# Laying track



## Jonesywood (Mar 21, 2011)

I'm just starting out with my layout but before I jump into it I haven't found too much about laying track and what ways to wire the track. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Welcome aboard. 
We all start somewhere. 

In future posts it will help if you include brand names, as different products behave differently. 

When I jumped in it was an Aristocraft starter set and a bunch of stainless steel track.... The first day I laid out the track, the next I spent picking up the screws that were insde the ties in a lump of wax...... out of the dirt! Yep the sun on black ties loosened the wax and gravity did the rest... then I used the small allen style driver to set all the screws in the joiners. If you are using this track buy a ball tipped allen screw driver and use a conventional allen wrench to torque the screws. Some folks discard the joiners and use rail clamps, but I went the cheap route and reshaped the joiners when necessary to get good rail alignment, I used a pair of channel lock pliers. The original oval has been down since '05 and still conducts fine. 
At first I placed the track on bare dirt... but it looked funny, so I bough some decorative rock at Home Disapointment and it looked funnier! 










That pinkish stuff is gone!







I use grave I gather and screen on site. After the first rain, I gathered larger rocks to border the track and retain the 'ballast'. Now I build cribbing and retaining walls.

For now find a flat spot and run a train, A single hook up will be ok for now, I like 16 ga wire. There are rail clamps for this, but cheap me used the screws that hold the ties on... underneath. I formed the wire ends as eyes and soldered them then attached to track with the screw.

While your train runs, read the forum on track.... there are several ways to lay a garden railroad. Then we'll talk about power...

You've come to the right place for great ideas. The other guys have 'em!










John


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

First off I would see if there is a club close by and join. Look and see what other people in your area are doing.
There are lots of different ways to lay track. You have to do what works for you. Some people dig a trench and use gravel,
some use wood and concrete. The way that work best for me was the ladder method.
Oh and welcome to the forum.

Don


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Welcome to a great hobby and a great site. I would start by looking at the area you are planning to put the track. Is it rocky, lots of trees which equals lots of roots, is it pitched or flat. Then figure out where you want the train to go and how best to get there. I have used many different methods of laying track to conquer my yard that is anything but flat. Mostly I have just put in stakes to maintain less than a 3% grade and then built up to them with dirt and then small gravel for ballast. In some areas that really pitched I used 2x4's one screwed on top of the other to form a tee. 
AS for power when I first started I used the LGB pack that came in my starter set and thta worked fine with the LGB engine on 125' of track. 
It would help if you gave us an idea of your layout site and what type of equipment you want to run and how you want to power it. 
I have a video of my layout under whimsical and fun trains that will give you a look at how my track is down. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7sF-NT8tPY


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Welcome to MLS. You will get lots of advice and tips from all the folks here. I also would recommend doing a search on your questions and read up on as much as you can. Later RJD


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

There are lots of helpful people here with good advice.

Then there's me


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 26 Mar 2011 05:56 PM 
There are lots of helpful people here with good advice.

Then there's me










Good one! LOL

Dave V


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

I haven't found too much about laying track 

Welcome to MLS. 
As noted above, there's lots of info here. Unfortunately the search function doesn't work very well, so try a site-specific Google search, like this: "site:mylargescale.com laying track". I got 592 hits from this site - happy reading!


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

There's a whole section about laying track! It's called, oddly enough, "Track, Trestles, Bridges and Roadbed."


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## Dan Pantages (Jan 2, 2008)

Do what Don says, join a club and see what they are doing. You didn't say where you are in the world, it can make a difference how you should lay track. Also what do you have planned, 10Ft, 100Ft or 1000Ft of track, inside/outside, raised or on the ground? There are lots of answers that depend on some of these questions.


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