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fixing track to wood base


traingeekboy
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I am about to lay my track. Two options come to mind:

1. Track nails. These work but I'm not sure what the exact tool is for setting these little nails.

2. Liquid nails glue. This works but it makes it harder to make modifications later on.

What has everyone experienced with this? What is good about how you did it, and what is bad?

Thanks, Gonna dive in sometime in the next 24 hours.

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I've used nails. I've also started drilling holes in the ties, using a 1mm bit in an archimedes drill. The hoIes allow me to use larger nails which would normally split the ties. I use a punch and a small hammer, in fact I can usually push the nails in with the punch without the hammer, although my hands start to get sore quite quickly and I go back to the hammer.

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I've used track pins too.

At first I used to just bash them through the middle of one of the sleepers without any regard to the damage I might cause. I didn't always get them in the middle of the sleeper and sometimes made a right mess of it. If using track pins then be careful not to knock them in too far as this can distort the sleeper causing the rails to go slightly out of gauge. It's sometimes recommended to put the pins in the ends of the sleepers on the outside of the rails but again, only level with the sleeper tops, just enough to hold the track in place - don't get too heavy with the hammer.

It perhaps should be mentioned that there are different sizes of track fixing pins. The thinner type are fine for the softer woods but the heavier gauge type are needed for man made boards such as plywood. It's also best to drill a small pilot hole using a small hand bit. Pins can usually be pushed in if the pin is held firmly (pliers or the likes) rather than being hit with a hammer. For outdoor work it's also advised to use pins of a suitable non-rusting type.

The best advantage with using pins (more so if the track hasn't been ballasted I guess) is that you can remove the pins to make adjustments to the track alignment should it become necessary. You'll be surprised how your newly laid perfectly straight track appears misaligned once viewed through a camera or video lens!

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I went by Caboose Hobbies today and after looking at everything...

They had a nice Lilput steamer and a Fleischman DSB diesel that made me salivate in a pavlovian manner. I even got to test run them...

Left those there and came home with one set of points and a tiny hammer. I am thinking a tiny hammer should help. Atlas track already has holes in the ties for nailing. And yes I have made the mistake of over doing it with N scale track and making the rails go out of alignment. So I guess it's time to lay a piece or two of flex track and see what happens. Worse comes to worse I just glue it down. Gluing is the current fad here in the US, but I am not convinced about the gluing.

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  • 1 year later...

Up until now I've used track nails to fix my track to the wood base. However, whenever I've wanted to make alterations to the layout I've had problems, because removing the track pins after a few years is a nightmare, as a result of the action of the sun's ultra-violet rays making the sleepers brittle. When it comes time to lift the track the sleeper base breaks, which means that that length of track can't be reused without cutting out the bad bits. What I really want to try is screws, so I can screw the track down, which should not give so many problems when lifting it.

I've been searching on the internet for someone who can supply small screws for some considerable time. What I'm looking for is a screw that's the size of a track pin. Some hopes, you may think. Well, after a lot of looking, I've found a place that can supply No. 0 x 3/8" pan-head self-tapping screws (that's 1.5 mm diameter x 9.5 mm long) that require a size 00 Phillips cross-head jeweller's screwdriver, so I bought 500 to try them. I've started using them on the relaying of Fiddler's Yard on my layout, and I shall post some pictures in due course.

If you want to see what they offer, go to http://www.modelfixings.co.uk/''>http://www.modelfixings.co.uk/'>http://www.modelfixings.co.uk/

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  • 2 weeks later...

While sourcing my usual Peco brass track pins online I came across a statement say that Hornby have changed the manufacturing of their R207 pins and they won't rust and are suitable for outdoor use. I may have to spend a couple of quid to find out if that is the case.

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Apologies, I"ve just returned to my source and re-read it and found that I had miss read it. Hornby have not changed their pins and made them rust proof.In my defence the text I was reading was in

BOLD RED FULL CAPITALS WITH A RIDICULOUSLY LARGE FONT SIZE

and worst of all, centre aligned. Its doesn't take much working out which site it was.

A Peco IL-11 pack of brass track pins arrived in the post today.

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I've used 1/2 inch panel nails. Got a nice flat head so makes it easier to get a pair of cutters underneath the head for removal of the nail. I also drilled out the holes or made holes larger so that the nail is not a tight fit. A bit of a bother to do but worth it in the long run and then the sleepers are less prone to breaking when removing the nail.

Ian

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