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Reply to "Track Ties"

Here is a write up from my layout building topic here on OGR on how I made wooden ties for 027 track 8-2020.  It gives material, size and number per track section and how I mounted them.

write up is from topic link below:

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...ra-027-layout?page=7



E Z Wooden Ties Added to Layout to make Semi-Super O27 Realistic Track

I have a 30 year old plus layout and always felt it would be a lot of effort and trouble to add ties but with lots of virus time on hand I decided to go for it.

In late July and into August 2020 I made over 600 wooden ties and added them to this 027 toy train layout.  I looked at adding two wood ties between the actual track metal ties and adding three wooden ties and chose three as being better. I chose to make the ties ½ inch wide by 2 inches long and 1/8 inch thick which is the size of the metal ties on Lionel and Marx 027 track and these unrealistic sizes and spacing fit my 027 toy train layout.  About 150 ties were made bigger, 2 1/8 inch and 5/16 inch wide to be used on the new train board. This board deck is made from noisy plywood and the ties appear larger because of pieces of truck inner tube that was used under the metal track ties to quiet things down.

I use 1/8 inch thick, one side smooth Masonite compressed wood.  It is already 1/8 inches thick and I had scrape pieces lying around, some being used peg board.  I used a band saw to cut the ties out.  I cut 1/2 inch wide strips and cut them into 2 inch long ties, 5 or 6 strips at a time, by holding then together by hand.  This way of cutting and the use of 1/8 inch thick Masonite made them EZ wooden ties.  I had to file some rough edges smooth.

One problem was the fine saw powder produced by the band saw cutting Masonite covered the whole shop.  This powder dust was much finer than typical saw dust. I did not notice the dust at first and it was too late to put a vacuum hose on under the saw table for the first 150 ties.   I then added a cut down 1 gallon milk jug and hooked up a small Red Devil vacuum to the milk hole and added shop vacuum hose between the saw table and the milk jug.  This solved the dust problem as most of the dust on a band saw is carried under the table by the blade.

I spray painted the ties with cheap Walmart black gloss paint.  I chose black because most of my track had black ties except for a couple sections of silver pr brown.  The black was too black and I spray a mist of light gray paint over the black painted ties to lighten them up.  It took me several part time days to make 600 ties.

I installed them by putting a couple of dots of Elmer’s white glue on between the tracks and thin bead of white glue on the ties.  I cut ties with a pair of diagonal pliers to make small pieces to fill in spots blocked with soldered on feed wires, etc.  That holds them in place and they can be easily removed by tapping with a screw driver and tack hammer if necessary.  I had to remove a few that I did not get lined up properly.  I would work on installing them about an hour an evening at time while watching TV news but found out I could not watch SEC replay football games made me miss  too much football!

The pictures below were taken while the tie installation was in progress and show some track before wooden ties.

IMG_1732

IMG_1733

IMG_1738

I like the looks of my new ties and they break up my painted light gray attempt of ballasting.  But now the 31 Marx 1590 light gray painted switches really show out.   I now call my track Semi-Super O27 Realistic Track !

Charlie

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Last edited by Choo Choo Charlie

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800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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