Col & Marj Drewitt
"Trains for the Garden"
ABN 95 566 865 338
8-10 Henderson Hill Rd,
Silvan Vic 3795
Business Mobile 0419 504432 BH

Email: admin@trainsforthegarden.com

Laying Code 332 Flexible AusRail and Sleeper Bed.

Things to Consider in Planning your Layout

In planning a garden layout, selecting a site needs to be done with a degree of care, especially with consideration to the wife. As the old saying goes “Happy wife, happy life”. That done, work out where the track is to be laid. Take care to allow for obstacles such as trees and bushes that you want to keep as part of the landscape.

Avoid creating sharp curves. Generally, the minimum diameter curve for Code 332 Flexible flex track, should be no less than about a 150cm diameter curve. And the grade at any given time should be no greater than 3cm in one meter of laid track.

Whilst 3600mm lengths of brass rail are available from some sellers, to avoid track expansion problems, Flex Track should not be used in lengths greater than 1800mm (6 feet). It is  not advisable to lay flex track on warm to hot days. If you do, you will invariably find that when the rail cools down it will shrink and leave big gaps between many of the joints. And to rectify this phenomenal, the track will need to be re-laid, with a great deal of frustration!

If you are using track power, the mains power source should be as close as possible to the track in the garden. Because the transformer is a 240v electric appliance it needs to be kept indoors, totally out of the weather together with the relative control box. The outlet from the control box is around 18 volts and needs to be cabled to the track in a similar manner to low voltage garden lighting.

The easiest way to connect the power to the track is to use either Piko or LGB track power cables. These have rail clamps attached, for connecting the cable to the track. Before joining the rail together, apply a tiny bead of graphite paste to the clamp to aid conductivity through the joiner.

For distances longer than the Piko or LGB track power cables, we suggest using 7 strand trailer wire which is compatible with the wiring requirements of Garden railway locomotives. Using the incorrect wire can result in damage or destruction of motors and other sensitive components in the locomotive. As an aside, using a small Starter Set Transformer and Controller to run a locomotive with two motors, can also result in irreparable damage to the electric motors.

To prevent accidental damage to the power cable from the controller, we also strongly recommend threading the cables to the track through PVC water pipe. This comes in 6 metre lengths. If you need to join extra lengths of pipe, the cable should be threaded through the pipe and any PVC fittings, before gluing it all together. The pipe with the cable, can then be buried in the ground.

When joining wiring together, the join should be soldered, and sealed with a heat shrink covering over the solder joint, in order to minimise moisture problems in the connection.

And to eliminate power droppage in very long track runs, you should consider running power cables around the track, connecting the power to the rail at various intervals. 

                                   Pointers on Assembling the Rail and Sleeper Bed
When handling the lengths of brass rail take care not to twist them. When assembling Flex Track, the brass rail should be slid into the PVC ties on the sleeper bed. Both rails should be done in unison pushing the first sleeper bed into the centre of the two rails. Then proceed to slide the rest of the sleepers to the centre from either end of the pair of rails. It is possible to do this, while watching TV!

Once you have assembled your two rails and sleeper bed, it’s time to fit the rail joiner onto the rail. Facing the end of the rail, the lug on the bottom of the rail joiner must be fitted into the slot on the sleeper bed on the right-hand rail Fig 2. This is essential if you intend to use Lgb or Piko ‘set track’ or points.

Piko brass rail joiners are the best Fig 1. These joiners have a half way indicator mark on the edge of the joiner and a down facing lug, on one end of the bottom of the joiner. The lug is designed to fit to snugly slip into the sleeper bed and will prevent the joiner from slipping down the rail.

If you are using track power, you will need to smear a very small amount of either Massoth or Piko graphite paste on the inside of the rail joiner, before you attempt to connect the rail joiner to the brass rail. This will assist conductivity through the joiner to the rails.

Fig 1

Creating a Length of Straight Track

If you are creating a straight length of track, the rail joiner is fitted by pulling the end sleeper bed off the rail, just enough to reveal the slot under the rail tie, in the end sleeper bed Fig 2. However, before you do this, use a flat file to remove any burrs on the end of the rail and the rail flange. Slip the rail joiner lug into the sleeper bed slot Fig 3. Then push the rail joiner back onto the rail. The joiner will be tight; with a light hammer gently tap the joiner into rail to the halfway point on the Piko joiner Fig 1. The end result is shown in Fig. 5. Repeat this process on the opposite end of the other rail. When finished, you will have a rigid section of straight track.

                                                                                                         Fig 2                                            Fig 3.

Fig 4.
 . 

                                                                                                                                     Fig 5.

The use of Rail Clamps

In addition to the use of Rail Joiners, Piko track clamps may be used as an alternative. These are sold in a pack of 10 together with a tool used to open the clamp, then simply slide it into the rail to the half way point of the clamp and re-tighten it. These are time saver to say the least. 

Massoth track clamps are also available. However, whilst they are a third of the price of the Piko clamps, they are not as simple to use. You will  need to use a small round file on the bottom flange of the brass track, creating a small notch, to allow the two screws on the Massoth clamp to be tighten down.

Laying the Track Sections in the Layout

When you have decided on your rail plan, and where your track is going, and  have completed your bridge work and cuttings etc. and purchased your Rail and Joiners; then it’s time the lay the track.

There are several methods of laying the track. The track needs to be fastened down either to concrete pavers, or a slab, or timber pegs driven into the ground. Cypress is best, because it is rot resistant and the grain in the timber does not split easily. We suggest 40x20mmx250mm timber pegs pointed at one end. Drive them into the ground with a small sledge hammer at about 40-50cms apart. Make sure the tops of the pegs are level. Also remember that one of the sleepers must correspond with the centre of the top of the peg so that the track can be screwed down. 

When placing the timber pegs into the ground, the first peg should be close to the starting end of the flex track. There should also be a ground peg at the opposite end.

A better finish is achieved by screwing a timber ‘deck’ onto the tops of the pegs. And then screwing the rails to the ‘deck’ such as garden edging. This requires considerably more effort but the end result is a better finish.

Straight runs are easy. It gets a little tricky when you create a curve. However, this can be achieved by cutting the inside edge of the garden edging with a Jig-Saw and simply using the off cut, attaching it to the strait on the opposite side of the edging, with fine 45mm bullet head nails. You will need to pre-drill the garden edging to prevent it from splitting.

The other alternative is to simply screw the rail to the tops of the timber stakes taking care to keep the rail surface level.

Using Concrete Pavers as an Alternative

The best way to fasten the track to concrete or a concrete paver is to use orange “spaghetti” from a hardware shop. You would need to pre-drill a pilot hole through the sleeper bed, and mark the concrete below the sleeper. Then, using a 4mm masonry drill bit, drill a hole in the pre-marked spot on the concrete, to a depth of say 25mm.

Insert the spaghetti into the hole and cut it flush with the top of the concrete using a sharp chisel or Stanley Knife. Then using a cordless drill with a Phillips head bit, screw a 30 mm bugle screw through the sleeper into the spaghetti plug in the concrete. Take care not to flatten or distort the plastic sleeper in the process.

If you intend to use Points, (Switches or Turnouts as they are often called); it is always best to start laying your flexible track away from the Points rather than attempting to insert them later.

And when laying the Points or any other specialty track accessories, never use screws or any means of fixing these items in place. Always do all the screwing and fixing directly on the lengths of Flex-track either side of the points or specialty track items. The-Flex track will hold the points in position.

And when fixing down the Flex-Track lengths you will only need to use three or four screws. It is advisable to screw the second last sleeper at each end of the length of AusRail and one or two in the centre.

It is best to lay one section of track at the time placing enough timber pegs for one 1800mm section of flex track screwing it down before laying the next section of track. The flex track can be drawn easily into a curve without the need for a rail bender.

When each section of track is laid, remember that the rail should be totally butted up to the previously laid section. Do not attempt to leave ‘expansion’ gaps.

Creating a Curved Track.

This is a little bit trickier. Once you have decided the radius of your curve, Begin the procedure as you did with assembling the straight track. Join this to your previous length track, making sure the rails are pushed well into the joiners of the previously laid track. One full length of AusRail track is very flexible and can be pulled into a desired curve no less than the equivalent of a 5’ circle. Naturally the inner rail will grow longer, and need to be cut square with the outer rail using a hacksaw. BUT NOT YET!

When you have screwed it down and before you cut the rail, stand back and see how it looks from the distance. (Sometimes by unscrewing the screws in the middle section of rail allows to rail to spring out into a more natural curve).

When you are satisfied with the look, the excess rail on the inside of the curve, can them be cut square with the outer rail. Then use a flat file to remove the brass burrs off the end of the rail and the top of the bottom flange.

Facing the end of the rail, the lug on the bottom of the rail joiner must be fitted into the slot on the sleeper bed on the right-hand rail. It will also require the use of a hammer to tap the tight joiner into rail, to the halfway point. However, because the rail has been curved, it may also be necessary to grip the rail with a pair of pincers in the process of fitting the rail joiner.

To secure the curve you also may need to use extra screws to hold the curve in place; and again, screwing down the second sleeper at each end of the track and two or three in the middle section.

When the rail is laid and the job completed, back-fill the track using bluestone quarter minus  screenings as ballast to the level of the sleeper bed. You will also need to remove any small stones that may be caught up in the rail ties on the sleeper bed.

Before you attempt to do test run with a locomotive, make sure the top of the rail is thoroughly wiped and cleaned of dust and grit. And don't hesitate to contact us if you are experiencing any difficulties.

Tools to have at Hand when Laying G Gauge Track.

1.         Small hand-held sledge hammer and a light builder’s hammer.

2.         Good quality hack saw and spare blades, suitable for cutting brass.

3.         Flat File for filing burs off brass rail.

4.         Stanley knife for trimming of excess sleepers.

5.         Pair of bent long nose pliers for gripping the rail pushing and pushing it into the previous joiner.

6.         Set of drill bits including a 5mm masonry bit if screwing the track to concrete or pavers.

7.         Cordless drill.

8.         Small hand saw.

9.         Tape measure.

10.       Set Square.

11.       Pencil.

11.       A roll of Orange spaghetti plugs and a pack or two of 30mm bugle screws.

12.       For track power, a tube of Graphite Paste, to be used sparingly in the rail joiners to aid conductivity.

Please note, these instructions are a general guide only.

Don’t hesitate to contact me by email if you are having trouble

interpreting any of the information provided.

Col Drewitt

admin@trainsforthegarden com