New Ho train Kit

[guslcp]

If you have everything glued down, I don't see a need for screwing the track down.  All the track in my layout (about 150 feet) is glued to the cork roadbed.  I haven't seen any track coming loose in the 10 years I've had it.  If you ballast the track, that will give it even further anchorage.

Good luck..!!

Gus.

[Len]

If you glued to track to the foam, why do you need screws?

Len

[MrMoose]

I did not glue the track to the foam board..the only place I glue the track to was on the incline and decline foam risers.
And to answer the other questions I did countersink the screws so they fit flush with the ties. And I did test the track after I screwed it all down and everything works fine. Ballasting the track will hide the screws.
Cheers

[DougInCal]

Very interesting and informative thread.  MrMoose, I am very new and beginning to RR modeling.  Would explain what this "foam" is and where you found it.

[guslcp]

The foam is insulating board found at Home Depot or other home improvement stores.
It comes in different "ratings" and thicknesses.  The pink is the best suited for our purposes.

Gus.

[MrMoose]

Very interesting and informative thread.  MrMoose, I am very new and beginning to RR modeling.  Would explain what this "foam" is and where you found it.

It is what Guslcp said, insulating board the thickness you use is your choice most use either 1" or 2" depending on how deep you would want to cut sub terrain into it. Like streams, gullies, lakes, rivers, culverts, etc,etc. and pink is the most preferred insulation board to use.

[Len]

In some parts of the country, the blue foam insulation is easier to find. Pink or blue, the key is that it's extruded foam, not the kind made from pellets that fly all over the place when cut.

Len

[WoundedBear]

Blue extruded foam............ Dow Chemical

Pink extruded foam............ Owens Corning

Green extruded foam..........usually Plastifab

Availability of each usually depends on which company is close to your area. Being as how the product is mostly air, manufacturers do their best to not have to ship it overly far.

Sid

[MrMoose]

Update:
I have all the feeder wires soldered to the track now I have to connect them to the bus, I will be using suitcase connectors for that. I ordered a sound decoder for my Bachmann Amtrak GP 40-2 that is DCC ready. Just plug and play.
Thats it for now. Happy Railroading!!!

[guslcp]

Once you start connecting the feeders to the bus, check, after EVERY connection that the system works.  It's no fun having to track down a short circuit once you have finished connecting all of them, only to find that it doesn't work...
It takes a bit longer, but once you are finished, you'll have a functioning layout.

Gus.

[jbrock27]

Good stuff Moosey!

[MrMoose]

 

[MrMoose]

update:
I have all the feeders connected to the Bus and no shorts. ( I did good  ).
Now I'm just waiting for some terminal blocks to come so I can start to wire up the turnouts.

[MrMoose]

Update:

I started to build my control panel for the turnouts. I built a frame to the size that I needed and got a piece of plexiglass 1/8" cut to the size to fit the frame. I used 1/8" white pinstriping to layout where the turnouts are on the plexiglass. I have ordered some Ken Stapleton's 751D module switches that I'll use for the toggle switches. They will eliminate alot of wiring otherwise.
I will paint the back side of the plexiglass black so the white pinstripe will stand out.

[MrMoose]

Update:

I finished building the turnout panel for my switches and leds. I drilled out the plexiglass for them.
I have received the switch panels, and now waiting for the screw-in edge terminals to solder to the switch panels.
Then I can wire up all the turnouts and leds. After that I can start on the Landscape and scenery.

Here is a Pic of my switch panels that I'm using. These are for twin coiled tunouts.



That it for now.   Happy Railroading!!!