TRACK
I make the assumption that prefabricated track will be used on modules. Select the track you plan to use carefully. Not all brands of track are well constructed or good looking.
1. Select the best quality track possible. I have made my own evaluation of prefabricated and handlaid track in Appendix 3. If possible, use the same brand of track throughout your module in order to avoid different tie heights and rail cross sections.
2. Decide if turnouts will be converted to be DCC friendly. This isn’t absolutely necessary unless you intend to spread the switch point rails so that they stand open less than required by NMRA electrical standards. If turnouts aren’t DCC friendly, prevent shorts by making sure the switch point rails can’t contact properly gauged wheels.
3. When building a multi-section module, join the frames together so the subroadbed, roadbed, and track can be installed as one long continuous run across the frame joints. This helps avoid dips, humps, and misalignments at the module joints and provides the ability to make sure that the track design is implemented as intended.
Example: The first section of a multi-section module was built to test the construction design. It was the first of four sections comprising a full circle. The endplates of this first section were not oriented exactly 45 degrees to one another. When the other segments were built, the endplates of the other three segments couldn’t be adjusted to make up for the faulty geometry of the first segment. The result is a noticeable gap between one of the endplates of the first segment and its neighboring segment. If all segments had been built and assembled at the same time, this problem would have been avoided.
4. Apply adhesive for track so that the track centerline is visible. Two parallel lines of adhesive will keep the centerline visible.
5. Use track templates to keep straight track straight and curved track gracefully curved. Straight track should be just that: straight. Track templates for straight track are available that are up to 18” long. Curved track templates are available in a variety of radii. Mark the centerline of the track on the track templates and slide them back and forth along the track, making sure that the centerline is where it should be and that the “shape” of the track is smooth and constant. Easements will cause a bit of a problem here, but adherence to the centerline will provide the necessary solution, although you will need to know where the constant radius curve and straight track begin and end in order to locate and install the easement properly.
6. Avoid kinks where track joiners are installed. The most obvious flaw in trackwork is a kink where track joiners are installed. Make rail joints and joiners very hard to locate by making certain that there are no kinks in either straight or curved trackwork. (For a good example of what to avoid, take a look at the kinks in the ad for Walthers code 83 track in the Walthers catalog.) Also, make sure that the rail ends at each joiner line up so that wheel flanges won’t catch on a rail end and derail.
A particular location that is susceptible to unintended kinks is at any intra-module joints where the rail ends are run to the end of adjoining sub-modules rather than using joiner rails. It's very easy to introduce a kink if the track doesn't approach the end of the sub-module exactly perpendicular to the ends on both sides of the joint. This is an especially difficult problem if the track on both sides of the joint form a continuous curve. The best way to avoid this problem is to lay the track across the joint and then cut the rails exactly at the joint.
7. Avoid rises where track joiners are installed. Allow for the additional thickness of track joiners under the rail. Consider removing all ties under the joiners and sliding thinner ties into the open area under the rails after the track is installed. Notched ties as described by Gregg Fuhriman in item 17 (below) are also a good solution.
8. Decide whether rail joints will be soldered or not. This is a very controversial issue. Some advocate no soldering at all in order to provide for expansion and contraction with heat and cold. Others argue that soldering rail joints on curves is necessary to avoid kinks at the joints but advocate leaving unsoldered expansion joints on straight track. Whatever you decide, joints intended to provide for expansion and contraction must include a small gap if they are to be helpful at all.
9. Glue, don’t nail, track down. Nailing track down can create dips and rises. Use lots of weights on top of long, flat boards to make sure that track is as flat and level as possible while the adhesive is drying. If your module top is foam, be careful not to push overly hard in any one area to avoid "denting" the foam and creating a low spot in the track.
10. Install feeder wires to each separate piece of rail. This means feeder wires to switch point rails and all other short segments of rail. The result is a lot of feeders but no electrical dead spots that might cause short wheel base locomotives or locomotives with split power pick-up (like steam locomotives) to stutter when passing through your trackwork. I use #22 solid copper wire bent into a short L-shape and “tipped over” to nestle into the outside web of the rail. When soldered carefully and painted, the feeders are hard to spot. Keep the length of #22 feeders short and patch into heavier wire if the feeder is longer than 4-6” long.
11. Under no circumstances, feed turnout power through the switch point rails. This is just plain bad practice and should be avoided absolutely.
12. Fill all electrical gaps with plastic. Gray Plastruct can be glued into gaps and is relatively hard to see because its color is close to the color of NS rail. Doing so will make certain that gaps don’t close sometime in the future.
13. Consider filling frogs with plumbers epoxy. This isn’t necessary, but it does provide for smoother passage of rolling stock with .088” wheel sets. Fill the frog flangeways with plumbers epoxy putty, and then open up the flangeways with a Mark IV NMRA gauge. After paining the rail, the result looks good and performs well. Note: equipment with oversize flanges will not appreciate this modification.
14. Verify that track joints are smooth and that track through turnouts is flat and level. While some would claim it’s a bad idea, after installation I file the rail through turnouts at rail joints with a wide but very fine flat file. I find that doing so eliminates uneven rail ends and joints and levels the rail through turnouts where the frog or other rail segments might sit too high relative to the other segments.
15. Use heavy wire for Tortoise switch machines. The wire provided with Tortoise switch machines is too light for reliable operation. While you can use a smaller diameter, I use 0.048” piano wire. The result is very tight fitting switch point rails and very positive operation.
16. Avoid dips and rises when securing rail at module ends. It’s easy to cause a dip or rise when securing rail at module ends. If PCB tie plates are used, make certain that the tie plate is shimmed so the tie height on the PCB matches the adjoining track exactly. Whatever method is used, be certain that the rail is not pulled down or raised up by the attachment method at rail ends.
17. Leave room for fitter rail joiners and fitter rails. Provide thinner ties to allow for the extra thickness of fitter rail joiners. Make the area of thinner ties long enough for the joiners to slide onto and off of the fixed rail ends at the module ends. Remove the “tie plate” bits on PCB tie plates and carve out extra room for fitter rails on the ties that will be under the fitter rails at the end of the module. This will insure that the fitter rails will be free to adjust to small errors in alignment during setups.
Gregg Fuhriman makes the following suggestions:
You must notch the first couple of ties under the rail ends to clear the fitter rail joiners and prevent them from lifting the rail ends. The best way to solve this is to use PCB tie plates designed for use on Free-mo modules. They are designed with notches to clear the fitter rail joiners, and provide a sturdy method of rail-end attachment. When not using PCB tie plates, one of the following approaches is suggested:
a) (recommended) Before installing track, remove the ties at the module end all the way back to where the fitter rail joiners will be. After the track is installed and rail ends have been trimmed to the 1" setback, glue in "filler" ties that have been notched where the rails would normally go. These filler ties extend from the module end all the way back under the rail ends. Usually two notched ties under the rail ends are needed to leave enough clearance for the fitter rail joiners. I set up my Dremel tool on the workbench and "dado'ed" a bunch of ties to make the notches. This is much easier than carving the notches by hand with a hobby knife.
b) (not recommended, but might be your only choice if your track is already down) Install the track including ties all the way to the module endplate. Cut back the rails the required 1" and remove. Use a hobby knife to carefully notch ties (in place) to clear fitter rails and joiners. This involves digging into the ties under the rail ends with the knife point. This is a challenging task as it's very easy to accidentally tear up the rails, etc.
18. Make sure that roadbed, ties, tie plates and any other trackwork structure is absolutely flush with the end plate. Any subroadbed, roadbed or track that projects beyond the end plate will prevent a tight connection with and may damage trackwork on the adjoining module.
19. Check ALL trackwork with an NMRA Mark IV track gauge. Check for gauge, electrical and mechanical switch point rail clearances, guardrail clearances, and flangeway depths and widths. Correct any problems that you find. While you’re at it, check the gauge of all your locomotive and rolling stock wheelsets as well as coupler heights. It’s surprising to find out how many wheelsets are out of gauge.
20. Make sure that nothing between or next to the rails is as high as or higher than the tops of the rail. Road crossings, paved areas and other scenic elements can prevent rail cleaning, cause derailments, and snag low hanging details and coupler levers if they are higher than the rail tops between or next to the track.
Example: A dragging equipment detector that was higher than the rail tops was installed between the rails. A low hanging coupler lever snagged on the detector and stopped the progress of a passenger train.
Example: Roadway material higher than the rail top was installed right next to the rail head next to the track. The wheels of passing trains were lifted to the level of the roadway and derailments resulted.
21. Keep turnout switch point rails and all other moving turnout parts free of ballast and other scenic material. This takes time and isn’t easy! Keep the switch point rails and throw rod free of anything that will interfere with the free operation of the turnout.
22. Remember to clean paint and glue off of railheads. While it’s obvious, it’s surprising how often this simple chore is forgotten. Do it completely. Make the railheads shine.
23. Clean track and wheels regularly. Clean track and wheels mean reliable operation. Blinking headlights are a dead giveaway that one or the other or both need immediate attention. How best to do this is a very controversial topic. In spite of strong advocates in their favor, I’m convinced that Goo Gone and oils never belong on the track. In spite of strong critics against them, I don’t mind using abrasive blocks, although I prefer the less abrasive versions and regularly remove the dirty surface of my blocks with a file. I wipe my track with an alcohol dampened cloth and use a TTX track cleaning car with acetone from time to time. Several important words of warning when it comes to track cleaning:
· Don’t clean your track using materials like Goo Gone, oils or other chemicals that will be transferred to other modules without the other module owners’ knowledge and permission.
· Don’t clean the track on someone else’s module without their knowledge and permission. They may have detailed their trackwork in a way that you might not notice (painted guard rails on turnouts, etc.).
· When cleaning, WATCH OUT FOR TRACKSIDE DETAILS. It’s all to easy to break scenic details that took a lot of time to create and install.
· No amount of track cleaning will overcome dirty wheels on locomotives and rolling stock. Clean them too!
