{"id":93,"date":"2012-11-04T18:28:33","date_gmt":"2012-11-04T23:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/smallmodelrailroads.wordpress.com\/?p=93"},"modified":"2015-04-25T20:52:45","modified_gmt":"2015-04-26T00:52:45","slug":"hand-laying-track","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/hand-laying-track\/","title":{"rendered":"Hand Laying Track"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TrackPart of my plan for Mound City 1862<\/a> is to have authentic looking track work. That will mean rough wood ties, stub switches and code 55 track. Essentially I have to hand lay all of the track.<\/p>\n

I have never hand laid track before, much less a turnout. So I am delving into it one step at a time. The Mound City Railroad laid the original track and there is very little information on materials used and ties per mile. As a result I will use the Illinois Central standards as the basis (although there is little info there too). By 1862 the IC was more or less operating over the line (there are conflicting accounts on when it was taken over). My assumptions will be that since this is a branch the tie spacing will be wider but the sleepers will be mostly mass produced and square. This is a time before creosote\u00a0was used so they will need to be\u00a0weathered as if raw wood was in the elements for a few years.<\/p>\n

I picked up some weathered code 55 Micro Engineering rail and basswood 1\/8 x 1\/16 (approximates\u00a0a 10 x 6 sleeper) and set about experimenting. With the small layout I decided to go with #5 turnouts. I did a quick test with a straight piece of track on some wood ties just to get a feel for using the gauges. I also wanted to test spiking through ties. I am using the very small Micro Engineering spikes. I learned that pushing the spikes through the basswood does not work. I will have to pre-drill all the spikes. After some trial and error I figured out the best technique for me was to use small dabs of CA, lay the track piece and then spike after. The CA holds strong enough for the drilling and spiking.<\/p>\n

I would have purchased a jig and other tools from Fasttracks if I could have afforded it. The biggest\u00a0unknown\u00a0for me was how to go about making the frog for the turnout. I decided to make a jig so I could file and solder them together. I used a scrap piece of plywood as a base. I cut two small\u00a0pieces\u00a0of plastic shower board scrap at 5.5 degrees (1\/2 the total 11 degrees). the plastic board is exactly the same thickness as the height of the rail. I then filed a 45 degree angle on the edge that sits against the rail. This allowed the rail to slide underneath and have the head flush with the top of the plastic board. I glued them to the scrap board so that they held the rail at a 5.5 degree angle to the edge of the board. I could then slide the rail in and file it to the correct angle.<\/p>\n

\"Frog<\/a>
Frog Jig for Filing and Soldering<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Filing<\/a>
Filing Rail with Jig<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the same scrap board, I added some strip wood and some more plastic scrap cut at 11 degrees. This formed a soldering jig for the frog. I left the plastic pieces loose so that it can be pulled away and release the frog. The blue dots in the images are from where I started to glue these down and then realized I would not be able to get the frog loose if i left it that way.<\/p>\n

\"Soldering<\/a>
Soldering the frog point with the jig<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One additional step I added (after the first one I made) is to add a small piece of wire to the back of the frog when I solder it. this is to power the frog. It is much easier to do now than later on the layout.<\/p>\n

Once I felt comfortable about the frog I tried laying the ties on the a template.\u00a0I downloaded a #5 template from\u00a0Central Valley Model Works<\/a>. Since this is a stub turnout I laid all the ties up to where the points would start. I used CA to glue each tie to the template. Then I glued the frog into position, using the lines on the template as a guide. I then cut each\u00a0piece\u00a0of rail and used CA to attached them to the ties. Before bending the wing rails I notched the bottom of the rail so it would bend easier. I used an NMRA gauge and a 3-point gauge to make\u00a0sure\u00a0the track was in gauge as I went. The rail position on the template helps but you must check gauge as you go.<\/p>\n

\"First<\/a>
First stub turnout using CV template<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I read a lot of how-to articles on making turnouts before I attempted this. The one item I took literally is that the first turnout will not be good. I was very pleased with my first turnout but I could see where improvement was required. The biggest problem with this first turnout was the\u00a0guard\u00a0rails. They were too far from the outside rail allowing the flanges to catch the frog. This was easily corrected on my later efforts.<\/p>\n

I now felt confident to proceed with the rest of the track laying. To space the ties correctly I made another jig by using my radial arm saw to cut slots in a scrap of plywood. the idea was to lay all the ties in the jig, use tape to lift them and then place them on the layout. I did a test first on a scrap of wood to see how this would work. The results looked very good, if I was modeling a modern era!<\/p>\n

\"Tie<\/a>
Tie jig test – too consistent for 1862<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I decided instead to use the same technique I had used on the turnouts.\u00a0I downloaded the branch line track template from\u00a0Central Valley Model Works<\/a>. The branch line template has wider tie spacing that I felt would be more appropriate. I used Adobe Illustrator to import the PDF file and did a full size drawing of the track plan. This allowed me to print the plan and tape it down to my\u00a0bench work\u00a0for a full size\u00a0mock-up. When I had finished taping it down, I found that adjustments were required. This system made it easy to go back to the\u00a0computer, make the adjustments and print a new layout.<\/p>\n

\"Using<\/a>
Using templates to test the track plan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I cut the track template out and pasted it directly to the layout. This gave me the tie spacing and tie size for every bit of the layout. I then built the three turnouts in place on the templates just like I had done my test turnout.<\/p>\n

\"Laying<\/a>
Laying the turnouts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I should mention at this point how I made the ties. I did not purchase pre-cut ties. Since I was modeling 1862, I wanted the ties to be a little rough. I used 1\/8 x 1\/16 basswood strip. I pre-painted all the wood before cutting it. I used a variety of colors to get a varied look between the ties. According to\u00a0history\u00a0the original ties were laid about 7-8 years prior to the time I am\u00a0modeling\u00a0 Since there was no creosote back then the ties would look bleached from the weather and blackened by ash, oil and other residues. I am assuming that some ties would have been replaced and the color would not be\u00a0consistent. To get the varied weathered look, I used several colors of artist water based paints with a black wash. I would lay all the colors out and each time I went back for some paint I would vary what I used. I also did not paint on any full color. I would dry brush or use extra water to thin the paint to a wash. Again each brush was different. After painting, I cut the ties to length.<\/p>\n

\"Painting<\/a>
Painting Ties<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The ties were glued to the templates using CA. This went very quickly as I would do 10 at a time. The template showed me exactly where to add beads of\u00a0glue\u00a0as I went. The slight variations in the ties from my fat fingers provided the variation of early railroading I was after. Before laying rail, I lightly sanded the tops of the ties to catch any high spots (did not want to ruin that paint on the ties). Once the ties were down I used CA to glue the rail in place.<\/p>\n

\"Laying<\/a>
Laying ties on the template<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Track<\/a>
Track work<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Stock<\/a>
Stock Mantua General added for scale<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That is as far as I have progressed so far. I still need to spike everything, gap the frogs, add jumper wires and ballast. I will also be painting on a final wash of black to the ties to color the ends and cover up any other imperfections. So far I am happy with the results.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part of my plan for Mound City 1862 is to have authentic looking track work. That will mean rough wood ties, stub switches and code…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-93","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles-on-small-layouts","wpcat-2-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4e6yk-1v","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2125,"url":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/all-the-model-rail-layouts\/","url_meta":{"origin":93,"position":0},"title":"All the Model Rail Layouts","author":"Marshall Stull","date":"September 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"While showing layouts as part of free-mo, I am often asked about my home layout. My response is often \"which one?\" At any given time I have at least four layouts in process (six right now). These layouts are always at various stages of completion and represent several scales, gauges\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Modular Layouts"","block_context":{"text":"Modular Layouts","link":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/category\/modules\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/DollyVardenDock_1000.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/DollyVardenDock_1000.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/DollyVardenDock_1000.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/DollyVardenDock_1000.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56,"url":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/mound-city-1862\/","url_meta":{"origin":93,"position":1},"title":"Mound City 1862 – Overview","author":"Marshall Stull","date":"October 6, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Mound City 1862 is a display layout I am building that is intended to travel and be shown much like is done in the UK and Europe. This will be my first true display layout. I have\u00a0exhibited\u00a0with the Free-mo organization at the National Train Show in 2012 and enjoyed it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Prototype Railroads"","block_context":{"text":"Prototype Railroads","link":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/category\/prototype-railroads\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mound City Map","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/moundcitymap.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":194,"url":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/194-inches-776-ties-3104-spikes\/","url_meta":{"origin":93,"position":2},"title":"194 inches, 776 ties, 3,104 spikes","author":"Marshall Stull","date":"November 18, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Progress has been slow. I decided to spike every tie for a more authentic look. the finished results are looking good but it is slow going. I decided to do some quick math to see how many spikes I would drive by the time I was done. Here is the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Small Layout How To Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Small Layout How To Articles","link":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/category\/articles-on-small-layouts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/img_1762.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":223,"url":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/new-historical-information-becomes-available\/","url_meta":{"origin":93,"position":3},"title":"New Historical Information Becomes Available","author":"Marshall Stull","date":"December 2, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"In November I was contacted by Richard Kuenneke, Media Producer of Oakview Road Media, Carbondale, Illinois and the writer-director of an award winning documentary about the Mound City National Cemetery\u00a0about my work on the Mound City 1862 layout. Richard\u00a0has done research on Mound City, Cairo and the Ironclads built there\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Small Layout How To Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Small Layout How To Articles","link":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/category\/articles-on-small-layouts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mound City Area Map","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/moundcityareasurveymap.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/moundcityareasurveymap.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/moundcityareasurveymap.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":398,"url":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/layout-composition-and-design-concepts\/","url_meta":{"origin":93,"position":4},"title":"Layout Composition and Design Concepts","author":"Marshall Stull","date":"September 22, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This post marks the one year anniversary of the Small Model Railroad web site. The first post \"I Miss Carl Arendt!\" was a tribute to Carl\u00a0Arendt who had recently passed away. Those of you who have read the site know that his site and views on the hobby changed my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Small Layout How To Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Small Layout How To Articles","link":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/category\/articles-on-small-layouts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Carl's Sap Line","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/sapline.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/sapline.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/sapline.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/sapline.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":91,"url":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/using-mock-ups-and-building-bridges\/","url_meta":{"origin":93,"position":5},"title":"Using Mock-ups and Building Bridges","author":"Marshall Stull","date":"November 22, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"To take a break from the\u00a0monotony\u00a0of spiking on the Mound City 1862 layout I thought I would review progress on the Peshekee River Railroad. The core shelf sections have been completed for a long time (before I ever started this website). Rail has been laid from \u00a0Champion to the logging\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Small Layout How To Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Small Layout How To Articles","link":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/category\/articles-on-small-layouts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Track Plan","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/layout_small.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":700,"href":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93\/revisions\/700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallmr.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}