Make Sectional Track in larger lengths and larger radius


B

beiland

Well-Known Member
I would like to make some 'sectional type track' in larger lengths, and bigger curves' than what you can purchase. And I figure to make it out of flex track.

Unlike the situation where you are laying flex track out on a layout roadbed and attaching it to the roadbed, and nailing or glueing it in down in place, I'm looking to have some 'sectional tracks' that are a very consistent curves, and in larger lengths than we normally think of.

So how do I make up these larger sections from normal HO flex track code100??

One place I wish to employ these big curved pieces is in my double track helix,....probably 32" r and 29.5 r curves. And I would be laying the track down in big curved sections AFTER I had the helix and it roadbed constructed already. I could weave some of these big curved pieces in then glue them in place, and end up with a very consistant circular track helix.

I would also like to have a number of longer 24" curved pieces I could place in my staging track construction. All of these curves want to be nice consistent, minimum 24" ones,...
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If I had a stack of 24" radius 90 degree turn 'sections of track' like these I could simply cut each one down for its respective length as opposed to laying out each individual flex track for each curve while trying to maintan a 24" curve.
 
I suppose you could make some kind of a jig, and tack it with CA glue. The margin of error is that every piece may be a little off, and the more you go up in the helix the more off you will be.
 
Not sure I understand what you are wanting to achieve. You'd need to "solidify" the flex track so it effectively became inflexible. How you would do that is any ones guess and, possibly, more work than it might be worth.

If your concerned about maintaining a constant radius then marking out your radius as a center line for your track work might help. From memory, HO code 100 flex has small holes in the ties for track nails. So long as those holes were directly over the center line you should achieve a constant radius and would be far easier than trying to make longer "sectional track type" pieces.
 
I think you might be going to a whole lot more trouble than you find necessary.
Build the helix with sufficient clearance sideways and vertically then lay your track. If the helix curve is true, your track will be easy to lay in a smooth curve too. Make sure you use an easement coming into and out of the helix and you should be ok.
How many loops of the helix are you planning?
 
beiland said:
I would like to make some 'sectional type track' in larger lengths, and bigger curves' than what you can purchase. And I figure to make it out of flex track.
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I don't understand. Why can't you purchase it? Atlas makes 24" radius sectional track. Shinohara makes all sizes up to 36". Bachmann makes all sorts of sizes (I use the 32") you just have to take it off the roadbed. I believe both Peco and Hornby have both increased their sectional track offerings. And Roco makes larger curves up to 72" but I think it might only be available in code 83.
 
One of the reasons I began to think of having nice 3 foot long, fixed curves of track is that I am seriously considering constructing the roadbed for this helix out of a double layer of tempered hardboard.

I will probably just use that Atlas sectional track curves in my staging areas since it does come in the 24" radi I was looking for there.



It was when I was playing around with that mock-up that I discovered I needed to move those curves around quite liberally to get the straight track spacing I might desire, some decent spacing between the curves, and how far from the turnout the curve needed to begine. There was an unknown vaiation in the small straight track pieces I would between the curves and the turnouts.

Maybe I just need to revisit my old geometry studies,...ha..ha. I use to be good at it,...long ago. But I was unable to drawn centerlines for the track on my carpet, so I resorted to using those paper templates.

The other item that got me thing about this idea of larger fixed curves was in the construction of my helix which will likely use 29.5" and 32" radius tracks. Those tracks may need to be attached to tempered hardboard roadbed, which does not accept fasteners well at all. And slow acting glues while maintaining constant smooth curved tracks were a potential challenge. My thoughts were thus how could I bend that 3 foot flex track into nice smooth curves that would hold their shape until I got it connected to the next piece in line, and glued down to the tempered hardboard roadbed.
 
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Since my layout is essentially completed in most areas, I avoid pounding track nails into the sub-roadbed. Instead where ever I need to use a track nail, I drilled a small pilot hole for the nail so the nail required little effort to seat in the hole. A bit of glue secures the nail. I found some track nails worked loose inside a tunnel and this procedure worked well.

You can do the same for the track attachment inside the helix and make it easier to use the tempered hardboard.

However, I would recommend using plywood instead of any tempered hardboard. Plywood, because its layer construction will be more sable than the hardboard. You'll find plywood to be easier to cut than hardboard.

Greg
 
beiland said:
Can you explain that 'taking off the roadbed' just a bit more?
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Of course that would get asked when I am over 400 miles from the Bachmann track I could use to demonstrate. :) If one considers a standard piece of sectional track, take that track and glue it to a pre-molded piece of plastic roadbed. Then one has the Bachmann EZ-track system. The track piece might have ties that are a bit thinner than normal, but it is still a piece of sectional track. One can get a hobby knife, exact-o chisel blade, or even a thin screw driver and work down the ties "ungluing" them from their roadbed. I didn't say it was easy.
 
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If the track is going to be in a helix, why can't you use the EZ-track with the roadbed attached? Nobody is going to see it, right? I know it comes in 26" and 28" radii, plus I think 31"+, 33"+, and 35". Shinohara used to make sectional curves, but you had to buy the whole circle. Years ago, I got a 28" and 30" circle. My plan was to use the sectional track for one track, then use the MRL spacer blocks to offset the other curve. Kato Unitrak, also comes in curved sections over 24", too.
 
Fast Tracks SweepSticks

Perhaps there are some folks out there that were planning a layout, but never got to it. They may have purchased some track laying tools that just never got used.

I'm looking for some FastTracks SweepSticks in 24", 32", 28.5" radius.

Or perhaps there are some folks that have already completed the building of their layout, and no longer need their old track laying tools?

Brian
 
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Hi,

I use Fast Track SweepSticks for laying all of the flex track on my layout. Worked grand. I also have two of the Fast Track curved track templates with a total of 6 different radii and found it easy to make fixed radius track that way, which I used in an area where limited space made using flex track difficult.

Frederick
 
fcwilt said:
Hi,

I use Fast Track SweepSticks for laying all of the flex track on my layout. Worked grand. I also have two of the Fast Track curved track templates with a total of 6 different radii and found it easy to make fixed radius track that way, which I used in an area where limited space made using flex track difficult.

Frederick
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So you layed down the curved track with the Fasttrack sweepsticks, then held that curved track in place how?...nailed, glued??
 
beiland said:
So you layed down the curved track with the Fasttrack sweepsticks, then held that curved track in place how?...nailed, glued??
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Hi,

I used Woodland Scenics Foam Tack Glue for attaching the Peco flextrack to Woodland Scenics Track-Bed. The sub-road bed is 2" of rigid foam.

I used Woodland Scenics Foam Nails (t-pins) as needed and 1 pound dive belt weights to hold things in place.

These things are just the right size for holding down track: https://www.dropbox.com/s/1l4ucp0spt4lopn/Weights.JPG?dl=0

Frederick
 
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Walthers carries Shinohara sectional track in large radii. One advantage to NOT having the sections in longer lengths is that you could intermix different radius sections if necessary. For example, I needed a slightly tighter curve than Atlas' 22" radius, but not as tight as their 18" radius. I bought Shinohara 20" sections from Walthers, but used an Atlas 22" section as a lead-in from the tangent flex-track (straight) runs. In a couple of places, I needed to tighten the curves, so I used Atlas 18" leading from the 20" sections. All this was Code 100 BTW, but I believe it is also available in Code 83. To prevent kinking between sections, there are metal radius pieces you can use to be sure the sections of same radius are connected in smooth curves.
 
Go with manufactured sectional pieces. You are setting yourself up for BIG headaches! Yes you CAN use flex BUTTT! "kick out" at the ends is almost impossible to correct. The very tips of the piece will NOT be in radius. A pitfall of the hobby is folks setting themselves up for headaches. You are highballing right at a broken bridge with a stuck throttle!
 
new guy said:
Yes you CAN use flex BUTTT! "kick out" at the ends is almost impossible to correct. The very tips of the piece will NOT be in radius.
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The solution to that problem is quite simple. You solder the new piece to the existing piece BEFORE you bend the new piece. And you use templates like Fast Track SweepSticks to insure you get the radius correct.

Frederick
 
Solder is that tight it can hold that rail in radius?. What about expansion? Soldering I have found I don't do well. Crimping the joiners or "fishplates" as some call them was my answer and it served me well. Hats off to the solderers! I totally respect that construction style but not everybody is comfortable soldering and I'm one of them. Many consider it a "MUST" skill for making a layout and I'm NOT poo-pooing it, but I gotta tell the newbs it is not a requirement and a good functioning layout can be made with no soldering. I'm doing it.

I made a four line horseshoe turn and the outside 24" was flex, laid it on a sweep line. I ran on it for a few months and it would have been ok if I left it, but on the redo I'm going with sectional. Getting large pieces of "sectional" SET in radius is an excellent idea though! It's those ends and that "kick out" that bugged me! LOL Solder ON you crazy Diamonds!
 
I don't know if this would be of any help, but I make my flex track longer. I slide one rail out of the ties halfway, then slide a rail from another piece the same way into it. This staggers the joints so that fighting the end radius is removed. I have done this so far with 3 pieces so that I basically ended up with a 9 foot piece of flex track.
 
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