Post 7 6-11-2016 revised 3-3-2024
Main Train Board Construction and Track Installation
I drew up several plans as small sketches to get ideas for what I wanted. I then drew out and designed my layout track plan to scale with a homemade template. I was overseas in Jamaica and did not have or know about store bought templates! My template was made from a piece of polyethylene from a coffee can lid. I cut a 027 straight and curve cutout with a X-Acto knife. I used 1/10 inch to one foot scale on the template shown below.
I then laid out the two ovals I wanted with a figure eight in the center one. This let me determine how big to make the layout. I then had 10 or 15 Xerox copies made on legal size paper.
These made it easier to make several tries to get the position of the switches to go between the two ovals and the location of my turntable and other track sections to get the fit. This is one is a rejected try shown below but accurate for the homemade turntable
The below picture is a latest 2021diagram of the first board showing the new Wye at the bottom mid right.
My tools in Jamaica from 1976 to 1979 were an electric 7 inch Skil circular saw, a old 1950s cast iron stationary Toro 18 inch jig saw, an electric hand saber saw, a 3/8 inch electric drill and 1957 Weller 100 watt soldering gun. I threw together small work bench and installed a 4” X 6” wood working vise.
Plywood was rare and expensive in Jamaica. I was able to obtain a few sheets of particle board made, from sugar cane pulp called bagasse board, from a neighbor who was the manager of the company that made the board. This board was ¾ inch thick and very heavy like particle board in the states (I would have used ½ inch low grade plywood in the USA to keep weight down). I made the layout in two sections, to make it easier to handle and move through doors and up steps. The frame was from 1x6 boards with 1x4s for the cross pieces. 1” x 1” strips were nailed around the inside perimeter to hold the particle board to be installed and recessed 1 inch from the top of the 1 x 6 boards.
6 inch diameter wooden wheels were made from 3/4 inch plywood and the edges sealed with Elmer's glue to allow moving of the board sections by one person. The wheels were installed, with 1 inch diameter wooden dowels for axles, with paraffin wax for lubrication. One wheel is on a corner and another is down the side about 2/3 to the end. This allows the standing on edge, board to be turned and pivoted around this wheel. Handles from 1 inch diameter dowels were installed under the board along the edge to allow steering and lifting when moving. The boards were built in the carport and moved and leaned against a wall when work was finished each working night or weekend day.
The layout sections were small enough to store and ship in mattress boxes when we relocate due to work transfers. They are small enough to go through standard size doors and up steps.
The main board length is 11 ft, 1.5 inches in length and width is 5 ft, 9 inches The section with the control panel is 6 ft, 3/4 inches long. The other section is 5 ft , 3/4 inches wide.
Pictures of wheels on board one, Pivot Wheel on one side (this is a double 6 " diameter plywood wheel for the weight of the transformers and control panel on this section)
Corner wheel allows the board to rolled on two different board edges, each board has a total of 3 wheels, to allow two adjacent edges to be on the the floor to be moved
Picture of both corner wheel on left and side wheel on the right of one section
Track Cutting Jig
Early on I made a track Cutting Jig to help cut short sections of 027 track.
The jig is made from a scrap of 3/4" wood 2" x 2 1/4 " with a same size 3/8" plywood glued on the bottom. Three slots were sawed, with a jig saw, 1/4" deep and 1/8" wide at the spacing of the three rails of 027 track. A 1/16" wide slot was cut at 90 degrees to the track slots to accommodate a fine hack saw blade.
A piece of 1/2" plywood was made to act as a Track Hold Down. Shown at the top of picture. Groove was cut to go over the track tie if necessary
Picture of clamp holding Track Cutting Jig, track to be cut with hack saw with a fine blade and Track Hold Down. The Track Cutting Jig is held in wood working vise.
I use a fine tooth hack saw blade and find the Track Cutting Jig makes cutting shorter pieces of track and easy neat job.
Track Installation and Block Track Sections
Track, including switches, were laid out and assembled on the train board, in the expected track plan position. It was then marked off in pencil, removed and the track area was painted with light grey paint as reported later in this post. Track was installed using a few short screws to hold it down.
Switches were installed. Uncoupling track sections and isolated outside rail track sections were installed with 6 inch pigtail wires coming out the bottom through holes drilled in the the train board.
Insulated track pins were installed to form track blocked sections to allow every section of track between the switches to form blocks. These track blocked sections allow for a train to be stopped or stored almost anywhere on the layout. Four of the track block sections will also be used for the coming relay and blocks for two trains on one track operation and for track sections with installed with isolated outside rails for relay controlled two trains on one track operation to come.
One eighth inch diameter holes were drilled for all track switch power terminal spots and where all track feed and commons wires will be attached, with them being on the side of the rail away from the control panel to be more hidden. Wire holes were also drilled for the Marx switch electrical terminals.
Wiring the Track Sections
CTC Track Lock-on's were not used on this layout and all wires to the tracks are soldered to allow permanent and secure connections. Six inch wire pig tails were soldered to each track section with the pig tails going through the hole drilled as above. Wire pig tails were soldered to a track for each track section to provide power and common and to each uncoupling track section and each outside isolated outside rail section. 14 ga insulated wire was soldered to each pig tail and run and routed to the appropriate control panel switch an soldered with a needle nose pliers on the switch contact, held tight with a rubber band on the pliers handle, to be a heat sink. The above actions were done with the train board section standing on the wheels on the board edge and leaning against a wall allowing the worker to stand or sit while working.
Up Dated Information
If I were building the layout in 2022, I would use NO-OX-ID Special A contact grease on each track section joint to improve conduction between track sections. I would use a finger to apply a thin coat of the NO OX each track pin and put a small about into the open hole of the other end of the track section. I would also apply some NO OX to the track contacts on the Marx 1590 switches.
Details of NO OX use on track and switch contacts are given on Page 87, post 79 of this topic, shown below.
https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...ra-027-layout?page=8
Layout Painting
The layout was painted with oil based glossy enamel paint. Oil based paint was normally used 35 years ago and is more durable than water based paint. My layout originally was a temporary floor layout and was walked on during installation each year so durability was important. Light Gray paint was used for roads and pavement and track ballast. Medium and lighter green and brown paint were used for the ground and mountain.
Brown and green railroad model grass and brown dirt were lightly sprinkled on the layout paint when wet.
Post Script
Post 53b shows how to fill gaps between rail sections with aluminum flashing and rails around track pins. Post 53b is on page 6 of this topic
https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...ra-027-layout?page=6
Charlie
