G-scale Track Laying - Technical Information 

We are often asked "What is the right strategy to do outside layouts?"  Below are a few facts that we learned from our own layout work.

Flex track vs Sectional

The overall trend is to use Flextrack.  Flextrack (compared to sectionals) makes for smoother operations instead of trying to "fight" specific radii of available sectionals.  With Flextrack you can "mold" your layout to the landscape that is already in place, rather than "carving" out an area and recreate a "table top" as we were used to from our HO or O scale days.  Also you can ease into a curve much like the prototype again improving on operations and strain of engines.  TRAINLI flex track comes pre-assembled in 6’ section (10 pcs per box for a total of 60’).

Track Code

As for the code if you follow NMRA they recommend a minimum of code 250 (= .0250" height).  While the purist say code 250 (or even code 215), consider that code 332 is only 0.082" of an inch higher then code 250.  I found that you have more product options when it comes to code 332 and when you are outdoors the overall sturdiness of 332 (e.g. when accidentally stepped on) is definitely an advantage.  And while code 250 might clear all the flanges but as soon as crusher fines come into play you might have lost that clearing (especially outdoors) where the elements always "mess" with your layout.  Indoors you can try code 250 either because the two risk factors are gone.  Another point is that code 250 is not a standard across all manufacturers.  The rail foots and rail heads differ between the various manufacturers and hence you maybe bound to use one single manufacturer because you can't mix and match easily.  I know of one product whose rail head is identical to code 332 (so you need to bend that with a 332 bender versus 250 bender).  In those cases the slimmer€Â looks of code 250 has been almost eliminated because they didn’t “shrinkâ€Â the rail proportionally by 25% so you end up with less height but similar width which I call the Garfield look (he is not chubby he is just under-tall)

However with a height difference of 0.082â€Â you can hardly see a difference at 5 feet distance and for me (and I am a rivet counter) the disadvantages outweigh the looks).

And when you consider that our rolling stock doesn’t weigh to scale, that ballast and dirt is not to scale either, then you can imagine the impact that a little 1/8â€Â or 3/16â€Â (if obtainable) “pebbleâ€Â can have if washed up by the weather – and that happens more often than not.  There is just too little flange clearance on code 250, because our flanges are not prototypical either, but larger for better operation.

The material Question

As far as the material goes, that depends on how you want to run (Battery, Analog, DCC (digital), Live Steam?) and how big the layout is going to become and your desire to trade price for convenience.

The cheapest material on the market is PVC rail with associated ties at under $2/foot. 

The next material up is Aluminum at $3.50/foot.  While Aluminum is an excellent conductor its surface oxidation makes it basically impossible to use for DCC and barely for DC. 

The most commonly used material is Brass.  A very good conductor for power but oxidation (more in certain climates than in others) requires before you can "play" with the layout to clean the track (Scotch Pad on a stick, track cleaning block, track cleaning loco, track cleaning car with motorized pads).  The powered options while more expensive are more convenient.  When it comes to Brass you have to be careful about the material choices.  Cheaper brass is softer and hence wares quickly (one Christmas layout in San Francisco has to be re-done already after 2 weeks of operation).

A step up is NpB rail (available here in the US from TRAINLI).  While about 30% more expensive it offers the excellent conductivity of Brass coupled with the anti-oxidation protection of stainless steel.  There is no oxidation cleaning to be done and you basically need to surface clean maybe every two to three months, which you can avoid by running a box car with a soft pad with your trains.

Nickel/Silver track by contrast oxidizes quickly (similar to Brass - although I found that in DCC it is even quicker than Brass in term of signal distortion). 

And last not least you have stainless steel (once touted as totally maintenance free - that's why I choose it, just to find out that that wasn't the case and going forward I will use Nickel-plated).  Stainless Steel is more expensive than Nickel-plated.

The Tie Info

Also a word to the ties, you need to watch for sturdy rail chairs, otherwise they snap.  The rail chairs should also have no side to side "slip" because that may fluctuate your rail gauge (width) and can cause operational problems.

Switches or no Switches

Some people say “I don’t want any switches, because it will lead to derailmentsâ€Â.  Derailments with switches are a clearly a question of the switch quality and the correct installation.  Using switches in my eyes is part of the fun to have a nice layout.  The â€Âplayâ€Â value is so much more that I couldn’t think of a layout without switches.  Switches should be 100% level in all directions and we recommend to put switches on concrete backer-board for a lasting stabile installation.  Paint the board in the color of the ballast and if you want to further beautify the board glue ballast into the tie spaces (except the point area).  We recommend Do-Flex a 2 component resin that was tested in Germany over two years and compared with any other methods, and provided the highest amount of stability.  Other methods seemed to fail with in shorter periods of time.

Construction Style

We have observed the following outdoor methods:

• Free floating track build on top of up to 12â€Â bed of crushes fines.  The crusher fines are filled into a ditch that is lined with weed barrier.  This is actually our method that proved extremely reliable here in the Northeast with over 100 degrees temperature differences throughout the year.
• Concrete pavers on top of a gravel/sand bed and then the track screwed on top of the pavers.  This method is used by some in Switzerland and Germany.  It seems to produce good results, but their temperature differences are not comparable to what we experience here in the US.  This method also requires high precision because these pavers have to be very level to each other and frost is not lift up any otherwise this might even lead to destroying some of your track work.  If adapted in warmer climates I suggest the usage of expansion clamps.
• Ladder construction, a method that requires to build a ladder out of your own supplied material (e.g. pressure treated wood or better yet Trex), use PVC pipe, or buy commercially available sections.  In either case that “road bedâ€Â is mounted to poles that are inserted into the ground.  I have seen several layouts done this and found that the owners had quite an amount of problems with wobbly track, either right from day one or over a period of the first 12 month.  I have seen several accounts that ripped that construction out and replaced it with free floating track.
• Bench-work, a method that requires building an outdoor raised railroad on a bench style construction and then either pressure treated wood boards, concrete backer boards, or the modern PVC based water resistant siding boards (also used for outdoor signs).  While comfortable for you back (you don’t have to bend down or kneel) this is basically a table top layout outdoors which does not easily “meltâ€Â into the gardenscape.

Layout Design

We advocate to point-to-point lines which allow for very interesting operations, go with the flow of your garden environment, and don’t require the proverbial imminent domain talks of “In which area can I build my layoutâ€Â.  I have my layout at the perimeter of the garden therefore there is natural flow and integration to the existing gardening architecture.  I am more than happy to discuss this with you if you are interested.  I love brainstorming about this.