I have made a bit of track! Using 20x10mm mild steel bar as rails and 32x5 x250mm flat at 150mm centres as sleepers/ties. Probably a bit wider than needed. I have welded up 4.5m of track in a trial 1.8m timber jig... The welds are on top of the ties. I think I will make a different, steel tube jig and weld on the bottom of the rails. i.e upside down. Have bought a secondhand horizontal bandsaw for all this cutting. Fitting a coolant system too!
Thinking about screwing on treated timber sleepers to 'float' in ballast better... Also thinking about using (expensive) 'Modwood'... Also thinking about machining slots into Modwood/timber and press fitting rails... The reality is that I can only use a few hundred metres of track on our 18x60m block!!!! Some of it will need to be flush with concrete drives and paths (most of which exists already...)Think I will try to use minimum radius of 3.5m for curves and points/turnouts... oh and have procured a car remote locking servo with about a 25mm throw to try as a points motor (using over-center lock!) Saw some points with moving blade machine out on the inside to clear wheel flange. Nice and strong... Might use lighter bar for guide/guard rails, maybe 20x5...
Lots of thinking...
