Flexible track bends

[Anorak]

I'm getting near to the point of breaking the earth on my first loop of track to go in the garden.

The initial installation is going to be a loop around the outside of the area designated for the railway. Hopefully it'll be big enough to allow me to expand inwards if that make any sense at all. In essence it'll be a large rectangle made up of mostly flexible track along the straight sections, the ends will house the points going into the middle.

To get to my question, rather than it being a boring rectangle I wanted to bend the long runs up a bit (hence the flexible track). What I don't know is what's reasonable to assume the flexible track can accomodate without firstly going out of gauge and secondly keeping the geometry of the ends square. By that I mean if I bend a piece of flexible track into an elongated S keeping the rail ends even. I'm interested mostly on the individual lengths (1500mm) for the work going on in the middle later but also what I can reasonably hope to achieve with say a 4.5m run of flexible too.

I've got a bit of slack all the way around the area generously donated by the boss and it's a blank canvas being a lawn at the moment so anything goes really. I wanted to use this initial loop to help deliniate the ground work, once the rough outline is done with this loop everything in the middle can be scorched earth and prepared for the future in one hit. After all I don't want to have to go and ask for her digging skills (she is a world class digger ) again when I want to expand.

[strike]As always I grovel at the feet of your superior knowledge and await enlightenment with eager anticipation.[/strike] Okay that was a bit much but I'll be grateful none the less.

Tim

 

[stevelewis]

ou will have no troulbe in acheiving S curves with flex track

Just some suggestions
Do not trat flex track like N or 00 gauge!! Bend the rail section into the required curves before it is threaded on to the sleeper web, this way it retains curve and does not try to straighten itself!!

when making joins on curves arrange the 2 rail joints not to be adjacent ( opposite ) each other try to achive an aprrox 1.2 to 2" "STAGGER" in the joints this makes a smooth join of 2 sections on the curve and avoids DOG LEGS which will occur if all the joints are level.

 

[Anorak]

Thanks Steve good suggestions. When you say bend them off of the sleepers is it best to "strap" them together somehow and bend them so they are something similar in shape before threading them back on?

I was going to try and avoid joints on curves if at all possible but thanks for the suggestion on staggering the joints.

Tim

 

[minimans]

My suggestion would be gentle curves and beg borrow or steal a twin rail bender!! G scale flex track isn't really flex track as it's known in the smaller scales it always wants to spring back and will continue to straighten after you've laid it! ...................

 

[Anorak]

My suggestion would be gentle curves and beg borrow or steal a twin rail bender!! G scale flex track isn't really flex track as it's known in the smaller scales it always wants to spring back and will continue to straighten after you've laid it! ...................

You aren't kidding on it wanting to go straight again!

This evening I will have a rethink and then decide how I'm going to secure the track in the shape I desire.

Where there is a will there is a way, where there isn't a way there is always over engineering

Tim

 

[bobg]

When I laid mine, I made a small jm-crow (single rail) and only curved the inside rail, with small tweaks every half sleeper. It was a bit tedious but it worked fine. My ruling radius is 4ft but it would have gone tighter with more 'percy verance'. I also pinned the sleepers 3 places every length.

Make sure the sleepers 'shuffle up' as required.

 

[peterbunce]

Hi Tim, You don't say which track you are using - I use 250 section which is easy to bend, and fix it with Hillman clamps on the curves.

Howver if you are using sya LGB track that is heavier (332 section) and much harder to bend. Hence the suggestion re the railbender. Again I would fix the track on curves with clamps, the straights can be fixed with railjhoiners - solder on half to the end and use some conductive paste to ensure continuity if you are using track power.

As an alternative you can solder a wire loop (old copper 250v cable) across the joins. Drill a hole though the verticale web, solder the wirte to the outside and thread it though to the inside leavin a good loop to allow for some expansion/movement. It will oxide to a dull brown black in time and disappear.

You will need a hefty soldering iron - IF the weather returns to being warm you can use a gas powered iron - I have a very useful Nimrod Europe kit which I find very useful.

 

[Anorak]

Done

I drew a full scale plan on a sheet of ply and with a careful bit of marking and taking my time managed to get all the rails to the right shape.

I'm using Trainline 45 1500mm flexible sections with the same size rail as LGB/Piko. It takes a bit of effort to bend to the right shape but taking everyone's advice and once I'd got over the trepidation of messing it up all went okay. The sections can't be too bad, they are now a flattened S shape and the rail ends line up square without any fettling.

I haven't done anything too adventurous as this was a bit of a learning experience (as well as to add a bit of interest to a long straight section) so I could understand what is possible with the track. I think next time I'll be more confident, as long as I have a full scale plan to follow (at least for the first section) I think even my ham fisted methods would be hard pressed to mess it up.

Now all I have to do is test fit it in place to see if it all fits.........

Tim

 

[Philbahn]

Use your stomach. That's what SOME of the lads on here told me.!

There could be some very long bends

 

[Bram]

Yea, that's true Ross but for a few beers the correct radius could be found