Very nice trackwork, Ben. Impressive layout. Thanks for posting the pics. I look forward to seeing some more. I agree about the minispikes. I'm only using them on bridges where they are easily visible.
Roger Nulton ----- Original Message ----- From: pickycat95 To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 9:22 AM Subject: {S-Scale List} Re: Hand-lay vs. Flextrack All of my layout is hand-laid track except for a temporary bridge. All the turnouts are custom built-to-fit. My layout is 23' x 15.5' with an over achieving 50 plus and counting turnouts and/or diamonds. They include double crossovers on curves, diamond through curves, threeways and all sorts of geometries. No double slip though. I used AutoCAD to design the layout. This allowed for dimensioned drawings and full-size templates for each turnout or crossing. Sometimes the surveyor had a little to much to drink because the as- built doesn't always match the drawing. This makes for interesting times when construction changes come through from HQ. Usually there is a fair amount of back and forth between field measurement and plan in order to reconcile the two. I don't have a Kadee spiker and have used a trusty needle nose plier with ribs at the business end. Regarding code 70 rail I tried using the smallest spike that Micro Engineering makes. Even though I'm pretty well coordinated with smallish hands these were just impossible for me to handle. The next size up will look too large for code 70. Perhaps there is a tool. If I were to start over I'd used Showcase Line track and home built turnouts using SHS rail stock. I've created a new folder called Benn Central Railway in the Photos section showing some of the track work. Ben Trousdale --- In [email protected], Richard Karnes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > All -- > > OK, I'll bite. I was a hand-laying fanatic... Except for background tracks and hidden tracks, all my trackwork (including all turnouts and crossings) is handlaid. (My layout is 12' x 43', double-tracked, with about seventy turnouts, five crossings, and one double slip switch... > > So I can tell you this -- If you lay your own track you are not constrained by the geometries of ready-made turnouts and crossings. You can make curved turnouts to any radii and crossings of any angle. > > Dick Karnes [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
