Finally started our first Thomas Layout

[AndyJB]

I have finally started the layout, the bench work is complete all but the legs. Bench work without legs?? Currently it is sitting on my table saw and it's extended table. This is because it's final resting place will be at a back breaking 24 to 30" , just right for a young lad but not for me.
It's basically a double loop, one going over the other at one end, 3 inside the loop spur lines and one outside spur which will go to a future module housing the roundhouse.
Most of the Bachmann Thomas stuff has already been bought by relatives and friends, about 30 pieces of rolling stock and 12 locos and the round house with 3 additional stalls. I picked up a Digitrax Zephyr and just one decoder with steam sound. The other locos will be tackled one by one later $$$Ouch! I still have a bunch of Peco 100 flextrack and switches from my own layout from 20 years ago.
Now I just have to install the foam and then I can see how the track plan actually looks and operates on the bench work.

I won't bore you with photos just yet as a bunch of 4"x1" lumber is not too exciting.
Wish me luck.

[SodorAdventures]

This sounds like a great start, and I am excited to see how it progresses throughout the coming months. I for one would love to see the pictures, nothing that has to do with trains can come even close to boring me. Also, the DCC is a fulfilling project. I heard it is difficult, but I know how great the locomotive's sound with the decoders. My advice for building the legs is: 1. make sure (always make sure) that the layout is level. 2. Add crosspieces for advanced supports, and 3. try to curve the edges of the benchwork, as it avoids issues (especially if you have young kids). Just my 2 cents. -Tanner

[Shawn]

Sounds awesome.  I wish I could say I was that far....still running trains on the floor I am afraid.

[AndyJB]

3. try to curve the edges of the benchwork, as it avoids issues (especially if you have young kids). Just my 2 cents. -Tanner

Thanks for the tips but could you elaborate on #3, I'm not sure what you mean by "curve the edges"
Thanks Andy.

[MilwaukeeRoadfan261]

3. try to curve the edges of the benchwork, as it avoids issues (especially if you have young kids). Just my 2 cents. -Tanner

Thanks for the tips but could you elaborate on #3, I'm not sure what you mean by "curve the edges"
Thanks Andy.

What he means by "curve the edges" is make any sharp corners rounded so that should a kid bump their head on the edge of the board, they won't cut their heads that would require a trip to the emergency room. What I would do to round any sharp corners would be to sand them down with some sand paper or a portable belt sander until the corners are nice and round like a wheel on a train.

[AndyJB]

3. try to curve the edges of the benchwork, as it avoids issues (especially if you have young kids). Just my 2 cents. -Tanner

Thanks for the tips but could you elaborate on #3, I'm not sure what you mean by "curve the edges"
Thanks Andy.

What he means by "curve the edges" is make any sharp corners rounded so that should a kid bump their head on the edge of the board, they won't cut their heads that would require a trip to the emergency room. What I would do to round any sharp corners would be to sand them down with some sand paper or a portable belt sander until the corners are nice and round like a wheel on a train.

Gotcha, good advice except mine will be at the little guys waist height.
I'm sad cos nothing is going to progress for the next couple of days as I'm away from home working.
Never mind more to look forward to.

[AndyJB]

It looks like I am going to be forced to use a couple of curved switches/turnouts.
I realize this is likely not best practice but when you are short on space  it can't be helped.
What is the tightest radius these are available in.
This is OO/HO and I'm using Peco 100.

[SodorAdventures]

Hmm, well most code 100 track is compatible, so you are not limited to peco brands. The smallest radius atlas makes in code 100 is 15" inches, but I have had my share problems with 15". If at all possible, try to keep away from the 15" radius, and move us to 18". I promise you that your trains will thank you.

Oh, and curved turnouts are quite expensive, but your best bet for a code 100 curved turnout is walthers #522-244

  http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/552-244

    It has about 18" inside radius, and 20-21" outside radius. I personally would not use curved turnouts just because of the amount of work that needs to go into keeping the connections on it smooth, but when size is a problem, curved turnouts fit quite well.

[AndyJB]

Back home and just waiting for the foam glue to set then I start marking out where the track will go.
In the past I've used the actual flex track and switches, mark around it and then lay the roadbed.
Is there a better way?

[AndyJB]

I've laid all the road bed and have started laying track. I had to use a double slip to get trains between the two oval sections of track as straight level track is at a premium. The good news is that I can push 4 wagons through all routes in both directions without derailments or stops. Also Percy managed to push 4 wagons up the 4% grade, he even managed a start mid incline.
You'll note I said push because I've converted quite a few pieces of rolling stock to KD couplers but none of the locos as yet.
I have used the Woodland Scenics Foam Sub Terrain system, it's a lot more expensive than the cookie cutter method but a lot lighter and simpler. So here's a bunch of questions.
1. Do you guys solder lengths of flex track together before you lay it?
2. Do you solder it to the switches or just use the connectors?
3. How many feeders should I use, there's only about 40 ft of track total and none of it will be more than about 5 feet from the controller as the crow flies?
4. Should I connect feeders to switches?

[SodorAdventures]

1. I use flex track, but never solder the track prior to positioning and gluing it. Solder is very annoying to "desolder", so I solder only when my track is all laid out.
2. Whenever I solder my track (not often) I don't solder near the switches. Just my "Safe, then sorry" method.
3. 40 ft of track is honestly not that much. I would say 2 feeders is safe.
4.I do not personally connect feeders to the usual spdt switches. I just never found a need for it.

[jward]

to answer your questions.

you can solder the joints together on flex track befoer you lay the track as long as you only work with 2 sections at a time. the main advantage here is that presoldered joints lessen the risk of kinks in the track which can derail your trains. if you elect not to solder the joints, be careful to keep them in alignment when you lay the track.

rather than solder feeders to the switches, try soldering feeders to the rail joiners. then you can carefully solder the jointers at the switch.

additional feeders add reduncancy in the circuit that the trains and track form. in electrical matters redundancy is a good thing. especially with dcc, redundancy makes for more reliable connections between trains and power supply.

if you are running dc, with block control, make sure all feeders to a particular block are wired so that the block selector shuts off power to that block. otherwise, your trains will be connected to more than one block at a time, and if somebody else tries to use one of those block selectors you will have two controllers trying to control the same train. not good.

[AndyJB]

Thanks guys for your input, it would appear there are no hard and fast rules except to exercise care when laying track.

[jward]

always. the more care you take in building the layout, the less problems you will have, and the more fun it will be to run.

[SodorAdventures]

Exactly, jward put it perfectly. I have been doing track work for 5 months now. My layout is quite large, but I go slow all the same. If your trains don't run properly, then the whole point of building the layout (in most cases) is kaput. So, yes, be careful. Everyone has their own ways of doing things, as you see here. And you will eventually have your own ways of building a railway.