LGB new to this DCC help?

[walkerart]

Hi Chaps, silly question maybe.... is it important to have the screws inside the track head when using brass track clamps? I have only added the first four today but they are the wrong way around.

Also using flex track which I started yesterday, is it better to slide the track in the sleepers then bend it or bend the heads then add it. I did it track head first on my first try and it seems to have worked.

Hope you are all well and enjoying the great sunshine out on your railways...

Chris

 

[PhilP]

Hi Chaps, silly question maybe.... is it important to have the screws inside the track head when using brass track clamps? I have only added the first four today but they are the wrong way around.

Also using flex track which I started yesterday, is it better to slide the track in the sleepers then bend it or bend the heads then add it. I did it track head first on my first try and it seems to have worked.

Hope you are all well and enjoying the great sunshine out on your railways...

Chris

There is no 'right' answer to where the screwheads should be. But perceived wisdom, is they should be on the outside of the track. - Keeping them away from the flanges on the wheels..

However, if you want the track to look 'pretty' from the front, you would hide the screws behind the rail, from the main viewing direction. - This can make it a PITA to work on them! But hey! We suffer for our art..

Bending track:
Depends how tight your bends are going to be?
You may well need to snip the webs running under the rail on the outside of the curve, and possibly remove some sections on the rail on the inside of the curve?

PhilP.

 

[JimmyB]

Hi Chaps, silly question maybe.... is it important to have the screws inside the track head when using brass track clamps? I have only added the first four today but they are the wrong way around.

Also using flex track which I started yesterday, is it better to slide the track in the sleepers then bend it or bend the heads then add it. I did it track head first on my first try and it seems to have worked.

Hope you are all well and enjoying the great sunshine out on your railways...

Chris

I have various type of clamp, from "split-jaw" type to Massoth, which all clamp differently, but all my screws are on the inside of the rail, and I have not found any issue with wheel flanges.

 

[walkerart]

There is no 'right' answer to where the screwheads should be. But perceived wisdom, is they should be on the outside of the track. - Keeping them away from the flanges on the wheels..

However, if you want the track to look 'pretty' from the front, you would hide the screws behind the rail, from the main viewing direction. - This can make it a PITA to work on them! But hey! We suffer for our art..

Bending track:
Depends how tight your bends are going to be?
You may well need to snip the webs running under the rail on the outside of the curve, and possibly remove some sections on the rail on the inside of the curve?

PhilP.

 

[walkerart]

Hi PhilP
Thanks for your response.. I kind of thought it was an aesthetic thing.. to me as you said keeping the larger screws away from flanges makes sense … and if on the view side they can be painted to hide the screws mostly … or sand in the case of my cowboy station.
I bought flex track with the bendy sleepers so will look to see if any webs need to go… it seems just fine it was only my first attempt and after just wondered if best bent in the sleepers… but it’s worked so I will stick to this way for now.
Met a new thing but solved it. An older bend R600 had excessive wear on the inside of the outer rail so when linked to my new track flex bend created a right clunk jump. Took it out … but may cut it back to insert the excess from that new flex as that needs trimming back… thus making a longer constant curve and removing the weird wear.
It’s all a “learning curve…”
Chris

 

[dunnyrail]

If you have flex track it is certainly easier to bend just the rail then feed the sleepers onto it. Does make feeding the sleepers a little harder so tis worthwhile to make a little bit off the flange each side to make threading the rail in a little easier. As for the Clamps, I have a bit of both but if you only look at the layout from one side then having the screws inside closest to you and outside the other rail works just as well. I have never had any issue with screws being run on by flanges, but some if the very early LGB may have issues. Either way well worth remembering that the screws can be a very convenient place to add your wiring, make up a loop on a screwdriver just bigger than the clamp screw, tin the loop with solder for a good clean strong feed.

 

[walkerart]

Oh I also managed to burn out my MTS 55005P …. I had left a metal hinge over the track eek.
Hoping it hasn’t destroyed my decoder… fingers crossed.
I can get a replacement for about £50 Antony Green apparently so SMTF Dave tells me.
I know they are old but while I learn and destroy things I’m holding back

 

[walkerart]

If you have flex track it is certainly easier to bend just the rail then feed the sleepers onto it. Does make feeding the sleepers a little harder so tis worthwhile to make a little bit off the flange each side to make threading the rail in a little easier. As for the Clamps, I have a bit of both but if you only look at the layout from one side then having the screws inside closest to you and outside the other rail works just as well. I have never had any issue with screws being run on by flanges, but some if the very early LGB may have issues. Either way well worth remembering that the screws can be a very convenient place to add your wiring, make up a loop on a screwdriver just bigger than the clamp screw, tin the loop with solder for a good clean strong feed.

Thank you