if you will wet the area, the ballast will become workable and you can slide them in. Position, clean up, add some glue w water. Done. Yes. Try to put them in for each section. Doesn't always happen and this makes it easier. Looks pretty good to me.
I feel your pain. A friend came out and helped me lay track and we put down the whole mainline, then I was the one who had to go back later and piece in the ties. It really DOES make a difference in the final appearance!
Nice layout! When I join flex track, I will take an Exacto knife and trim off the tie plates for the first tie on either side of the joint. Then I will carve out a little 'ditch' under the rail to leave room for the joiner. You can go back 2 ties if you need to. It works quite nicely.
I have to say I have done the same mistake, but as you pointed out with a little perseverance it is easily fixed. Yours now looks great, would not know you made any mistake. Cheers Greg from Australia
There are two things about track that people don't do that really bug me... one is of course the ties, but the other is when they do not paint and weather the track. That will kill all sense of realism faster than anything. Glad to see you're taking care of both. Very nice work, and thanks for the sub.
About 2:57. I believe You HAVE to ballast before you add the missing ties, as they need to be held up against, or very near, the rail bottoms and/ or joiners. But you can accomplish it easiest if you already have the replacement ties at the site (these ties must first be stripped of their plastic spikes and tie plates with an Exacto knife). Add the ballast, then wet it with sprayed water. Drizzle the thinned white glue into the ballast and then shove each tie under the rail pushing away any wet ballast in it's path, holding tie right up against the rail bottom...
DUM DUM ADDENDUM: I composed and entered the above, not even noticing until too late the post below was mine TOO, from 3 mos ago !!! Sorry for the near identical repeat folks....M
One thing I do when laying straight sections of track. I have a 4 foot metal rule (most likely less than the guides several companies sell) and use this to fine tune the first track. If you use a mirror to look down the track you will be able to see the small problems. Then I cut a block from wood the demension that I want the track spacing to be and put it against the edge of the inside of track 1 and align the track 2 to it. If you have a straight track 1 then you will have straight tracks from 1 to as many as you want. I just love to see straight track when it isspupposed to be.
John, from my experience, Peco turnouts are bullet proof!. You just have to remove the snap action spring if you wan't to use a Tortoise to switch them. Cheers Gregg
Be careful to lay that track very not jerky to make your long trains to go threw it smooth buddy and remember that an s turn will run trains off if not set up rite. Great Luck I Know You Can Do It. Looks great so far
One big thing you need to do is to get a tripod and learn to pan slowly. This will keep the picture steady and will free you to do things on the layout (and on the video) with 2 hands. Just a thought... The layout looks great though.
I'm thinking of using the peco 3way turnouts. how are they doing? Just wanting to hear about their reliability from someone who I've seen using them on their layout. Thanks in advance!
Hi there! Just a point, Your Switch tower should be located at the entrance of your Yard, Down by your switches, at the Entrance--For instance when "Train" is leaving, This how Orders or mess. are delivered, Train by define--Engine or engines coupled with or without cars displaying markers
Most of us that try to send comments about what you can do better don't want to be seen as critical. I know that my comments are sent to make you a better modler and/or photographer since I have about 30 years of work in each field. Good job replacing the ties in the 3 way as I couldn't tell - and I love the Bud-Light tower you have haha.
Let your mistake be a good opportunity for some real cool scenery ideas, since you have new ties down don't paint them leave them and act as if your railroad replaced damaged ties as a MoW project!
I feel your pain. I am starting to have some serious doubts on my n-scale use of the Kato Unitrack. I did balast it and it looks ok but I hate all the numerous places where the joiners are. No matter how much I bust butt to make it smooth the joiners still occasionally rear their ugly heads. And honestly I cant see weathering the Kato Unitrack. I am pretty sure that would be disastrous. I am seriously thinking about ripping out ALL the Kato track and putting in Atlas Flex track with Peco switches. I have done this in one place and I like it. I prefer the larger code 80 N-Scale flex track I feel the Code 55 is too tricky and a pain.
The number one mistake I see a lot of rail modelers make..old and new..these utopian perfect layouts...void of trash grease garbage old ties..excessI've balast...a whole layout where the balast and all the track are the same color...Mistakes are good..A missing tie...means a pile of balast or some singular weeds or grass..
don't leave screw drivers and pliers on the track . if you switch the power on you will short out the locos . l.e.d.s and possibly blow up your controller ... expensive if you are running dcc stuff . looks good otherwise .cheers.
+BN1941 it is easy to cut out if you want to do valleys , water . or adding a turn table or transfer table , on my layout I took some videos of the river and lake I added to my layout , just look on my channel and look for videos , like " a river runs through it " 3 or 4 videos of how I did it
What's the big mistake ? You connected track by first removing a few ties on track ends to accommodate rail joiners or large soldering areas. We all do that !! Yeah, it's easier to replace the missing timber before ballasting. But shame shame on me or you if we correct them after ballasting ! What !!? Wet the area , leave a while, then push tie whilst touching bottom of rail feet, at same time pushing away the wet loose ballast ahead of it...In fact when we add ties on top of say, blank cork roadbed, no ballast, the tie, due to its 'scale' thickness leaves too much gap between rail bottom and it !! And this too is just as much a hassle to get right ..You made no mistake.....You merely chose one of several ways to do it..M
I don't see the big deal it's your railroad not theirs I don't replace every tie I add hobby craft sticks in places and paint them to look like new ties but replacing all them I don't but I do stuff different cause I'm DC
Thanks for sharing this. I’m new in getting back into the hobby. I appreciate any heads up
🤘🏼INDIANA
if you will wet the area, the ballast will become workable and you can slide them in. Position, clean up, add some glue w water. Done. Yes. Try to put them in for each section. Doesn't always happen and this makes it easier. Looks pretty good to me.
I feel your pain. A friend came out and helped me lay track and we put down the whole mainline, then I was the one who had to go back later and piece in the ties. It really DOES make a difference in the final appearance!
Nice layout! When I join flex track, I will take an Exacto knife and trim off the tie plates for the first tie on either side of the joint. Then I will carve out a little 'ditch' under the rail to leave room for the joiner. You can go back 2 ties if you need to. It works quite nicely.
It looks great! I done it don't feel bad! It's cool that somebody saw it and tip you on it in a nice way. The yard looks great. 5***** on that.
We all make mistakes and learn by them.Nice job on the ballast.Great long staging yard.
With that attitude you'll do just fine. Humility is quite the virtue.
Awesome looking layout, I have just went back and added ties in, haven't done in ballasting yet so good there!
Excellent advise. its looking sharp!!
Nice job mate! Maybe too many beers while ballasting...LOL
Cheers Gregg
Looking good! Keep up the great work. Thanks for sharing!
Ethan
Layout looks awesome! Thanks for sharing!
I have to say I have done the same mistake, but as you pointed out with a little perseverance it is easily fixed. Yours now looks great, would not know you made any mistake. Cheers Greg from Australia
There are two things about track that people don't do that really bug me... one is of course the ties, but the other is when they do not paint and weather the track. That will kill all sense of realism faster than anything. Glad to see you're taking care of both. Very nice work, and thanks for the sub.
OK... The replaced ties look great. Good work.......
About 2:57. I believe You HAVE to ballast before you add the missing ties, as they need to be held up against, or very near, the rail bottoms and/ or joiners. But you can accomplish it easiest if you already have the replacement ties at the site (these ties must first be stripped of their plastic spikes and tie plates with an Exacto knife). Add the ballast, then wet it with sprayed water. Drizzle the thinned white glue into the ballast and then shove each tie under the rail pushing away any wet ballast in it's path, holding tie right up against the rail bottom...
DUM DUM ADDENDUM: I composed and entered the above, not even noticing until too late the post below was mine TOO, from 3 mos ago !!! Sorry for the near identical repeat folks....M
What a difference. Looks great. Mike
One thing I do when laying straight sections of track. I have a 4 foot metal rule (most likely less than the guides several companies sell) and use this to fine tune the first track. If you use a mirror to look down the track you will be able to see the small problems. Then I cut a block from wood the demension that I want the track spacing to be and put it against the edge of the inside of track 1 and align the track 2 to it. If you have a straight track 1 then you will have straight tracks from 1 to as many as you want. I just love to see straight track when it isspupposed to be.
David Curtis i
John, from my experience, Peco turnouts are bullet proof!. You just have to remove the snap action spring if you wan't to use a Tortoise to switch them.
Cheers Gregg
thanks for letting me know. all my yard and industry working will have the Peco turnouts.
Looks great! Enjoy the videos. Your large 3 bay engine house, who makes it?? i really like the look. THX
good tip to know for sure , thanks for the heads up
Be careful to lay that track very not jerky to make your long trains to go threw it smooth buddy and remember that an s turn will run trains off if not set up rite. Great Luck I Know You Can Do It. Looks great so far
You are Welcome Sir
One big thing you need to do is to get a tripod and learn to pan slowly. This will keep the picture steady and will free you to do things on the layout (and on the video) with 2 hands. Just a thought... The layout looks great though.
I'm thinking of using the peco 3way turnouts. how are they doing? Just wanting to hear about their reliability from someone who I've seen using them on their layout. Thanks in advance!
Nice layout so far. I'm constructing a 4 x 12 layout. But it's going into a bedroom. That all the room i have so far.
Hi there! Just a point, Your Switch tower should be located at the entrance of your Yard, Down by your switches, at the Entrance--For instance when "Train" is leaving, This how Orders or mess. are delivered, Train by define--Engine or engines coupled with or without cars displaying markers
Most of us that try to send comments about what you can do better don't want to be seen as critical. I know that my comments are sent to make you a better modler and/or photographer since I have about 30 years of work in each field. Good job replacing the ties in the 3 way as I couldn't tell - and I love the Bud-Light tower you have haha.
Aint nothing like drinking a cold beer an working on a model train set lve it, how long did it take you to lay the track out like that???????
That's why they put erasers at the end of pencils and your layout looks great by the way.
Just curious about that flat car I keep seeing in ur vids? Looks like you have it wrapped in painters tape?
No complaints at all, peco did a very nice job designing this switch. I guess if there has to be one complaint its the price, they are salty.
Let your mistake be a good opportunity for some real cool scenery ideas, since you have new ties down don't paint them leave them and act as if your railroad replaced damaged ties as a MoW project!
Lol yeah its got fine sandpaper on the bottom that I run along the rails after glueing the ballast down.
Sure can, give me a day or two, thanks for watching
I feel your pain. I am starting to have some serious doubts on my n-scale use of the Kato Unitrack. I did balast it and it looks ok but I hate all the numerous places where the joiners are. No matter how much I bust butt to make it smooth the joiners still occasionally rear their ugly heads. And honestly I cant see weathering the Kato Unitrack. I am pretty sure that would be disastrous. I am seriously thinking about ripping out ALL the Kato track and putting in Atlas Flex track with Peco switches. I have done this in one place and I like it. I prefer the larger code 80 N-Scale flex track I feel the Code 55 is too tricky and a pain.
Atlas Flex Track and Peco switches are all I use to keep rail joints to a minimum. The Peco springs hold the points against the stock rails very well.
hey bnsf9370 2 thumbs up looks 100 times better.. i think i was the first to mention that to you ... keep up th great work
vinny...aka...bnsf6951
I know you have to look out for those im just starting to build a layout myself
Rookie mistake but also very common.......
The number one mistake I see a lot of rail modelers make..old and new..these utopian perfect layouts...void of trash grease garbage old ties..excessI've balast...a whole layout where the balast and all the track are the same color...Mistakes are good..A missing tie...means a pile of balast or some singular weeds or grass..
I want a giant beer bottle for my layout.
don't leave screw drivers and pliers on the track . if you switch the power on you will short out the locos . l.e.d.s and possibly blow up your controller ... expensive if you are running dcc stuff . looks good otherwise .cheers.
to meany bud lights!
Please let me know why people and you are using foam board on top of the plywood?
+BN1941 it is easy to cut out if you want to do valleys , water . or adding a turn table or transfer table , on my layout I took some videos of the river and lake I added to my layout , just look on my channel and look for videos , like " a river runs through it " 3 or 4 videos of how I did it
What's the big mistake ? You connected track by first removing a few ties on track ends to accommodate rail joiners or large soldering areas. We all do that !! Yeah, it's easier to replace the missing timber before ballasting. But shame shame on me or you if we correct them after ballasting ! What !!? Wet the area , leave a while, then push tie whilst touching bottom of rail feet, at same time pushing away the wet loose ballast ahead of it...In fact when we add ties on top of say, blank cork roadbed, no ballast, the tie, due to its 'scale' thickness leaves too much gap between rail bottom and it !! And this too is just as much a hassle to get right ..You made no mistake.....You merely chose one of several ways to do it..M
I don't see the big deal it's your railroad not theirs I don't replace every tie I add hobby craft sticks in places and paint them to look like new ties but replacing all them I don't but I do stuff different cause I'm DC
the last thing you should of done is ballast the track.the track work will look more realistic
You have alot of track Ive watched all your video's
Also should have got a tripod for the camera. I am seasick.
A little less Bud Light next time LOL .
Hi,
I'm interested in this.
Can you communicate with me?