# Hand laid narrow gauge track.



## ShayCrazy (Dec 27, 2007)

Hi all! My ruby will be here in a few days and the track should be here soon too! My plan is to build a small garden railway in a couple of flower beds just to see if I like gardening as much as I like playing with trains. I am building a small oval with 5ft radius curves it might turn into a L shaped dog bone we shall see how the track plan evolves. I have ordered 200ft of code 250 aluminum rail from sunset valley trains with the intentions of hand laying the track. 

I could use a little direction as to tie size and spacing. If I take a full scale standard gauge tie it works out to aprox 1/4" thick x 3/8" wide and 3 1/2" inches long. Would this be ok visualy for narrow gauge ties in 1:20.3? I plan to glue the ties to a 3/4" base board before placing the rail outside. For spacing between ties, I plan to do it by eye, about 2 -2 1/2 tie widths apart to make it look a little more rustic. 

Any comments or suggestions are welcome!

Thanks

Adam


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Narrow gauge ties sizes varied, but in terms of width and height, tended to stay close to standard gauge ties which are 8" wide by 6" tall. Lengths varied even more for the narrow gauge, but you can go from 6' to 7' wide and be within typical lengths. 

Spacing would be between 20 to 24" between centers. 

Later, 

K


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## Dougald (Jan 2, 2008)

I only handlay switches and the odd piece such as a bridge so am not in the same league as you guys that handlay it all. I took a piece of Llagas Creek track and measured the tie size ... then cut mine from cedar om the table saw. I lay them by eye but I do like to set my metre length measuring rule along the track as a guide to be in the ballgame on spacing and straightness. Those ng track gangs were not precise but they weren't drunken sots either! 
We all develop our favoured approaches - I tend to use the method I learned for HO. I cut the ties and glue them with an exterior grade glue to my prepared (wood) roadbed, then sand them lightly to make sure all the ties are in the same plane, spike the rails and stain after. I do wipe the railheads after but as I use battery power, I do not sweat the electrical continuity.


Have a go at it freehand - am sure it will look great with a little time and patience.

Regards ... Doug


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## Tom Bowdler (Jan 3, 2008)

Adam, 
Have a look at Pete's Daisy Beach railway site http://home.cogeco.ca/~daisybeach 
Click on "hand laid track-quick and cheap" on the right side of the home page to see his method. 
I have visited his railway and it looks really slick. 
Tom


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I concur with Tom. Pete's site is #1. He's doing some more trackwork, I hear.


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