Help Need HO Scale Steam Locomotive that steams and whistles

[jbrock27]

Doc, as long as both the flex track and sectional track are both Code 100, they will join at the same level without the need for any "leveling".  They both have plastic ties of the same or close to same, thickness.
And not to be a wet blanket, but a danger of using flex track for someone who has not had a lot of experience with it, is to make the curves with it too tight.

[Irbricksceo]

Hey, before you make the purchase, I just want to ask, how did you come to the conclusion that it was 12 feet? Curves rarely work out to be that exact.

[Martha]

doneldon ask about the brass radius, the curved sections are marked 18R. Jbrock77 The second power rerailer I have doesn't want to work any better than the other but it could just be all the crappy joints I have.

I just spent money on track bed so I won't be buying EZ track even if it is the easiest.

I measured what I have now with a flexible sewing tape measure. It might not be exactly 12 ' but it is close enough for me to know how much track I will need.

The flex track I am looking to purchase is from Omnimodels, a online model everything store. They state it is new, in the original box and is nickel silver. I bought the track bed from this place and it was as stated what I purchased. It states it can be bent to a minimum radius of 18". It is on black ties, which doesn't matter to me.

Jbrock77 I did watch that video and trust me if I had not just bought track bed I would be buying EZ track and snapping it together.

Doneldon - you confused be a tad, mentioning different levels of track? Were you thinking I am combining brass and nickle silver? I know there is 83 and 100 in track (I think that is height of the rail?). What I am doing is all nickel silver flex track all one size. The brass crap I have will be just a distant memory, kind of like an old lover, stuffed in a box or toss in a dumpster.

Now the radius. This is where I am not sure about. What I have now the radius seems to be fine, not so tight the cars can't navigate around the track. The problem I am having NOW is a zillion crappy joints and old crappy track, 2 beat up rerailer/power tracks.

With four pieces of flex track I should be able to make nice smooth radius's with 8 joiners, a nice simple oval should be created right? The question now that comes to mind. The two radius's on each end of the oval is approximately 58 inches from one side to the other side. That is using my flexible sewing tape measure that I laid down the middle of the tracks and measured from one side to the other side of that curve. The flex track is 36" each so two make 72 inches. I would want to lay the two joined pieces of track at the center of that radius, bring them around (both sides) to complete the radius and start my straight track from there. Would that be a correct way to lay it out? OR do I want to off set the two joined tracks to make that radius? What little I have messed with flex track I had (actually turned out to be steel stuff someone sold me as nickel. that bend in the radius might do better not right smack in the center of it. I think I may be over thinking this or just frustrated with it all.  Maybe I should get 5 pieces just in case I need to have extra or need to do a repair down the road?

Sorry if I am sounding like someone who has no idea what I am doing. Oh wait I don't know what I am doing! Its late and I might need to rethink this in the morning. Better sleep on it.

[jward]

Jeff, how are you able to pull or loosen the track apart when only one side is melted and the other still locked in with a solid solder joint?
I thought filing the tops of the rails as a no no bc it leds to scratches that then led to dirt and crud collection in the scratches?  I did not think that properly set sectional track needed additional tweaking to get wheels to run properly over the rails.  If they are not, I would be looking to the sections of track for twisting of the rails, warping or being out of guage or the joiners not being true, causing problems between sections.

there is enough play in the rail joiners that you can wiggle the tracks apart if you heat one side at a time.

filing the blunt ends of the rails removes any burrs that may be on the rails. these extraneous bits of metal left cause bumps in the track and can derail cars. by beveling the tops and inside edges, at the rail ends only, you not only remove the burrs but also provide a beveled transition in case your rails are slightly misaligned. and since you are only using the file on the very ends of the rails, you are not putting scratches in the rail tops for long distances. the affected area would be a fraction of the width of a wheel, at each joint. it is not a large enough sot to cause problems.

btw, I notice you are considering the use of fex track. this is good for a permanent layout, but in your case id' recommend you stick with sectional track. it is a lot harder to get smooth joints on curves with flex track, the rail ends will need to be cut as one will be longer than the other on the curves, and flex track doesn't like being taken down and set up repeatedly. sectional track is designed to avoid all of those problems for people in your situation.

[Martha]

Good morning, slept on this dilemma, replacing all the track with nickel silver. Still have not made a decision. The advice I am getting is helping but also creating new questions from the comments I have gotten.

Working with flex track. If I connect 4 - 3' pieces will I be able to create an oval shape fairly easy? That would give me about 12' of track? I know the flex track has one rail that does move, if joining all 4 pieces will that moving track "adjust" and create the oval or will I have to cut and join? If I need curved track and flex track to make this oval what radius track do I need and how many and how many straight tracks will I need. Keep in mind I am trying to avoid numerous joints, this seems to be my problem now (maybe that isn't possible-less joints than I have now). Also, once this track is glued down it is not coming off. I store the platform with the track attached. No need to undo things. All I need to do is disconnect the power supply and store it separately.

after watching some videos, would I want to use 22" radius, 18" radius or 9" radius? at the moment I am using 18", six for each end of the oval.

[Martha]

Just spent the last few hours searching, researching, watching videos, re-reading advice here and because I am of a gender that changes their mind quite often in a matter of minutes have decided ( before I change my mind again) to purchase Bachmann EZ Track, Nickel Silver, enough track to make the approximate 58X36 inch oval I currently have. It is purchased and should be here in a couple days, luckily the distribution center is here in Reno. I will just chalk up the wasted road bed I already put down to inexperience. I only used half the roll so maybe I can sell the rest with the rest of the stuff I have accumulated and won't use to someone.

Now I do have questions for the EZ track install, any thing special I need to do to the foam platform? How should I attach it to the foam board, remember it will remain adhered to the foam layout when stored.

I did not purchase the straight terminal rerailer as the only one they had was steel not n/s. I did buy  terminal joiners to supply power. It's one set of joiners with two wires for the power. Now will that be enough or will I need to add more power to the tracks? It was very cheap so if you say I should buy a E Z straight terminal rerailer I will.

If there is any further info I should know about setting up, using, etc this EZ track let me know. My days of brass, steel used flex track, yeah a magnet stuck to the crap (was told it was N/S, liar), foam track bed are gone. I may consider down the road replacing the power supply I have, OH MY GOSH! will my old power supply pack work with the EZ track? PLEASE say YES. For now this is it! No more additions, no more locos, tracks, joiners, and what not! Ha Ha that was a funny sentence. Next I will be asking advice for all the twinkle lights and crossing signals and who knows what.

Okay this nut job is signing off for now!

[jbrock27]

YES

[Martha]

jbrock77, my cars I will be using all have those cheap plastic wheels. Would it be worth it to change them out to metal wheels? If so I see they're 36" and 33" size, what ones would I use? what does those sizes mean?

[Doneldon]

Doc, as long as both the flex track and sectional track are both Code 100, they will join at the same level without the need for any "leveling".  They both have plastic ties of the same or close to same, thickness.
And not to be a wet blanket, but a danger of using flex track for someone who has not had a lot of experience with it, is to make the curves with it too tight.

Jim-

But she will need to use something like cork roadbed to bring her rails up to the height of roadbed attached sectional track, which we know she has because she has said so in previous posts.

It doesn't sound to me like she's trying to jam her tracks into tight places, especially since her layout is well populated with scenery and buildings. The shape of her track is pretty much set because she used all sectional track before.
                                                                                                     -- D

[jbrock27]

I don't think so Doc.  If you look at her layout video, the track looks to me like traditional sectional track, not track with roadbed.  I think this is why you confused Martha when you mentioned the height adjustment being necessary between the sectional track and flex track.  Since then, only in the last 24 hours or so, it appears she has decided to purchase EZ track with n/s rails.  I don't know if I would be certain the shape of her track is "all set" with the track troubles she has had; there may be a need for some minor adjustments to the shape. 

JW, thank you for your reply.  I still see that as being extremely difficult to do.  If it were me, I would take the Xuron cutters, put them in line where the joint is on the two rails and cut. The cutters will basically follow the line of the joint and go right through the joiner.  To me the joiners would already be bunged up enough to not bother trying to reuse (and bring further h/a) to try to desolder.  Very little rail, if any is lost this way and the rail ends can be cleaned up using your file method after heating up what remains of the rail joiners to get them off the rails, once everything is apart and can be worked on separately.  With this method there is little added risk of applying too much heat and melting ties, making a real mess of the situation.  What had me wondering was your description of filing where the wheels run and "top edge", which to me is the top of the rails, not the ends where they join together.

Martha, consider the costs involved of replacing the wheels before you do it.  I agree with a great friend of mine who says he does not get anal over the wheels as long as they run properly.  Consider that if you are replacing cheap ABS wheelsets, you are likely going to have to replace the trucks that hold them to do the job right.  The cost of this, which usually includes new couplers, mounting coupler boxes etc, can add up the cost and be prohibitive given the car you are working on.  This point has been made on the board many times in the past.  I have been on both sides of the debate as well.
To answer your question, they are different wheel diameters.  As freight cars increased their tonnage, the wheel diameter increased from 33 to 36.  Most older cars, being lesser tonnage, have 33s for wheels. Newer, bigger cars, have 36s.  This applies to freight cars.  I don't own any, but believe that passenger cars, even old timers, had 36s. For your old time freight cars, running with your steamer, 33s.

[jward]

jb
but if you cut through the joiners how will you get them off the rails? it is much easier to heat the joint and remove one rail from the joint, then heat the joiner and use pliers to pull it off. you can't do that if you cut the joiners.

[Martha]

Good morning all. Seems I have created some confusion here on my track layout and because I have changed my mind (more than once) discussions are still on the old stuff and old the layout. Maybe we can start over from this post on.

I am installing BRAND NEW Bachmann EZ track N/S as soon as it is delivered! On the foam platform I have. This is what I probably should had done a few years back but being a newbie I didn't know any better or even where to go for advice.

I purchased enough to make an oval 36X58. There will be six 18R at each end of the oval and 2 straights each side, total 4 straights. This is basically what I had. If I need to "wiggle" it a tad I have room to do so. By "wiggle" I mean once all the nice new track is joined together and it makes that nice oval shape I can move it N, S, E, W  to keep it correctly aligned and on the platform. I have removed the old brass track and the newly glued down track bed. Luckily I only got a few sections of ballast completed prior to this new development some got on the foam and that will be scraped off giving me a nice clean new surface to layout the new track. Basically starting from scratch. I will glue the EZ track to the platform and will store it that way.

If this new track does not work, well you will hear my fowl words from where ever you are located, sound travels they say!

I will not attempt to replace the wheels as I had thought of doing, it does sound expensive and once this new track is installed the plastic should do fine. If not, well I will go to plan B what ever that might be. I did read from old post about the wheels after I asked my question a few post back. Going to start to do that, go back and read old post. Might save me time from asking too many questions.

I do need help about when it comes to supplying power to the new track. I did not buy a rerailer terminal track as OmniModels only had the steel one and I want it all to stay n/s. I did buy a joiner terminal with the wires attached to use to supply power. Will that be enough or should I use the rerailer track kind or what? At this point I will buy/use whatever you all think. You are the experts in this field.

So to recap what Martha is now doing to her project she is waiting on new Bachmann EZ N/S track to be delivered. Once here she will be installing it and moving on to other things on the village.

[jbrock27]

jb
but if you cut through the joiners how will you get them off the rails? it is much easier to heat the joint and remove one rail from the joint, then heat the joiner and use pliers to pull it off. you can't do that if you cut the joiners.

Incorrect, you can and I have done it.  It is very easy and simple.  And luckily, have only had to do this once, on a piece of straight track where I was foolish enough to not thoroughly check a joiner I was using that turned out to be mishappen and as a result caused an unwanted kink once soldered. 
You just heat what remains (1/2) of the joiner on each of the 4 rail ends (one at a time of course) until the solder is melted and you can push it off the rail using the tip of the sodering iron.  I use a chisel tip.  I worked from the underside and pushed along the edge of the joiner, while the section of track I worked on had the rail side on a wet sponge.  Easy peasy.

[jbrock27]

Sounds like a good plan Martha. 
Using the rail joiners with the wires soldered to them to power the track is easy.  You will just have to remove the joiner that is already in place on the EZ track and replace it with one of the ones with wire soldered to it.  There is a great video somewhere on the board here that someone posted, where if I recall correctly, they just carefully used diagnal cutters ("dykes")  to pry off the existing rail joiner.  I am sorry I do not remember whom that was, as I like to identify and address people by name instead of referring to them as "someone" or "somebody".
It would not hurt to have your layout powered from 2 different points, preferably as far from each other a possible.  Remember to be consistent with where you place the wired joiners-North Rail, South Rail.  If you need to add length to any of these wired joiners, see my earlier refreneces to joining wires by solder or crimp connectors.

[Martha]

Thanks Jbrock77, once I get the track and set it up and try the terminal joiner, if it doesn't supply enough power I will go and buy the rerailer track with power terminals or add more myself. I saw a very detailed video on doing that. I have started going back and looking for post on this site. Looking for all the neat tricks of the trade.