Nailing track down outside?

[Metallus2000]

Question, I understand track needs to flex with the weather outside, but do you still nail down track on the corners and areas of multiple track sections like switches, crossings, etc?

[glennk28]

I don't--I had a layoput down from 1985 until 2001 with the track just floating in the rock ballast--screened to 1/4" size.  All rail joints had bond wires soldered ro maintain continuity, and I had feeders (12 ga UF cable) to the far corners.   

Perhaps this summer, with the K-27 as an excuse, I'll get the new layout in.   gj

[Metallus2000]

I actually have this on a raised bed system, ground too uneven to use gravel, which I already tried.  I am going to use black roofing shingles to put under the track on top of the wood to simulate trackbed and lincoln logs and dowels for bridgework underneath.  I would attache a pic, but I get an error message saying uploader is full!

[Greg Elmassian]

I've been studying this for some time, and it depends on the climatic conditions you have.

If you have extreme temperature changes, you need to handle expansion in a more agressive manner.

I find 2 philosophies work:

Free floating track where the track (rail and ties) are allowed to expand and contract. Basically you anchor the track in ballast, like a real railroad.

You can still fix turnouts to something flat and rigid, like a piece of hardibacker, but most track is allowed to "move" a bit. "Corners" are the most important NOT to fix down, since this is normally where the "give" in the system occurs.

If you have a more extreme climate, like lots of rain, free floating track may wash out and need more maintenance (like a real railroad). This can be handled with drainage, culverts, bridges, etc.

But some people will say I don't want this stuff to move at all. They normally start by screwing the ties down. Well, this normally causes problems immediately, the track will normally expand and contract much more than what you screwed it to.

Most people then experience rails kinking, binding, gapping. The natural thing to do is to let the rails float free in the ties. Unfortunately, this now leads to the REQUIREMENT that the rails slide freely. Nature is never that friendly, and you often get big gaps in some places and none or kinking in others. When this happens, usually the only remedy is "expansion track sections" to allow movement of 1/2 to 3/4". Hillman and Split Jaw make these sections. Used in this situation it can work very well.

I personally recommend that people try to free float the track if at all possible. Done correctly, I feel it is a lot less work and expense.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Greg

[Metallus2000]

Greg thanks, good info.  I saw some rail lock clamps at wholesaletrains...worth the purchase? or would that not allow the track to flex?

[Greg Elmassian]

Well, flex is not the word you want to use with rail clamps.

I can't really answer your question correctly until I know what philosophy are you going to adopt?

(Fixed or floating).

Then I can give you more information I have gleaned over how the clamps interact with the whole picture of expansion and contraction.

(Please don't say both, this could wind up being a book, not a thread!).

Regards, Greg

[Metallus2000]

If I could post my pics (says uploader full) I would show you...

[Greg Elmassian]

I just asked fixed or floating track.

That should be simple to answer, i.e. is there any mechanical connection between your tie strips or rails to something in the ground. Did you screw the tie strips to anything, or secure the rails to anything except the tie strips?

By the way, rail clamps usually cannot resist all forces from expansion and contraction.

Going back to your original post, the literal answer to your question is no.

Regards, Greg