Friday, February 12, 2010

Track Hassles

 



I love this picture on the back of the Lionel Catalog. It's so well drawn, makes you think of Grand Central on a rainy, smokey night. I've been there plenty of times in real life and the Lionel lights really plug into the reality of that building well.

At any rate, I've been struggling with Gargraves Flex track on my layout. I got about 3 pieces down and they just looked all wrong. I ripped them up and started all over. I am getting really frustrated. I like the Gargraves wooden ties and the five rail track. It looks good and I've seen it on plenty of layouts. It's just been a bear to Dremel it properly and get the 72 inch curves measured up on my tiny layout. Yes, there is enough room for it on the layout. It just is really difficult getting these curves right. I am almost ready to pay someone to come help me with this! Once I see it done once I think I can replicate it, it's just getting it done correctly. Not running my trains is turning out to be easily one of the most frustrating things on earth!

Marc
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

if you make a jig out of plywood it will bend a lot easer. also if you have any joints in the bend it is best to soider the joints to keep it from kinking. rick

Dean Chambers said...

Marc, if you cut a piece of 1/4" plywood on a radius to match the INSIDE curve of the tracks, it is relatively easy to bend the Gargraves track (at least the 3-rail track). If you set a nail at the center of the circle you are scribing, it is easy to just lay a straight edge from that nail to wherever you want to cut the track--you have your radius. I did it with O gauge track.

Dean Chambers