Either stick a pin through the hole (and then mark the pinhole later) or just eyeball it on one side of the tie next to the hole. You do need to be reasonably accurate, but not down to the nanometer...! 
Andrew
Andrew
We are REALLY NEWBE'S
- Thread starter nwdyr
- Start date
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So those holes in the center ties are soooo small what the heck do I use that to mark the table so i know where then center is , to lay the corkbed?
I'm modeling in N scale ( half the size of the HO scale you are modeling ) and to mark the track center I dip a needle in black ink and then insert the needle in the holes locating the track center.
For the turnouts I build some cardboard templates .
I know for example that a # 4 Atlas N scale turnout has diverging route with a 19" radius .
Jacques
The holes are for pinning the track down but only if you use something the pin will stick in. They're actually bad news; few real railroads put nailheads in the middle of the ties, and people tend to put a nail though it and wallop it with a hammer to get it down. This creates a depression in the middle of the track and the rails pull in at that point.
If you are willing to glue the tack down, you can put headless pins through
the holes and into the foam, check and test the layout, then lift the track off, apply glue, and drop the track back where it came from.
Test all glues on the foam before using. One fellow didn't and he made a lowered loading track when the foam dissolved.
If you are willing to glue the tack down, you can put headless pins through
the holes and into the foam, check and test the layout, then lift the track off, apply glue, and drop the track back where it came from.
Test all glues on the foam before using. One fellow didn't and he made a lowered loading track when the foam dissolved.
I'm afraid I didn't make myself clear.
I don't use the needle ( or a pin ) to pin the tracks down, but just to mark the position of the holes on the subroadbed ( in my case, pink extruded styrene ).
That's the reason why I dip the needle in black ink before marking every hole in the center of the ties.
After removing the tracks I have a succession of dots that indicate the track center.
Sorry for the confusion.
Jacques
I don't use the needle ( or a pin ) to pin the tracks down, but just to mark the position of the holes on the subroadbed ( in my case, pink extruded styrene ).
That's the reason why I dip the needle in black ink before marking every hole in the center of the ties.
After removing the tracks I have a succession of dots that indicate the track center.
Sorry for the confusion.
Jacques
No problem! thank you, I am about half way done laying the track, I am using the pins to hold the track in place right now, but I will try what you said about marking the center line for the corck roadbed. And I am also using the ext. styreneI'm afraid I didn't make myself clear.
I don't use the needle ( or a pin ) to pin the tracks down, but just to mark the position of the holes on the subroadbed ( in my case, pink extruded styrene ).
That's the reason why I dip the needle in black ink before marking every hole in the center of the ties.
After removing the tracks I have a succession of dots that indicate the track center.
Sorry for the confusion.
Jacques