Actually a title from a Tony Koester in the inaugural MRP issue from 1995, but one still relevant for my embryonic Caruthersville Branch. For the intial section I recycled some Atlas Code 100 NS track. I'd like to go much smaller, though and am planning on handlaying. The advantages that I see: (1) Small layout size makes handlaying and still operating this millenium realistic. (2) Complex crossing/wye at Hayti can be built to the space (rather than trying to shoehorn space around pre-mfg. track pieces). (3) A perceived cost savings in materials (let me know if I'm wrong here). My Concern: In a garage that is not climate-controlled, my fear is that wooden ties (and to a lesser extent, Code 70 or smaller track) will make the track prone to kinking out of gauge during our Mid-Missouri weather extremes. I know Doug Hughes has handlaid track - if there are others out there I'd be eager to hear their opinions. I don't mind learning "how to" but I don't want to put the sweat equity into trackwork only to have the section gangs spending more time on the track than the trains!
I have gone either way. I have built a layout with hand-laid track. The layout had 120 feet of mainline plus 3 passing tracks, and a ten track yard. Code 100 rail was used through out. Turnouts were Arvid Anderson kits. On a second, but smaller layout, I used Railcraft (now Micro Engineering) flex-track. On this layout, I used code 70 and code 55 rail. http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?manu=255&split=30 I really liked the look that the small rail provided, and I would urge others to consider code 55 rail for their branch line layouts. The Micro Engineering flex track has excellent spike and tie plate detail. Regarding your concern about swelling wooden ties, I would be more concerned about the material that you use for a substrate. Materials that will expand or contract with changes in humidity can cause more trouble than using wooden ties. For example, I had some minor trouble with Homasote and plastic ties. Might I recommend doing both, and then see which works best for you.
Howdy, I hand laid the track on my first three layouts and made all the turnouts. I used code seventy rail and I think, Campbell ties (it's been a while). The ties were laid on homasote glued and clamped to plywood. It is fairly dry is western Oklahoma, so I didn't experience any problems there. In Belgium, it rained ALL THE TIME, and my layout was in Le Cave (basement). Now, that was humid. Over a three year period, it rusted every bit of unprotected metal I had, steel axels, coupler pocket covers, etc. The humidity did not affect my trackwork. I had cut gaps for control blocks and filled them with epoxy as an insulator. While it may have expanded and contracted a bit, the gaps took care of the problem. I do recall one time having one expanding rail close a gap, that is when I started using filled epoxy as an insulator in the gaps. We have high humidity in the Texas Western club layout room, but most track is flextrack. That said, I do plan to use hand laid code 55 in the dock area to service a sand and gravel facility I am building. The roadbed is homasote on plywood, and I am not worried about moisture. We use Titebond II between the homasote and plywood, and it is very water resistant. Hope this helps, it was my experience with handlaid track and turnouts. Best Regards, mike
