Carbon Limestone Co.

[wcfn100]

Hey is that a Nn3 turntable you are hiding there?

Yeah, it's an old Nn3 diorama that my dad built when he was snowbirding it with me down in AZ.

Also it is strange they warped since that top part is pretty solid. Would thickening the side walls help that? Will hot water straighten them?

Making the sides thicker could help but I get the same thing on my caboose and mobile home prints and those are much thicker. 

If there's nothing you want changed, I'll make them public as soon as I get a chance.

Jason

[timgill]

Chris,

Your handlaid track is beautiful.  How do you line up the PC ties, so the wood ties fit in evenly after you solder the rails?  Also, how do you lay the rails out, so you get nice straights and even curves?  I foresee me getting the rails off center on the ties as I try to lay track in a straight line.  Any tips?

+1 on this. I'd love to hear more about your method; while I've handlaid lots of turnouts, never done any tangent track. Considering going this route on my next project w/code 40.

[Chris333]

Well maybe I should clean the cars with toothpaste like HuskerN does 

[Chris333]

About the track I use a very high precision method 

I print out a Fasttracks turnout template and use it as a guide:

Later when I slide the wood filler ties in I will do that by eye.

And to lay the first rail I use the same high tech template:


Once the first rail is down I just use a MTL Z coupler height gauge to locate the other rail. It is a bit sloppy with C40 rail, but it is really all there is in Z gauge. I should also note that there is no such thing as Nn3 flex track or I would just be using that. Same in N gauge, I'll build turnouts and use flextrack for the rest. In Z scale I have this nifty little thing to get the ties soldered to the first rail:

[davefoxx]

Thanks, Chris.  Your technique may be low tech, perhaps, but your tips are invaluable for getting me started on handlaying basic track.  I'm also stealing the idea in that Handlaid Flextrack Jig for cutting PC ties to length.  I can make a jig out of scrap styrene (I've got tons of black 0.060" styrene), which will save tons of time and increase accuracy, if I get impatient and decide not to wait weeks and weeks for my Fast Tracks order of standard cross ties.

What do you think of this technique?  Pliobond the rail to the wood ties, which would still allow a small amount of wiggle until I get the rails soldered to the PC board ties.  Then, I can take the soldering iron and run along the rail to set the Pliobond.  I might be able to get away with PC ties only every eighth or tenth tie this way.

DFF

[Chris333]

Well the way I do it here with the PC ties being ACCed down already the wood ties slide under nice and tight. Once they are where I want them I will shoot them with ACC. You could use white glue for the tie though I guess. I don't really think you need to glue the rail to the wood. Again If this was N standard gauge I'd use flex track. If I was gonna try it though I would use a Railcraft C40 3-point track gauge to set the rail. When I build C55 turnouts I use 3-point gauges made for C55.

[davefoxx]

I'd use flextrack, if I could, but I don't want to have to replace all of the wheels on my locomotive fleet.  I bought some ME Code 40 flex track a few years ago and gave most of it away, because the flanges hit the spikes.  So, I'm going to have to build my track.

I do have some three-point Code 40 track gauges and an NMRA gauge that I used to build my turnout.  My thoughts are to put all of the ties down, and that might (hopefully ) help me to follow a straight line and keep the rails centered on the ties.  I'll use yellow carpenter's glue to hold the ties down to the cork roadbed.  It may not work or even be necessary, but I think tacking the rail down with Pliobond before soldering might give me the third hand that I will need to do this successfully.  We'll see.

DFF

[Chris333]

I guess that should work. Just make sure none of the wood ties are higher than the PC's. And the heat from soldering will set the glue.

Also you can space out the PC ties further, I'm just being cautious.

[davefoxx]

Just make sure none of the wood ties are higher than the PC's. And the heat from soldering will set the glue.

Oh, crap!  You're right.  I noticed that my PC ties are thinner than the wood ties on my turnout.  However, if I wait until my Fast Tracks order arrives, I ordered some new PC ties, and they are supposed to be the same thickness as the wood ties.

I did the heating trick to set the Pliobond on the turnout's rails.  I figure that if I don't hit any of the PC board ties with the soldering iron until the rails are exactly where I want them, I can still move them slightly for alignment.  Then, once the soldering begins it will help set the rail on the PC board and the wood ties.

Anyway, sorry to hijack your thread.  Back to the show!

DFF

[M.C. Fujiwara]

1/32" x 3/64" stripwood is pretty much an exact match for the old FT PC board ties, and slips under the rails easily.
Not sure about the new ties: haven't used those yet.

Chris: have you tried the Nn3 three-point gauge from RLW?
https://www.republiclocomotiveworks.com/show_item.php?ID=571

Just wondering if it'd hold the rail like the ME C55 N scale three-pointers.

[Chris333]

1/32" x 3/64" stripwood is pretty much an exact match for the old FT PC board ties, and slips under the rails easily.
Not sure about the new ties: haven't used those yet.

Chris: have you tried the Nn3 three-point gauge from RLW?
https://www.republiclocomotiveworks.com/show_item.php?ID=571

Just wondering if it'd hold the rail like the ME C55 N scale three-pointers.

I ordered 3 of those track gauges. On one side a piece of rail is very tight, the other side is a little bit loose so I just skipped them altogether. If I was making a larger Nn3 layout with working turnouts I would spend some time and make a gauge.

BTW 1/32" x 3/64" stripwood pretty much has to be ordered.

[wcfn100]

Cars are up on Shapeways.

http://shpws.me/qngj


Jason

[Chris333]

Ordered 20 cars, hey it was 0.60 cents more this time 

BTW the cars came about here: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=31457.0

[Chris333]

Did some more work on the first loco. Added steps, horn, bell, hood doors and brake cylinders. As asked a coin for reference 



BTW the only brake cylinders I could find in my stash were from Intermountain reefer kits, anyone know if this part is still available?

[DKS]

Stunning.