Best Of Faux Code 40 track

[DKS]

Yes I see- I had forgotten about that.  It would be easier to pull the rails then and have a single piece design, or just buy ME c55 rail for a DIY track.

Would like to have gone C55, but I would still be stuck using the Minitrix turnouts, since handlaid track was out of the question for me.

Was the Minitrix flex track with steel rail or sectionals?

Not sure what you mean. The whole layout is all sectional NS track, except for a 14-inch long trestle, where I used a piece of Minitrix NS flex.

[Lemosteam]

Would like to have gone C55, but I would still be stuck using the Minitrix turnouts, since handlaid track was out of the question for me.

Not sure what you mean. The whole layout is all sectional NS track, except for a 14-inch long trestle, where I used a piece of Minitrix NS flex.

I see now that your original post mentioned sectional track.  I have a piece of steel Minitrix Flex that @peteski sent to me for magnetic testing waaaaay back, and before i reread your original post , i was thinking flex and that I could attempt to design to that.

[DKS]

I see now that your original post mentioned sectional track.  I have a piece of steel Minitrix Flex that @peteski sent to me for magnetic testing waaaaay back, and before i reread your original post , i was thinking flex and that I could attempt to design to that.

Ah, got it. Yes, Minitrix track was initially some kind of steel alloy (it doesn't rust), even the sectional track. However, they switched to all NS at some point (the flex I have is NS), and strangely, the switches and power feeder track were always NS from the beginning. I could never find out why, and I suspect one may never know--just some of those strange little wrinkles in the forgotten history of an obscure product line.

[svedblen]

Great idea and innovative idea! The result really looks good.

Incidentally, I'm using ballast from Minitec of Germany: 50-0321-02 for the mainline, 50-1021 for the quarry sidings (it's lighter, more like crushed granite), and 50-0021-01 for the yard area (slightly darker and finer). These are made for Z Scale, but I've found them ideal for N, as I think most commercial ballast made for N is a bit too coarse.

As I remember the German Minitec company went bankrupt a few years ago, but apparently the Dutch company Unique Scenery Products has taken over their line of ballast products (http://www.sceneryproducts.nl/, or http://www.sceneryproducts.co.uk/ for the English speaking version).

[DKS]

As I remember the German Minitec company went bankrupt a few years ago, but apparently the Dutch company Unique Scenery Products has taken over their line of ballast products (http://www.sceneryproducts.nl/, or http://www.sceneryproducts.co.uk/ for the English speaking version).

Thank you for that information.

[DKS]

I'd neglected to address the 800-pound gorillas in the photos: the ground throws. I'd originally planned to power them with Tortoise switch machines, but they're too expensive for my current budget of zero. So, I decided to use good old Caboose Industries so-called "N Scale" ground throws. Yes, they're horribly oversized, but then so is my track! It would greatly simplify the process of controlling the turnouts, and at considerable savings.

I took the most simple, straightforward approach possible. After bending the tip of a piece of fine steel wire into a short L, I inserted the wire under the turnout and popped the end of the L up through the hole in one of the two rivets that secure the point rail to the throw bar. Then I slid a couple of pieces of thin black styrene under the wire, and glued them in place with CA. This both locked the wire under the throwbar and created a smooth sliding surface for it. I bent the long end of the wire vertically into another L as close to the turnout as possible. After I secured the ground throw to the subroadbed with a piece of VHB tape, I carefully trimmed the ground throw end of the wire with a Dremel cutoff disk.





As I was installing the ground throws for the yard area, it occurred to me that I could simplify the control panel by adding microswitches to the ground throws; they'd cut power to the sidings when the turnouts were thrown against them so I could park one of the locos as needed. I installed the microswitches such that they wouldn't interfere with the placement of structures: I glued them endwise to a chunk of sheet styrene, cut a hole in the subroadbed, and mounted them vertically in the hole, with just the end of the switch lever sticking out to engage the end of the ground throw sliding bar.







When I get to the scenery stage, my plan is to build simple covers for the ground throws, then covering the covers with greenery that will blend in with the surrounding vegetation. So, the ground throws will basically disappear visually. To use one, simply lift a wad of vegetation and throw the thing.

[pdx1955]

Leave it to DKS to make code 80 snap track look handlaid...   

Given the wide tie spacing and the irregularity, it kinda looks narrow-gaugey to me...maybe this could have some HOn2.5 applications if the ties aren't too small?

[DKS]

...maybe this could have some HOn2.5 applications if the ties aren't too small?

The ties would have to be a lot longer. But, otherwise, a possibility.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ok, resuscitating a thread here because... I think I want to try this myself.

I think I might know the answer, but what's the chance that this could be replicated so I can create a scene like this:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/12345899335/in/set-72157640589530695

[narrowminded]

I don't think I saw this thread before but what was done is very impressive. 

I'm eventually going to try printing ties and switch ties complete with plates and guides for just setting/ gluing the rail in place.  Still make frogs with fastrack tools but they'll just set in to guided pockets. 

[wm3798]

Jeez.  I step outside for a minute and come back to find the genius of the Railwire still fully on display!

I was just looking at the arm load of c80 vintage track I've come into possession of, and wondered what I'll do with it all!

Probably not this, it looks ridiculously labor intensive...
But it's good to know that ideas and creative solutions still flow from the mind of DKS the way a tornado sweeps through a trailer park!

Lee

PS:  @Ed Kapuscinski , is that an N scale M&P you're considering?  Let me know when you want to go ghost hunting.  There are still quite a few around.

[Doug G.]

Yes, coming back to this thread, it looks even more incredible than it did when we were still on the first page. David truly has a very ingenious mind.

Doug

[Ed Kapuscinski]

PS:  @Ed Kapuscinski , is that an N scale M&P you're considering?  Let me know when you want to go ghost hunting.  There are still quite a few around.

Yessir. I've got quite a few schemes cooked up. And it's tough to ignore the ghosts when one haunts you from just outside your window.

[DKS]

And it's tough to ignore the ghosts when one haunts you from just outside your window.

Rule Number (whatever): We tend to model what we see...