Fundamental question on track quality

[Walkingthedog]

I have some covered in dust and cobwebs.......does that count?

I know this is off topic but Steves post reminded me of a Tommy Cooper joke.

Helped the wife clean the attic today. Filthy dirty and covered in dust and cobwebs, but she’s good with the kids.

[PlumbersMate]

To tell the old steel track from newer Nickel Silver:

Use a magnet, it will stick to steel and not stick to Nickel Silver.

[Jsa274]

I made the foolish mistake years ago of buying many lengths of straight track from fleabay without checking the rail type. Most of the rusty straights now form my wagon sidings where a loco will never go near them.

[stonesfan]

Just to go back to this thread as I've now got the time on my hands to start building.

Have plenty of Hornby NIckel Silver curves and about 12 full length Peco flexible track sections. All in good condition. Happy to use the flexi stuff as straights. My dad who was a carpenter made a jig type device to ensure the track went down absolutely straight. Still have this.

Just a question of points really. Seems Peco points are rated better than Hornby? Are the sizes the same as Hornby? Ie are the Peco versions exactly the same dimensions as R8072 and R8072?

cheers

[Brian]

Hi
Peco make two different types of track and points in OO = Setrack and Streamline. Hornby only make one type. Peco Setrack is the same as Hornby.
Streamline has the same rail profile in Code 100 but the turnouts are to a larger radius than the Setrack range and are not a drop in replacement for Setrack. Peco Setrack sections and points should be the same as those from Hornby, except for the Hornby Express point which is a larger turnout radius. Also the natural track centres of Streamline when set by a pair of crossover points is 50mm centres and 67mm is Setrack/Hornby.

[stonesfan]

Thank you for the information.

[stonesfan]

Really like this layout plan that I found online. Ticks all the boxes for me. Will base mine on this with a few tweaks. Will be an extra 6" longer and may well tinker with the sidings and add a spur to the right. Have ordered a 4 track Gaugemaster so can isolate the sidings and use the 4th circuit for some shunting etc. Want this to be a layout heavy on operating and running potential as opposed to scenery.

[stonesfan]

Layout taking shape.

Pretty much doing this as my first layout project. Have spent a good while ensuring that the track is well engineered, level, loads of test running etc. Didn't quite get the foam trackbed 100% on the curves but as going to ballast track that won't be a problem. Had a few derailments on the peco points with a small selection of my older Hornby stuff. Some quick googling revealed a change of wheelsets resolves and it did.

Just getting the buildings temporarily in place so as I can start adding grass, gravel, roads and eventually track ballast.

As I still won't have a permanent home for my layout for the immediate future, is there any way I can make the handful of buildings detachable when moving the layout? Maybe a section of 3mm ply that can hold a few buildings. Velcro to temporarily stick to baseboard? Once I have a permanent home, probably next year when we sort a new shed out, I'll want to increase detail and have everything permanently attached.

For now just want to get my trains running so I can appreciate them with a moderately detailed layout.

[Walkingthedog]

Excellent. Just a reminder that if you raise the track on foam the buildings affected by the track e.g. platforms, engine sheds etc., will need raising by the thickness of the foam.
Next please.

[cheshire lines]

Good start - looking forward to further instalments.
To answer your question, yes you can detachable scenery modules. As well as for portability as you need, I've seen them used to provide variety - so for example you could have a rail-served dairy some of the time and a goods shed or factory etc. at other times.

I've got a small example on the interchange sidings area of my layout - two identical bases, one with a steam era shed and coaling stage and water crane and one with a more modern diesel shed and fueling point for the industrial locos