I have, yet, another question for you guys. I have used flex track for my curves on each end of the board. Being that the layout is in my garage, Im concerned about expansion/contraction caused by the range of temps. If I solder the track together, the track will not be able to expand/contract. So where should I leave (or should I leave) any separation joints? Thanks again. Rich.
Rich, If you have track on foam, it won't be that big a deal. If you have track on wood, it very well might be. Its difficult to tell some one where to put gaps when you can't see their layout. But here is what I would do. I would gap before and after a large curve, but not in the curve. I would do small gaps in the middle of a double ended yard, all the way up on each track. I would do gaps on long crossovers. Gap any length of track that is long and if buckled could give you a head ache. [ 27. August 2003, 21:57: Message edited by: rsn48 ]
Thanks rsn. The track is on a wood board. (The foam is scenery only). I didnt think placing gaps in the curve would be a good idea. I guess I'll be placing them at the ends of the curve and I do have a yard. I'll look into placing some gaps there (in the yard) as well. Thanks Rich.
I've never encountered a problem with expansion. Have had both high and low humidity. And temperature swings of 50-60 degrees in the room. However, I do leave gaps. At switches. I always let them "float," for lack of a better word. This leaves a slight space on either end of the switch. Boxcab E50 [ 27. August 2003, 23:04: Message edited by: BoxcabE50 ]
I read an article in one of the N Scale magazines about a guy who hand laid track and had expansion joints every foot of track. He staggered the left and right rail joints to minimize bouncing wheel derailments too. My layout is made of modules and I have 4 feet of track, then a splice track between modules just like N Trak modules have. I have not had problems yet, however I want to build a permanent layout some day with spline construction, so I will probably solder all the flextrack as I lay it. Then I will use a thin cutoff wheel in my dremel and cut staggered expansion joints (but not on curves) to see how that method works. (I got a job!) (10 months of unemployment ended!) (I got a job) (welcome back, oh mighty hobby dollar!)
I like to do most of my track laying in the winter, when by basement gets really dry. the wood shrinks up and everthing is tight. When summer comes and it starts to get a little damp the wood grows and the joints that I did not solder open up where ever they needed. I hand lay my track and all of the rails are free to slide on the ties. I don't know how that would work fro prefab track.
