ARGH! HOn3 woes...

There is nothing left, now, of the 8' X 10' HO modular layout I built while on active duty. Hand layed code 70 nickel silver rail on hand cut ties! :eek:
The lesson I learned?.......Flextrack where ever possible! :mrgreen:

I think I still have blisters from hand spiking all that track, and it's been 34 years since the last spike was driven!
If you want to go that route, two spikes per rail, per tie, and to save on the hands, spike every third tie. The club layout was spiked every seventh or eighth tie, and there were constant gauge problems in the track. Every tie, can be done, but is only necessary for appearance. The little bit of track I still have from the old layout is still in gauge, and can be run on, and it has been stored in the basement for over 14 years now.
 
I typically spike every 2-3 ties...usually not wider than every 4. I also usually only spike one side of each rail every 2-3.

Watching trains run over my track is far more interesting to me than seeing them roll over flex track...but I can understand why someone would want to use flex where possible.

I would highly recommend that you have a little oval or so of commercial track to run your trains now...and practice hand laying track in short segments.

If I was you...I'd make a jig and solder code 55 rail (pilfered from N-scale flex track) to pc board ties. Using a soldering pen...it is not anywhere close to as difficult as it is with a gun...especially if you keep the tip clean like your supposed to do. Either practice building your own turnouts...or pilfer the parts from N scale turnouts. I'd join the yahoo group for hand laid track...handlaidtrack : Hand Laid Track
 
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