Oakley Mountain

[naivegauge]

I am have started building a layout that I call "Oakley Mountain". It will have changes in elevation, and a track feature inspired by railway lines close to a place called Oakley.
I am modelling in n-gauge, and using Peco code55 with electrofrog point work. I will be modelling the LMS but it will be a fictional location.
So far I have got as far as building the benchwork, and am just starting the track laying.
Here are a few pictures and a video of my progress.


https://youtu.be/cEXgmKpd0VA

[Brian]

Excellent progress so far.
Do keep us updated.

[naivegauge]

I have been laying track Made lots of mistakes, but I am learning a few tricks of the trade. In particular:
1) Gluing is better than pinning
2) Smooth curves are better than tight ones
3) It is all about marking and following a centreline.
4) Map pins are the perfect size for holding (n-gauge) track in place while the glue goes off.
5) Peco Code 55 track has the rail embedded in the sleepers which makes it much more stable, but also much harder to work with.

Here are some videos of my progress:

Track Laying: https://youtu.be/DcTvliXCmTI
A technique for joining track on tight curves. https://youtu.be/0odv2Ax8anA

Do offer me advice, and let me know what I am doing wrong.

[Mountain Goat]

I have personally found trial and error to give me the best results in regards to gradients and curves. One persons stock may go up gradients or round curves that yours can't and vice versa so it is a case of patient testing and allowing a little extra tollerances incase any new locos or rolling stock may struggle.
I tried N gauge well before Bachmann took over Graham Farish, and the little layout I made was flat, but I did notice on exhibition layouts that the older N gauge GF locos tended to be excellent pullers and hill climbers! Some mentioned that the modern versions don't pull like they used to? I can't comment as in recent years the only small gauge similar that I have had was H0e, and that was over a decade ago!

It is exciting to see your layout slowly taking shape. I am somewhere in a similar position but with a larger scale. I do have most of my track layed down though, but I am still working on the boards as I am working on contours. There is no hurry so I am taking my time.

[brian1951]

Just my thoughts, glueing is not better than pinning, 9in radius will cause problems, and i would never solder tracks together. Good luck.

[Walkingthedog]

Why is glueing better than pinning, can’t agree with that, sorry.

Soldering track together........never.

[IanS]

I was wondering what the logic was to glue rather than pin with pins or miniature screws. Both screws and glue allow you to lift the track without much damage, but, as is noted in the early part of the video, the glue isn't strong enough to hold flexi-track on tight curves without a lot of extra work (bending the rails).

Still wondering what the logic is.

[glencairn]

Not wishing to deviate from naivegauge's thread, but I originally glued my track down and was successful until things went wrong. A point became faulty and had to be removed for a new one.

Now I just pin the track down and the ballast is not glued down. I can hear cries of shock, horror. After 19 years of working this way and running trains regularly I have had no challenges.

Glencairn

[naivegauge]

It seems that telling someone that their way of laying track is not as good as yours is fighting talk in railway modelling circles!!!

[Brian]

Usually results in Pistols at dawn or a brawl spilling out into an exhibition's car park
Just some people have differing views and ways of working. No one method is best or better, just some seem simpler to undertake and are perhaps cost effective

So, don't use any commercial underlay use hot Tarmac instead its so much easier to level with the steam roller and gives great sound deadening! Then ballast and secure it in place not with time honoured PVA and water but instead consider wall paper paste as it flows so much easier. Ha ha