Okay, okay...
Geez, It's 50 degrees outside, and I'm in here on the computer! What a
world!!! (For all you Californians, we here in the Northeast consider 50
degrees "springtime.")
Anyway... Since my outdoor activities involve replacing about 4' of
track where the aforementioned tree branch fell over the winter, I guess
I should get my mind in gear.
So, you have a box of Llagas Creek tiestrips (the 1:20.3 variety, from
my experience) and some rail. (I use code 250) There's a small problem
with this combination; the base of the rails are a very snug fit in the
tiestrips. This is because the tiestrips were originally designed for
the code 215 rail, and Gary had to have a new profile code 250 rolled,
so it too could fit. (We folks who lay our track on the ground are a
peculiar lot - seems we want to be able to walk on our track, or at
least have it survive the occasional misplaced foot.) So, given this
rather unique scenario, there are some steps you should take to make
this task as painless as possible.
1) Do not paint your rail beforehand. You will enevitably scratch all
the paint off of the base of the rail while laying it, making you have
to go back and repaint anyway. May as well do it once it's down. (Pain,
yes, but doable.) - Also - don't use Floquil paints outdoors. They are
NOT UV stabilized, and the "rail brown" turns to "moss green" in short order.
2) Cut the tiestrips into two-tie segments. Because the clearance
between the spikes and the base of the rail is so tight, the strips bind
really easily when being pushed down the rail. You can control two ties
with your fingers very easily, and eliminate any binding that may occur.
3) Keep a spray bottle of soap/water handy to help the tie strips slide
easily. (You can keep a bottle of something else handy, also. That will
keep you well oiled.)
Now, for the actual laying of the track...
I stagger my railjoints, so all my track is laid on the ground where it
is going to be. The first thing I do is to file the edges off the end of
the base of the track. A mild taper will do, just enough so it guides
itself into the tiestrips. (A small jeweler's file will do fine.)
Always string the tiestrips onto the rail, as opposed to trying to
thread the rail through the tiestrips. (You'll get what I mean.)
I start by stringing tiestrips halfway down the length of the rail. I
then take the slide the strips down the rest of the length of the rail,
threading them on the second rail, which is already down.
(Bad "ASCII art" time)
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Tie strips on one rail Slide them down Finished track
I forget offhand how many ties there are per foot, but that shouldn't be
too hard to figure out. This isn't absolutely necessary, but it will
give you a ballpark figure so you know when to stop adding tiestrips.
Now, if you're fastening your track to a base, you can do so once you
have the strips on both rails. If you're in colder climates, and prefer
to float your track, then you will want to sandbag your track as you
work on it to keep it from moving as you're adding ties to the rail.
Aluminum rail, especially, is light, and likes to bend. The less of that
you can have, the happier you will be.
One last tip - the two tie sections will have a web connecting the ties
together. String this side onto the first rail. It will make your life a
lot easier.
This process isn't exactly a model of speed or efficiency. It takes me
about 15 minutes to put down 6' of track. It is, however, the easiest
way I've found to put the track down in the garden.
If you're building track on a raised steam-up track, then you may find
it easier to work with the strips. A wood table against which to work
the tie strips may be a lot easier to deal with. Experiment, play, and
if you get frustrated, pull out a steamer, and run it on what you have
down already. It will get your sap rising to finish the job in short order.
Later,
K
