench work and 110 inches on the left. I was trying for a 3 degree grade, something high enough in the back for a train to go under it but not so steep where the locomotive would have trouble going up it. I was also going for a 22" radius on the 4 corner curves.
 
Ok, I think I know which picture you may be talking about. Is it this one where the transition is too sharp?

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If it is, I think its an optical illusion. The curve begins there and the color of the wood changes at the same time. Here is a side view of the joint. Looks like I need to add a little more caulk to hold the cork down though.

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Ok, time for an update. Finally got to do some more work and have all the cork and track down. I started with a tube of clear acrylic and when I ran out I picked up a new tube. Apparently I did not look at it close enough and its white. Oh well, I'm sure I can cover it with something. LOL!

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I haven't done anything to the gate yet and am debating whether or not to leave it as is. My concern is if I cut the tracks will they align back up properly or will they be slightly off and cause the train to jump the track. Also, if I do cut it, what can I use to cut it to minimize the gap between the rails? A dremel tool cut off disk is the only thing I have with a thin kerf.
 
Looks like a nice little layout you have there! Should be a lot of fun!
For cutting track a Dremel with a thin kerf blade is what I use. As far as getting the tracks to realign, install a couple of pieces of wood on each side of the right side of the gate, extending about an inch into the opening. When the gate comes up, the wood blocks will prevent it from shifting side to side.
 
Looks like a nice little layout you have there! Should be a lot of fun!
For cutting track a Dremel with a thin kerf blade is what I use. As far as getting the tracks to realign, install a couple of pieces of wood on each side of the right side of the gate, extending about an inch into the opening. When the gate comes up, the wood blocks will prevent it from shifting side to side.

Thanks flyboy,

I appreciate that. I should be able to do that without any trouble. I'll have to run some wire to the isolated part, but that should be ease. :)
 
Nice looking layout. I like the track plan!

Hi Sherrel,

Thanks. This is my first real attempt other than on a sheet of plywood. Not quit an open frame set up but a good place to start until I can get a lot more room. My 3 1/2 year old grandson is coming in tonight so I got it set up just in time for him to play with it. He can help me make a tunnel for the back bottom part. :D
 
Had a great week/weekend! Got to play trains with my 3 1/2 year old grandson. He had a blast. So did grampy. :D

How ever, I did notice a few issues that I need to work on and fix. The first one is the gate. For the live of me, I can not get the twist out so when the train crosses the 12.5 degree crossing, sometimes the cars decouple from the loco. I'm thinking about finding and using something like self leveling cement and pour it on top to make the gate level so there will not be a sudden increase in elevation leading to decoupling. I also have one car that derails in the same exact place but I'm not sure why. Some times it does it, sometimes it does not. Sometime the train is going slow, other times it's going faster. Another car just derails anywhere it wants. No rhyme or reason. One thing I did notice on the cars with knuckle connectors was that many of them the whiskers were so low that they would touch the plastic in the re railer sections. I used some pliers to bend them up a little so they would not touch anymore.

Another issue (which I already knew about) is that most of my cars have the plastic horn hook couples and are not compatible with the knuckle connectors. I'll switch them all over to Kaydee couplers eventually. Would also like to change out all the wheel sets to metal ones too. I have one car that has a knuckle coupler on one end and is missing a coupler at the other end. Trying to figure out how to take a horn hook and place it on the other end. Time to go watch some videos. :)

Ok, also noticed some of the cars rocking back and forth pretty good as they were crossing the 12.5 degree crossing. Is that normal?
 
Boy am I getting into trouble. I've been buying a bunch of different freight cars off eBay and even ordered some undecorated kits so I can have these 2 cars.

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I've requested some decals and am waiting on them and I will be starting to gather what I need for an airbrush set up. But I also got this in today. Been wanting it for a while.

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It's DCC ready but I noticed this card for a sound card stuck in the box and didn't know if it was factory installed or if someone else installed it. It was sold as new and it does run on my DC track (will move to DCC at some point).

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I need to pull up some of the track and see if I can get the gate level. It or the bench is torqued and is causing a sharp enough incline to cause some of the cars to decouple. Once I get that fixed I'll start on the scenery.
 
I also have one car that derails in the same exact place but I'm not sure why. Some times it does it, sometimes it does not. Sometime the train is going slow, other times it's going faster.
Could be several things. Wheel gauge would be the first thing I would check. Also check to see if the wheel flange is damaged or has a bump on it. Failing that make certain the trucks have enough play so they aren't so stiff they just lift off a tiny bump. Both should pivot easily and one should rock a bit from side to side. Since it is always in the exact place one could also suspect a track problem. Perhaps a tiny dip or bump in the track, or a too large or small track gauge. There was just another thread here about a 4-6-2 that would derail when nothing else did. He tracked it down to a badly soldered rail joint.

Another car just derails anywhere it wants. No rhyme or reason.
Well, there is always a reason. Once again I would first check the wheel gauges, then trucks as above.

I have one car that has a knuckle coupler on one end and is missing a coupler at the other end. Trying to figure out how to take a horn hook and place it on the other end.
What brand of car? That shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

Ok, also noticed some of the cars rocking back and forth pretty good as they were crossing the 12.5 degree crossing. Is that normal?
In general I would say, "yes" but I guess it does depend on the severity. If the truck is fastened too tightly to the car it can cause more rocking than a freely moving truck does. Or depending on how old the crossing and cars are, the wheel flanges could be hitting the bottom of the frogs. From your pictures it looks like the crossing is a brand new type code-83 piece. Many brands of older cars (Thinking of AHM specifically) had what we call pizza cutter flanges on the wheels. With the new shallower track (code-83), the flanges are so deep they can bump over things other wheels just skim over the top of.
 
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