Railway/Pinning track

From ChapmanCentral

I use Peco track pins, as they are finer than the alternatives so less obtrusive on the finished track. They are too long really, you have to trim them off under 6mm ply baseboard if you don't want to hurt your hands every time you work under the track. Pinning down is OK but there are some frustrations.

For a start, not all plywood is equal. Sometimes I find a sheet where pinning is a bugger, other times it's a doddle. Whatever, it is much easier to pin down to well-supported baseboard; the more bounce, the more likely the pin will bend.

I find it best to follow this process:

• Drill a pilot hole in the sleeper (0.5mm or 0.6mm)
• Push the pin gently into the hole with fine-nosed pliers
• While holding the pin with the pliers, tap gently with a pin hammer through sleeper, underlay and to locate into the baseboard
• Use the pliers to put the pin under tension and tap into the baseboard
• Finally, when the pin is projecting by around 3mm, use a pin punch to push it the last few mm.

As far as getting the lengths right goes, I find there are two methods both of which work fine, and I use them in different circumstances

• Trim-as-you-go is what I use for running lines and long sidings. You simply lay the track along the line and if it has curves you trim off the excess length as you finish laying each length.
• Measure and cut' is necessary for tricky areas, around some pointwork for example, and for tight spaces.

Some people always measure and cut the track before laying, and that is a good idea if you are being really fussy about things. But cutting off in place with a razor saw or parting wheel in a power tool is easy and the result is good enough for me.

Trimming and pinning the ends

Before you start: use a light hammer or pliers to tap the pinned-down track back against the previous length. As you lay a curved rail, it will wander around in the sleepers, often leaving a large gap. I close the gap and then open it again to a British Standard Tad by pressing a blunt Stanley knife into the gap and wiggling gently. If you close the gaps right up, the first hot day will see your track buckling all over the place.

The end of a length of track with a curve. The inner rail is longer because the inside of even a 48" curve is significantly shorter than the outside.	Drilling a pilot hole with the pin vice and a small (0.5mm in this case) drill	Holding the pin in the needle-nosed pliers, insert it in the drilled hole in the sleeper	The fiddly bit: pinning to plywood, I find that you need to use the pliers to keep the pin in tension to stop it bending. This is why you need good quality pliers, cheap ones will not stand this treatment.
The pin is now through the bottom of the ply (going through the last veneer is a common sticking point in my experience)	Tap the pin down the last little bit with a pin punch.	Note: to the left is a sleeper which has been bent by hammering down too hard. You only need to hold the track in line.	Holding the track gently but firmly with square-nosed pliers...
Cut the projecting end off with a razor saw or other tool.	Here's the cut end, note that I also fixed the bent sleeper.	Clean up the burrs with a fine file.	Finshed, ready for the next bit of track (in this case a point)

Track pins

There are a number of different types of track pin on the market. I've used four: Peco, some unmarked ones from Hattons, Hornby and Gaugemaster.

• Peco track pins are the smallest and therefore the least conspicuous. They are also bloody impossible to drive into plywood without bending, unless you are very very careful.
• Gaugemaster are thicker than Peco and with larger, flatter heads. They can be concealed tolerably well with weathering and are dead easy to use. They are long, like Peco, and will project below a 6mm plywood baseboard and need trimming. They are harder to trim than Peco, being thicker.
• Hornby are hopeless. Too fat.
• The Hattons ones are the best I've used: they are just the right length and are stiff enough to drive into plywood without excessive preparation.