Hand Laying O Scale track part 4

When all of the videos are posted on your web site, it will be easy to pick one for review.  Great job!

Chris, this is a good start and I'll enjoy seeing the rest of the videos.  I think it'll take longer to describe the process than to actually build a switch.  But this is what anyone wanting to handlay and achieve great realism really needs to see. 

I would like to add a few things: I agree that having a paper template glued down first sure helps especially when locating ties to have them where you prototypically need them.  I usually placed the guard rails after most of the work was done.  It's nice how Lou's guard rails have spacer blocks as in the prototype to create the correct flangeway when nested against the stock rail.  Having that template seems to have given you the exact location.  I would also take all of my rail and every component and lay them on a large piece of corrugated board and airbrush everything prior to any construction.  I would make a mix of 1/2 Floquil Rail Brown and 1/2 Weathered Black.

Looking forward to the next part!  Can it and sell it as a expert tutorial!

Phil

Hi Phil, Thank you.  

     It definetly does take a lot longer to film it as opposed to just doing it.  I can normally lay a #8 or #10 in about 2hrs ish start to finish, but to film it?....This last 24 minute video took me about 5 hrs to film.  As you can imagine it's just stuff like getting a good angle on the camera and explaining things ect...

     I hear ya about the templates....life savers in terms of speeding up things, but that said I also am using the measurements off the NMRA's site as well.  All the parts I am using came from Lou...top shelf products and such a great guy.  Those spacers work very well as you said for creating the flangeway....I love his parts.

LLKJR, Thank you, all of them to date are on my blog site.

Thanks again. 

Chris, Outstanding job with the first part of hand laying a switch.

I really want to call out the thought you're putting in the camera positions and editing to ensure we can visualize each step.

I feel like I've just watched a cliff hanger and I have to wait until next season to see what really happened!

Thanks Mike....the wait won't be quite that long....

Chris,

Outstanding work on the track and videos. They are really well done.

I'm just curious if you are testing engines on your completed trackwork and if you've had to make any adjustments?

Thanks Chris.

Yes I am testing each section as I go.  I will run a few different engines through and some different cars and such, once that section checks out ok I move on to the next.  Have I had to make adjustments??... Oh U betcha.  I have had to massage the flangeway on a few frogs, re-work a curve to widen things out just slightly, I found a couple of rail joints that were off just enough to cause a "hop" and had to be corrected...ect.  Nothing huge but definetly things that needed to be corrected for reliable operation, and I learned from it which is good.