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Back2Basics
PART FIVE – TRACK
Section 2: Track Laying
By Keith Webb
Section 1 covered in general many of the issues related to track. In this section I shall be detailing the methods I use to lay my track. This will not be the only method, and some may not consider it to be the correct method, but it is the method I use, and I find the easiest for someone who does not like to make anything permanent until fully tested and satisfied. I have tried to include as many photos as possible in the article.
Tools Recommended
To start off with, let us get the tools together that we may need. The list below covers the tools that are useful for preparing for and carrying out tracklaying. There will be some in the list that are used at an earlier stage and may not be used in the tracklaying stages described below, such as for marking out the sub-roadbed prior to any track-laying.
 NMRA Gauge
 Sharp knife (scalpel or Exacto-style)
 Chisel blade for above
 Retractable knife (Stanley-type)
 Cut-resistant glove (highly recommended)
 Flush-cutting track cutters (e.g. Xuron) (used only on track –
nothing else)
 Pliers (plain, with no teeth)
 Fine, triangular file
 Steel rule – 2’ (60cm) or longer
 Tracksetta (or alternative) – varied radii and straight
 Pencils & sharpener
 Eraser
 Trammel or large compass
 Small hammer
 Nail punch
 Fine track pins
 Pin vice
 0.5mm drill bits
 Small make-up mirror
 Soldering Iron, solder and flux
 Fine Wire (single or multi-strand)
(using a suitable protective glove on the hand holding the straight edge) and pin it down with the track. I find it best to form the chamfers on the cork before pinning down using either sandpaper on a block, or the disposable versions. For the cork strips going under curved track, the next action after adding the chamfer, is to cut about half way across the strip approximately every inch (25mm) using sharp scissors (see photo). This process will naturally curve the cork strips, so unless the curves are going to be sharp, then no further work on these is necessary.
For curved track, place the Tracksetta (or alternative) of the required radius in the centre of the track and using the pin vice and drill, gently drill holes through the centre of the ties through every other slot in the tool (or as frequently as the radius or track position requires). This will enable you to push the very fine track pins (SL-14) gently through the ties, just enough to secure the track in place, in preparation for tacking them down with the hammer,. These can be tacked all the way down later with a nail punch if required, but do not get carried away, because if they are driven down too far, they will cause the ties to form a V-shape and this will affect the gauge between the rails as well as being rather noticeable as you look along the track. Some folk put pins into the ties on the outside of the track. I prefer not to do this as I find it can tend to bend the middle of the track thus, potentially widening the gauge. I work my way along until I get to where I am either going to add another piece of track, or some form of point-work. I will consider these two scenarios in the order mentioned.
Laying The Track
The roadbed is in place and marked out so we are now at the stage where we either need to glue down the track underlay if pre- cut, or to fix it down with the track. I do not use any glue in this process, but take the cork which has already been cut into strips
Firstly I will use the joining of two lengths of track on a curve as the example. Peco flexible track has pairs of ties joined rigidly but after every four ties on each side there is a gap between ties to allow for flexing the track. The plastic joining adjacent sleepers