A lot of model rails don't like laying track or ballasting. It's one of my favorite things to do. I don't know if it's OCD or what. I find it relaxing.
Hey, love the videos. Im brand new to model railroading, and thanks to your videos im about to start my first layout. Im going N scale due to my space constraints and plan to make my model modular because im not staying in this location for long. All in all thanks for giving me the push to get started making my own model railway. Great videos, looking forward to more, and hopefully updates about my start in the hobby will come.
Had to come back and give this beautiful man my full thanks, I just laid my first cork board for my ho scale switching modular layout im building with my 3yo little girl. Without this it would not have gone as smoothly and easily as it did, thank you for the informative videos and stellar content 💗💗💗💗 even my little one loves watching and loves the train videos
Jimmy, a new subscriber here, just watched this video and it was great. I've been an "armchair" model railroader for years but am now retired and have the time, resources and--finally!--space to build my first layout. I'm working my way through your extensive video list looking for helpful tips and how-to's, and this one on track installation was just what I needed. I looked at your channel intro video and it is clear you have lots planned for this year so I look forward to all your updates. I also see you have plenty of requests, but let me add one more for your consideration. I see in this track installation video you use RailModeler Pro for Mac. We are an all-Mac household and I bought RailModeler Pro to start my layout planning. While I am adept at most things software, I find RM Pro to not be all that intuitive on how to make various features work smoothly. The videos on YT offering tutorials are mostly short, quite old and don't really instruct on how to do something, rather they just show things being placed on the screen in sequence. So if you are looking to do something different, some true teaching videos with tips, tricks and lessons learned, consider doing a few on using RM Pro software to design one of your future modules, starting with the benchwork and moving on to track design. I don't know how many of your subscribers are Mac folks but those of us that are could definitely gain from your personal learning experience with that different segment of a Digital Railroad! Thanks again!
One of the things you can do with the cork dust is fill in the larger gaps in the cork road bed and fix it in place with dilute white glue, then sand it smooth. That way you do not have ballast filling in your big gaps in the cork. There is a reason to drill the holes under your turnouts when you plan to use hand throws. You may later change your mind and want to use Tortoise style switch motors. You might be at a model train show and stumble across a great deal on tortoise style switch machines. Having the holes already in place under your turnouts makes it possible to retro fit with the powered switch machines without removing turnouts to drill holes. In the meantime just put masking tap over the holes from underneath to keep ballast from falling through.
I’ve been modeling since 1950 before cork roadbed cork roadbed came out I found that by using a utility knife hooked in the hard surface at the proper angle and taking the court bro bed and pulling it through the blade would continually refinish the cut in the cork eliminating all that crap on the edges. Just a thought. Hope it helps
Thanks for the tip on where the flex side of the flex track goes! I had been looking for that info. Today drinking Bustelo with milk and sugar or ‘cafe con leche’ as we Cubans call it.
Regarding gluing track: by using caulk, you insure that your track cannot be salvaged if you ever dismantle your railroad. I nail my track in place (and yes, the nail heads look horrible) and when I have finished ballasting, I remove the nails. The ballast holds the track in place beautifully, and the glued ballast releases much easier if you ever have to tear up your track.
Jimmy, I ALWAYS sand the top of my roadbed: the roadbed may appear level, and it may feel level when you run your fingers over it, but I find that 9 times out of 10, the places where two pieces of roadbed meet at not quite level - you can see this when sanding: dust accumulates on the low side of the joint. I just use an 8" sanding block with 80 or 100 grit sandpaper, and it is easily done while you are sanding the edges.
Great video. I actually use Autocad to draw my layout and print it out full size. I then transfer the centerline of the track with carbon paper and a pounce wheel. Works great. But for a small layout like this your way works great.
Great video Jimmy. Only thing I do differently is instead of gluing my cork, I use track nails as it holds it down just like glues but if I need to make adjustments, it's just simply popping a nail out instead of peeling up glued cork which can be damages and requires cleanup. Also instead of using #4 turnouts, I use #6 and shorten the straight leg so it's the same length as a #4 but a much better angle than a #4. This will be a very cool switching layout! - Jason
@@TheTrainFreak You just might be right but I have never (never 45 times) seen a layout that I didn't see the nails and they really don't look good to me... Just my take on track nails.
Great video. I used Micro Engineering flex track and atlas switches for my layout. I like Micro Engineering because it holds its shape and it is easy to work with.
Another great video, keep them coming. Many moons ago before such things as rail nippers existed, I was having to use standard diagonal cutters to trim track sections that required custom fitting (didn't have a rail saw either). The trick was cutting just that little bit extra length and filing the end back to a flush fit. Got the job done but was a lot of extra work.
Your videos are SO HELPFUL. Thank you. Just laid out my track and (best advise), put your buildings on the layout to check the track plan. Although I don't have my buildings fully built, I was able to lay out the bases to them to check track locations.
Be nice to see track installation into plywood on curves. Haven't determined an easy way to keep track in place without it wanting to move. Especially 24 radius curves.
Really entertaining video, makes me want to build a switching layout. I've nailed ny track down in the passed. Then balasted the track but don't touch the turnouts. I use diluted white glue with dish soap and water. I think this could be a good winter project..
Love your informative videos that make it easy. I have plywood set up already but I want to use insulation/foam board for the final base or visible top of the layout. Can I use the shiny side or the other side. What glue would I use for either side. Thank you.
Just to make sure. It’s the extruded pink foam? I would use the dull side on top. You can use latex caulk to glue it down and weigh it down overnight. You can also use something like Liquid nails.
I'd really like to see the expansion to one side, showing how a modular railroad system is created. Not right now, of course, but in the near future after you have this part done would be great.
Have you ever used the pre-cut cork turnouts, and if so, do they work well matching the other cork? Or is it just as easy to hand-cut everything? Thanks!
I never worry about an exact fit because the ballast will cover all problems up and hide them. To fill gaps I will grind up some pf the scraps and sprinkle this into the problem area and then glue the particles down. I also will use child's play sand as it works well and with glue diluted 50 - 50 will harden as hard as a rock. For the switch machines I use the multi tool and cut a slot under the throw tie from the inside of the + rail to the inside of the - rail. The slot is invisible and gives one so much more space to use for the machine.I will bring the adhesive up to the tie next to the throw tie (bar) and this will keep the eventual ballast glue from getting into this area.I sand the edges of my track before I glue it down. this is cleaner as I can dust the sanding dust into a jar and save it and I don't do this on the actual road. To messy!!!!! To glue the track down I use the same glue that i use for the ballast only full strength and it must be water saluable as if you ever want to take up a section of track, all you have to do is soak it and it will come up so much easier that the track that is put down with most tube adhesives. I know because I have made this mistake and it was very hard to salvage the track. I am using the same track for the 3rd time right now.
Last comment: Atlas sectional track has those funky two-tie assemblies at each end to provide clearance for the rail joiners. I find that these actually call attention to the track joint, so I clip these off before installing the track, and then insert regular ties in their place at the end, just as you did for the flex track. You'll need a supply of extra ties: these can be pulled off of a leftover end of flex track, or you can use 6x8 inch scale styrene (prime and paint first!)
6:30 I heard from one modeler that there are different ways to cut HO and N scale track. One is like what you show (I suppose that is HO) and the other is to hold the cutter horizontally. Do you have any comments on that?
Cutting track with the cutters horizontally can pull the head of the track down leaving a permanent dimple. Horizontally may also flair the track end, narrowing the track span. A cause for derailments. Vertical cutters might leave a small bump to be filed off gently with a blade sharpening stone.
Nothing wrong with the cork. It was made this way. Oh my God, how lazy can you get????? Some companies make the road bed in foam and it comes in a roll all ready to glue down.
Use both with a DPDT on-off-on switch. Center terminals go to the track, outer ones get the DC or DCC signal. If you have an auto reverser like the Digitrax AR-1, that won’t work in DC though.
Great video Jimmy! I have been hoping you'd do some things in HO scale. One thing from observing other layouts that I think I would change is how you're actually fastening down the road. Others have mentioned this from an ease of de-construction standpoint but for me it was noise levels. On layouts where the cork is glued down, the noise levels are pretty high. But where guys in our club used fastening nails or pins the trains run without all of the track noise. Probably not as much of an issue with a switching layout like this, but very good for continuous run loops or larger switching/running layouts like the one I am working on. Still, great video. If I missed it, though a question: What switches are you using? Brand/size please! 🙂
Great video Jimmy. One observation based on my personal situation. I am hard of hearing and the music that was playing created a situation, where at times, I could not hear the dialogue clearly.
@@rwbailey61 Hi Ray, thank you for your suggestion. I use the captions when they are able. I see they are now available. I think it takes some time for youtube to auto generate them..
this layout you had the track what it is in the rail world it totally useless and wrong. you can have it as toy. but far from the Relly engineer truck laid as it should be.
A lot of model rails don't like laying track or ballasting. It's one of my favorite things to do. I don't know if it's OCD or what. I find it relaxing.
Hey, love the videos. Im brand new to model railroading, and thanks to your videos im about to start my first layout. Im going N scale due to my space constraints and plan to make my model modular because im not staying in this location for long. All in all thanks for giving me the push to get started making my own model railway. Great videos, looking forward to more, and hopefully updates about my start in the hobby will come.
Had to come back and give this beautiful man my full thanks, I just laid my first cork board for my ho scale switching modular layout im building with my 3yo little girl. Without this it would not have gone as smoothly and easily as it did, thank you for the informative videos and stellar content 💗💗💗💗 even my little one loves watching and loves the train videos
Jimmy, a new subscriber here, just watched this video and it was great. I've been an "armchair" model railroader for years but am now retired and have the time, resources and--finally!--space to build my first layout. I'm working my way through your extensive video list looking for helpful tips and how-to's, and this one on track installation was just what I needed. I looked at your channel intro video and it is clear you have lots planned for this year so I look forward to all your updates. I also see you have plenty of requests, but let me add one more for your consideration. I see in this track installation video you use RailModeler Pro for Mac. We are an all-Mac household and I bought RailModeler Pro to start my layout planning. While I am adept at most things software, I find RM Pro to not be all that intuitive on how to make various features work smoothly. The videos on YT offering tutorials are mostly short, quite old and don't really instruct on how to do something, rather they just show things being placed on the screen in sequence. So if you are looking to do something different, some true teaching videos with tips, tricks and lessons learned, consider doing a few on using RM Pro software to design one of your future modules, starting with the benchwork and moving on to track design. I don't know how many of your subscribers are Mac folks but those of us that are could definitely gain from your personal learning experience with that different segment of a Digital Railroad! Thanks again!
One of the things you can do with the cork dust is fill in the larger gaps in the cork road bed and fix it in place with dilute white glue, then sand it smooth. That way you do not have ballast filling in your big gaps in the cork. There is a reason to drill the holes under your turnouts when you plan to use hand throws. You may later change your mind and want to use Tortoise style switch motors. You might be at a model train show and stumble across a great deal on tortoise style switch machines. Having the holes already in place under your turnouts makes it possible to retro fit with the powered switch machines without removing turnouts to drill holes. In the meantime just put masking tap over the holes from underneath to keep ballast from falling through.
Great that will help new in the hobby. im in for 36 years
Take a shot everytime he says "rinse and repeat"
I’ve been modeling since 1950 before cork roadbed cork roadbed came out I found that by using a utility knife hooked in the hard surface at the proper angle and taking the court bro bed and pulling it through the blade would continually refinish the cut in the cork eliminating all that crap on the edges. Just a thought. Hope it helps
Thanks for the tip on where the flex side of the flex track goes! I had been looking for that info. Today drinking Bustelo with milk and sugar or ‘cafe con leche’ as we Cubans call it.
I really enjoyed this video, thanks for putting this series together!!
Regarding gluing track: by using caulk, you insure that your track cannot be salvaged if you ever dismantle your railroad. I nail my track in place (and yes, the nail heads look horrible) and when I have finished ballasting, I remove the nails. The ballast holds the track in place beautifully, and the glued ballast releases much easier if you ever have to tear up your track.
The ALEX Plus caulk seems to come up easily with a putty knife in a video I saw on TH-cam. Easiest of the three glues used in the testing.
Not true. I've removed track I used calking on
Great video, I’ll definitely be using some of your techniques on my little HO scale layout. Can’t wait to see what you do next for yours.
Jimmy, I ALWAYS sand the top of my roadbed: the roadbed may appear level, and it may feel level when you run your fingers over it, but I find that 9 times out of 10, the places where two pieces of roadbed meet at not quite level - you can see this when sanding: dust accumulates on the low side of the joint. I just use an 8" sanding block with 80 or 100 grit sandpaper, and it is easily done while you are sanding the edges.
Nice idea and application...
Great video. I actually use Autocad to draw my layout and print it out full size. I then transfer the centerline of the track with carbon paper and a pounce wheel. Works great. But for a small layout like this your way works great.
Thanks for this video…. I will come back & review it when I reach this phase of my layout build…
Great video Jimmy. Only thing I do differently is instead of gluing my cork, I use track nails as it holds it down just like glues but if I need to make adjustments, it's just simply popping a nail out instead of peeling up glued cork which can be damages and requires cleanup. Also instead of using #4 turnouts, I use #6 and shorten the straight leg so it's the same length as a #4 but a much better angle than a #4. This will be a very cool switching layout! - Jason
I really dislike the look of nails because it makes the road look toy like... The "real" roads do not have spikes in the middle of the ties...
@@davidcurtis5398 if you paint your rails and ties then and ballast properly, it's barely noticeable for HO scale that is.
@@TheTrainFreak You just might be right but I have never (never 45 times) seen a layout that I didn't see the nails and they really don't look good to me... Just my take on track nails.
Great video. I used Micro Engineering flex track and atlas switches for my layout. I like Micro Engineering because it holds its shape and it is easy to work with.
I have found that particular line of locktite Adhesive works great and holds things in place really well when wet
Another great video, keep them coming. Many moons ago before such things as rail nippers existed, I was having to use standard diagonal cutters to trim track sections that required custom fitting (didn't have a rail saw either). The trick was cutting just that little bit extra length and filing the end back to a flush fit. Got the job done but was a lot of extra work.
I have a rail saw/Miter box and did what you stated for my N scale - looking forward in building my HO Module - probably still use the saw...lol.
Great video Jimmy! It answered a lot of my questions!
I'm enjoying this. I really liked MMROne a lot.
Your videos are SO HELPFUL. Thank you. Just laid out my track and (best advise), put your buildings on the layout to check the track plan. Although I don't have my buildings fully built, I was able to lay out the bases to them to check track locations.
Thanks for filling in the missing ties! I see so many really beautiful, realistic, and highly detailed layouts, with MISSING TIES! Makes me crazy!
Great for a beginner like me thank you
Be nice to see track installation into plywood on curves. Haven't determined an easy way to keep track in place without it wanting to move. Especially 24 radius curves.
Makes me want to build another layout. I may just have to steal this plan and build along with you
Really entertaining video, makes me want to build a switching layout. I've nailed ny track down in the passed. Then balasted the track but don't touch the turnouts. I use diluted white glue with dish soap and water. I think this could be a good winter project..
Take your time and the turnouts are easy...
A lot of great advice and tips
The cool thing about using the tortise switch machine is that you can control the frog power using the built in DPDT on the tortise.
Good instructional video Jimmy
Love your informative videos that make it easy. I have plywood set up already but
I want to use insulation/foam board for the final base or visible top of the layout. Can I use the shiny side or the other side. What glue would I use for either side. Thank you.
Just to make sure. It’s the extruded pink foam? I would use the dull side on top. You can use latex caulk to glue it down and weigh it down overnight. You can also use something like Liquid nails.
Great video keep it up!
I noticed the lights on the wall above your N scale layout in the intro. Have you uploaded a video on those lights?
I'd really like to see the expansion to one side, showing how a modular railroad system is created. Not right now, of course, but in the near future after you have this part done would be great.
Have you ever used the pre-cut cork turnouts, and if so, do they work well matching the other cork? Or is it just as easy to hand-cut everything? Thanks!
good vid jimmy on the channel keep up the good vid thanks lee
I never worry about an exact fit because the ballast will cover all problems up and hide them. To fill gaps I will grind up some pf the scraps and sprinkle this into the problem area and then glue the particles down. I also will use child's play sand as it works well and with glue diluted 50 - 50 will harden as hard as a rock. For the switch machines I use the multi tool and cut a slot under the throw tie from the inside of the + rail to the inside of the - rail. The slot is invisible and gives one so much more space to use for the machine.I will bring the adhesive up to the tie next to the throw tie (bar) and this will keep the eventual ballast glue from getting into this area.I sand the edges of my track before I glue it down. this is cleaner as I can dust the sanding dust into a jar and save it and I don't do this on the actual road. To messy!!!!! To glue the track down I use the same glue that i use for the ballast only full strength and it must be water saluable as if you ever want to take up a section of track, all you have to do is soak it and it will come up so much easier that the track that is put down with most tube adhesives. I know because I have made this mistake and it was very hard to salvage the track. I am using the same track for the 3rd time right now.
WOW. I can recall a box of HO roadbed in the $12-$15 range. 😞
We'll never see that price again.....
What kind of wall mounts are you using for your lights on the walls?
British Tracksetta guides are best for flexitrack, they come in all gauges and most angles :)
Thanks for showing the need to use a file after your cutting. Safety first on the tracks & on your layout. Optical illusion?? Is the drill in reverse?
Alas, as much as I appreciate all the info and help you have given me, I had to discontinue my patreon account. Thanks
Is it necessary to power frogs at all? An un-powered frog will clear all but the smallest locos.
Or just add a chip that will keep the engine running over small breaks and dirt. They are called "stay alives"...
It’s advisable to run your finger over any joins. That way you’ll catch any track that didn’t sit properly in the fish plate.
Last comment: Atlas sectional track has those funky two-tie assemblies at each end to provide clearance for the rail joiners. I find that these actually call attention to the track joint, so I clip these off before installing the track, and then insert regular ties in their place at the end, just as you did for the flex track. You'll need a supply of extra ties: these can be pulled off of a leftover end of flex track, or you can use 6x8 inch scale styrene (prime and paint first!)
Those tie assemblies are called "D-rings".
Great idea of rail ties at the turnouts!!!!
Tearable part, not terrible part 😂
Excellent work as always Jimmy! Track work looks really good. Your table seems a bit wobbly, any regrets on the construction?
6:30 I heard from one modeler that there are different ways to cut HO and N scale track. One is like what you show (I suppose that is HO) and the other is to hold the cutter horizontally. Do you have any comments on that?
Cutting track with the cutters horizontally can pull the head of the track down leaving a permanent dimple. Horizontally may also flair the track end, narrowing the track span. A cause for derailments.
Vertical cutters might leave a small bump to be filed off gently with a blade sharpening stone.
what is "wrong" with this cork bed that you need to break it apart? isn't there any cork bed product that you can just glue down?
Nothing wrong with the cork. It was made this way. Oh my God, how lazy can you get????? Some companies make the road bed in foam and it comes in a roll all ready to glue down.
when you tac down the track, do you nail it on the sides or the middle of the track? or does it not matter ?
Please don't use any nails in the laying of your track. They look toy like...
Sir what is the brand name of these tracks? Please reply
Jimmy awesome work excited to finaly start my layout I hust cant decide dc or dcc! Any suggestions??? Thanks
Use both with a DPDT on-off-on switch. Center terminals go to the track, outer ones get the DC or DCC signal. If you have an auto reverser like the Digitrax AR-1, that won’t work in DC though.
Great video Jimmy! I have been hoping you'd do some things in HO scale. One thing from observing other layouts that I think I would change is how you're actually fastening down the road. Others have mentioned this from an ease of de-construction standpoint but for me it was noise levels. On layouts where the cork is glued down, the noise levels are pretty high. But where guys in our club used fastening nails or pins the trains run without all of the track noise. Probably not as much of an issue with a switching layout like this, but very good for continuous run loops or larger switching/running layouts like the one I am working on. Still, great video. If I missed it, though a question: What switches are you using? Brand/size please! 🙂
The Parts List in his comments has the Brand/Size...
Noise level depends on the base material you will use. i use foam and the noise is very minimal.
How thick is the cork?
Great video Jimmy. One observation based on my personal situation. I am hard of hearing and the music that was playing created a situation, where at times, I could not hear the dialogue clearly.
Closed Caption option my friend???
@@rwbailey61 Hi Ray, thank you for your suggestion. I use the captions when they are able. I see they are now available. I think it takes some time for youtube to auto generate them..
Who may I ask sells those 123 blocks? Thanx
Amazon
In addition to Amazon, any place that sells to machinists--Enco, Shars, Grainger, MSC Direct, etc. They're common layout tools in that world.
I bought mine from Micro-Mark...
Nice but you don’t use raised roadbed in a yard.
Agree, so I transition to rolls of cork for the yards and factories.
Peck flex track both tracks move
hello
There is no such thing as "extra" roadbed. And you call yourself a pro. 😄😜😎
this layout you had the track what it is in the rail world it totally useless and wrong. you can have it as toy. but far from the Relly engineer truck laid as it should be.