Realising a Dream - 19 - Track Options

Discussion in 'How to' started by Jim Freight, Jan 14, 2022.

  1. Jim Freight

    Jim Freight Full Member

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    Choice

    It is very necessary to adopt a suitable track standard as soon as possible to avoid expensive mistakes later on. I had already decided that I would stick to 1:76 scale and OO gauge track because N is too small, O is too large and I wanted to run vintage and contemporary locos and rollingstock together which I still had from the 1970s, both new and much earlier.

    By vintage I refer to Hornby Dublo, Tri-ang that was designed for Super 4 or System 6 track, or 'fine' scale British Trix, typically 1960s.

    Wheels of Tri-ang wagons of the 4/6 era were too coarse so were replaced with current Hornby wheel sets.

    Coarse Trix wagons (Trix Twin Railway era) were re-wheeled by mounting current wheels directly on the original Trix axles.

    Many Dublo and early Wrenn wagons were refitted with current Hornby or Bachmann wheels on silver steel axles for better running, otherwise the profile of the plastic Dublo wheels were fine and way ahead of their rivals at Tri-ang in the 1960s. Later Dublo and Wrenn wagons with nylon bearings were easily transformed by drop in replacements, namely the current Hornby wheelsets.

    I had dabbled in the past with 18.83 gauge but if I was to build a railway of any size then constructing the necessary track and converting all locos and rollingstock was out of the question. Ageing eyesight does not take kindly to such finescale track standards.

    The best approach for me was to use Code 100 rail as it would accept the depth of wheel flanges that those vintage locos would have and also be suitable for current models. There has been an exception, the wheel flanges of an old Tri-ang prairie tank hit the chairs of code 100 track but luckily that was a one off. One day I will skim them down, the old girl had already been fitted with a DCC decoder before I realised the flanges were a problem.

    In the UK Peco Streamline Flexible track with Code 100 rail was the best approach for me however there was an unforeseen issue that tripped me up after having completed the mainlines and marshalling yard and forced a difficult rework.

    Track Mistake #1 : Vintage (Tri-ang/Hornby) Locos On Code 100 Slips and Diamonds.

    I opted to use Peco Electrofrog points in all scenic areas, small radius curved Setrack points in some places like docks being the exception and awkward access fiddle yard areas.

    However not all points in the Streamline Code 100 system are available with polarity switchable vees (or frogs), in particular the single and double slips as well as the diamond crossings. To save space I had used these slips and crossings at junctions where the marshalling yard connected to the mainlines and the mainlines connected to the main fiddle yard at the lower board level.

    The problem that occurred was that these track items have very narrow insulation breaks on the vees, these could be bridged by Tri-ang locos with flat or negatively tapered wheel treads.

    Simple DC controllers especially with thermal trips would not notice, the operator may notice a hesitation and spark but DCC circuits will react fast and shutdown. Results range from a loco juddering or stopped and unable to remove itself from the short circuit, especially if you are using acceleration and deceleration delays. Either way light weight wagons would concertina and derail behind them, particularly in a mix of vintage and current. (This is also a very good reason to have running lines and yards fed by separate DCC districts to prevent a yard issue causing havoc to passing trains. More of that when I discuss the DCC system).

    This was a real problem with locos of the Tri-ang Super 4 era which have very wide tyres. This was worsened by the need to open up the back to back of the wheel sets to allow passage through check rails on Peco points.

    The large chunky plated Wrenn wagon wheels are just as bad, however with those I swapped them out for current Hornby wheel sets, an impractical option for locos.

    Remedial options could include widening the insulation on the crossings with varnish, but this coating would wear in use and by track cleaning. Not a useful long term solution so I removed all the slips and diamond crossings between the main fiddle yard, the mainline and the reception/departure roads of the marshalling yard. I replaced them with pairs of points to act as crossovers to avoid slips and diamond crossings.

    These vintage locos were only going to be run from the low level fiddle yard, onto the main lines and in and out of the arrival and departure roads of the marshalling yard and back to the original fiddle yard. They would not be entering the branch lines or yards so this was a suitable solution albeit a laborious one.

    Topside of the mainboard was tricky enough especially when ballasted, but on the lower main board with restricted headroom it was very time consuming.

    I learned the hard way, so beware!

    Progressive Curves

    There is more to curves than one may think when moving to the use of a flexible track system, it's primary advantage in my book is that it allows the creation of a more realistic track layout compared to using rigid set track pieces.

    The use of track curvature setting gauges tend to almost defeat the use of using flexible track because in real life curves do not start suddenly as they do with set track pieces. They start off straight and gradually tighten to the apex of the curve and straighten out again.

    We do this without thinking when driving a car or virtually any transportation machine that need us to steer it as opposed to running on rails. Consider e.g driving a car on an open road, when we approach a corner we start to turn the steering wheel, then gradually turn it more and more towards the direction we want to go and straighten up again as we leave the corner. We don't stop at the start of the corner, turn the steering wheel so the wheels are at a set angle, move forward and stop to straighten them again before proceeding. The same applies to full size railways, it's progressive.

    Now this is not easy to derive yourself but when you use a CAD program like AnyRail you have it as an option to apply to a curve and then you can print it out full size to lay the track onto. The effect is much more satisfying as opposed to a train lurching straight into a corner. AnyRail can also be setup to highlight curves that were tighter than a user specified minimum, the apex of a progressive curve is the tightest point. If you do create the progressive curve by eye a minimal radius track curvature gauge could be used at the apex and a very large radius one at the ends of the curve.

    Set track is useful in non-scenic areas where a tight curve is required, the only scenic area I have used them was on the S bend approaching the girder bridge from the island board on route to the mineral dock in article 17 of this series.

    Super Elevation

    Further detailing can improve appearance more such as super elevation, which is where the outer rail of a curve is higher than the inner rail of the curve. This acts like a banked corner on a fast road or racetrack allowing faster cornering by keeping the centre of gravity of the train biased towards the inside of the corner.

    I have not applied this to my trackwork as most scenic curves on the mainline are hidden by scenery or grassy banks, but where it is highly visible it certainly improves the appearance.


    Next, laying the track.

    Discussion always :welcome:

    Jim

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    Last edited: Jun 4, 2023
  2. Chris Doroszenko

    Chris Doroszenko Lost in the spare room Full Member

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    I think looking back I could have left more room on the back of my layout...It had been mentioned in the early stages of the build and I had to drag the baseboard forward and install another section behind to allow a better progression into the back scene.

    Points have been a problem as I just laid them as is. they all worked fine until I left the layout for long periods of time...the two insulfrogs I have now wont light up leaving sections of track dead unless i fiddle with them a bit. Now looking at wiring them up in place...At least I don't have the ballast on these particular sections yet...

    Building the extension to the layout...this has become a small problem as the shelving system I used for the original set up no longer is available for purchase. It has been replaced with a cheaper and very different system which does not line up with the tracking on the existing shelves. If I ever have to do this again I think I will keep the shelving system independent of the modules.

    Cheers for sharing
     
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  3. Jim Freight

    Jim Freight Full Member

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    Hi Chris

    Hindsight is a wonderful thing, I certainly would have built some aspects differently, I will continue to flag up my errors as warnings to others.

    Regarding your points do the point blades make good electrical contact with the stock (or fixed) rail. If not it could be that dust or tarnishing has caused the wipers attached to the blades to make a poor electrical connection with the stock rail, some electrical contact cleaner and a paint brush or even a shaving of track cleaning rubber may cure the problem. Do it carefully as you do not want to bend the wiper or bend the point blade. I have similar problems occasionally with Electrofrog point blades when unused for some time or ballasting glue has found its way there, the blades are dead while everything else is live.

    P.S. I think that some later Peco points have dispensed with the wipers so the areas that need cleaning are the side of the blade and stock rail that make contact, also crumbs of track rubber can upset these!

    Jim
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2022
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  4. Vinylelpea

    Vinylelpea Full Member

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    I always say, If we didn't make mistakes, we would learn nothing. :avatar:
     
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  5. Jim Freight

    Jim Freight Full Member

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    Very true :headbanger:
     
  6. Chris Doroszenko

    Chris Doroszenko Lost in the spare room Full Member

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    Haha...Geez I should be a genius by now in that case...:hammer::confused:
     
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