Building an E-Z track layout

[Saved1]

Jesus Saves, And A Beauty!, never inferred you or anyone had any problems with their EZ track, just pointing out how it is easier to cut non roadbed track with Xuron cutters.  To me, that makes for an advantage for the use of sectional track or flex track, w/o roadbed.  Not everyone has a band-saw at their disposal. 
Nice work, lookin good.  The time and planning you are putting in shows .

I agree it is easy to work with and cut standard sectional track and i do like the advantages of using them, cutting the E-Z track has not been fun nor easy but i was up for the challenge. i was going to make this layout using standard track but since i bought the E-Z track i gave it a go. When i planed the tunnel area i already had some old code 100 track so there was no way i was going to buy extra E-Z track sections for that area if i didn't have to.

[Doneldon]

Saved-

Thank you for the excellent, illustrative photos of your layout's progress. I must say, your sweeping curves and elevation changes are rhythmic and lovely to look at. Why, they're almost to graceful to cover up with track and scenery! You did just a great job with the WS materials.

As regards cutting roadbed attached track, I've used a cut-off wheel in a Dremel tool. I carefully measure first and then cut the roadbed and the rails to the exact length I need. The Dremel makes roadbed joints just about invisible if done slowly and carefully, but that doesn't matter if ballast is applied. Although I no longer use roadbed attached track, I think it is an enormous improvement over yesterday's sectional track.

I have friends who crush some of their ballast nearly to powder for the tight clearance areas around turnouts. They use gray paint and sprinkle on the powder to ensure they have a color match without fouling the points or operating rod.
                                                                                                                                                      -- D

[jbrock27]

Although I no longer use roadbed attached track, I think it is an enormous improvement over yesterday's sectional track.

How so Doc?

[Doneldon]

Jim-

The big difference is the roadbed. It holds things together so much better than rail joiners alone. This improvement disappears once everything is fastened down but roadbed attached track still makes the assembly easier to do than sectional track which has a tendency to come apart or become misaligned even while it's being worked on. It's also easier to get a straight section straight because the roadbed doesn't let things wiggle around. There's nothing that looks worse than a tangent track that weaves back and forth due to sectional track requiring more care in assembly.

You have to remember that my HO days go back to 1959 when track meant Code 100 brass sections, brass flex on paper ties, Tru-Scale milled roadbed or hand laid. And did I mention Code 100 brass? That's all that was readily available. Nickel silver rail was available only as rail, not as part of assembled track of any kind. And everything was Code 100 because all of the wheels had pizza pan flanges.                                                      
                                                                                                                                                                                         -- D

[Saved1]

Saved-

Thank you for the excellent, illustrative photos of your layout's progress. I must say, your sweeping curves and elevation changes are rhythmic and lovely to look at. Why, they're almost to graceful to cover up with track and scenery! You did just a great job with the WS materials.

As regards cutting roadbed attached track, I've used a cut-off wheel in a Dremel tool. I carefully measure first and then cut the roadbed and the rails to the exact length I need. The Dremel makes roadbed joints just about invisible if done slowly and carefully, but that doesn't matter if ballast is applied. Although I no longer use roadbed attached track, I think it is an enormous improvement over yesterday's sectional track.

I have friends who crush some of their ballast nearly to powder for the tight clearance areas around turnouts. They use gray paint and sprinkle on the powder to ensure they have a color match without fouling the points or operating rod.
                                                                                                                                                      -- D

Thanks, yes it was a hard decision to cover up most of the incline work i did but that is just the way the layout was planed, i did already modify my layout plan to get a little more incline to show. working with the WS foam is pretty easy.

oh a dremel i have 2 of them, i love my dremel, the one thing i don't like about using a dremel to cut plastic is that it tends to melt the plastic but they do work very well when you take time with the tool.

I do have some fine gray ballast that i will use in the point areas, i will just take my time in those areas when doing it. 

[jbrock27]

Yes Doc, thank you I realize the difference.
As you put it in the context you did, I now understand why you said what you did. 
Instead of calling roadbed track an improvement over traditional sectional track though, I would instead agree it provides a different option.  As you point out, it stays together better than the job rail joiners do alone on traditional sectional track (which can be solved by soldering the rail joiners together and this also helps keep sections in line-I like to join 3 sections together by soldering them and this makes it easier to work with.)  This makes roadbed attached track ideal for setting up and taking apart  layouts that are temporary, where traditional sectional track is not meant for that.

Saves And A Beauty, I love my Dremel tool too!  Just be careful to wear eye protection when using it-I have had bits of brass and plastic get flung all over the place.

[Saved1]

Yes Doc, thank you I realize the difference.
As you put it in the context you did, I now understand why you said what you did. 
Instead of calling roadbed track an improvement over traditional sectional track though, I would instead agree it provides a different option.  As you point out, it stays together better than the job rail joiners do alone on traditional sectional track (which can be solved by soldering the rail joiners together and this also helps keep sections in line-I like to join 3 sections together by soldering them and this makes it easier to work with.)  This makes roadbed attached track ideal for setting up and taking apart  layouts that are temporary, where traditional sectional track is not meant for that.

Saves And A Beauty, I love my Dremel tool too!  Just be careful to wear eye protection when using it-I have had bits of brass and plastic get flung all over the place.

yeah wearing eye protection is a good idea for sure.

[Doneldon]

Saved-

You can cut plastics with your Dremel if you lower the RPMs. At full speed your abrasive or saw creates high heat which has the potential to distort the things you are working on, including the parts you want to retain. So ... turn the RPMs way down. You'll give up a little speed of cutting, sanding and drilling, but your work will be more accurate and less likely to degrade your final product. Many Dremels have this ability on board. If yours don't, you can get a rheostat into which you plug your tool to get the same control.

Be careful with that fine gray ballast around the moving parts of your turnouts. My friends use almost powdered ballast, not just small ballast. They are mainly concerned with color matching but aren't worried about texture.
                                                                                                                                        -- D

[Saved1]

Saved-

You can cut plastics with your Dremel if you lower the RPMs. At full speed your abrasive or saw creates high heat which has the potential to distort the things you are working on, including the parts you want to retain. So ... turn the RPMs way down. You'll give up a little speed of cutting, sanding and drilling, but your work will be more accurate and less likely to degrade your final product. Many Dremels have this ability on board. If yours don't, you can get a rheostat into which you plug your tool to get the same control.

Be careful with that fine gray ballast around the moving parts of your turnouts. My friends use almost powdered ballast, not just small ballast. They are mainly concerned with color matching but aren't worried about texture.
                                                                                                                                        -- D

ah yes, one of mine has a speed control so i could use that one to cut with. I will be extra careful around the points and switch area when i do it  i'll post pics of the final results when i do it.

[Saved1]

Got a little more progress to my layout done.

I glued down the sections of track for the tunnel areas and put some ballast on the entrance/exit tracks of the tunnel areas about 9 inches a little more then i wanted to but once i started i got excited and went to far lol i used a blend of medium and fine ballast it came out pretty well, i think

a few pics of one of the sections





i also got a few pieces of this stuff, i will use them as tunnel liners for about the first 6 inches or so



like this



I had to cut the trusses of the bridge a little to make them line up with the rest of the E-Z track, was easy i just glued them back together with some plastic cement and once i weather them it should hide the glue, i hope haha



lined up really well




I cut a small section off each end of the E-Z track where the bridge track meets the E-Z track with a small hand saw with a micro fine tooth blade, came out good




drilled and ran all the track feeders, i used 18 gauge stranded wire for the feeders, i used 3 in total.



I also drilled and ran the wiring for some of the block signal lights i will be adding later




since i am doing a video series of my layout build, here is part 4 of the video series,

"spoiler" alert haha in the video i give a sneak peek of the block signals i will be using lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNsF4QNQfeI

well, till next time have fun with your model trains 

[jonathan]

I am really enjoying your work as the layout progresses.  Sharing your work with photos is makes all the difference.  Thanks for letting us watch your layout grow.

I like your weather stripping under the EZtrack.  Looking forward to watching a train run across the rails.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Saved1]

I am really enjoying your work as the layout progresses.  Sharing your work with photos is makes all the difference.  Thanks for letting us watch your layout grow.

I like your weather stripping under the EZtrack.  Looking forward to watching a train run across the rails.

Regards,

Jonathan

Thanks Jonathan and, you're welcome. i am having a lot of fun building this layout and i do believe doing build threads and such are a good thing for the hobby. this is my first layout build i have ever done so, by no means i am no expert at it haha so yeah just goes to show that if i can do it, anyone can!

over 20 years ago i bought a bunch of ho scale train stuff, like a train set (which i did not use lol), buildings, accessories and stuff like that but was never able to build it back then do to having no space but now since i have my house all to my self i can do it yay  so a mix of old and new will be used for my layout.

[wiley209]

Nice retro bridge and trestle there! Who made that one: AHM, Life-Like, Model Power, TYCO or Walthers?

I'm also working on an E-Z Track layout for the local hobby shop's museum.

[Joe323]

Hmm never thought of using the Chooch flexible walls as a tunnel liner.

[jbrock27]

Nice retro bridge and trestle there! Who made that one: AHM

Before I glue assembled ours together (AHM and 2 actually) I spray painted the trestles of the bridge section flat black and then after assembly, I painted the walkways on either side of the track platform, wood color.  Makes a difference.  Before switching to Atlas grey stone block piers, I spray painted the wood looking piers a brown (Rustoelum primer).