A Question of Complexity - Part 1

I received a note from Hector in Argentina on one of my posts about Tim Warris’s CNJ Bronx Terminal layout.

Can you tell me how to build this type of junction track?
I have a serious problem of space, and I want to build something like urban industrial tram track.

Regards from Argentina

The junction Hector is referring to is pictured at right. This trackwork is part of Tim Warris’s HO scale CNJ Bronx Terminal. There are lots of pictures on Tim’s CNJ blog which details the construction of this, and other similarly complex junctions, in both HO and in N Scale. There are also a few clips of the CNJ layout which shows that the track runs really well despite it’s complexity.

Before I get onto how to build this kind of track, it’s worth asking a simple question: Why build this sort of track?

Why Complex Track?

Hector points out a key one in his note above, complex track is economical in it’s use of precious layout space.  I can think of some additional advantages that complex track provides

• It creates interest and excitement from a visual standpoint. Complex track looks cool!
• It creates interesting switching puzzles by restricting the number of cars that can fit between certain clearance points
• It can reduce the amount of space needed for the layout as the track plan is folded and twisted over itself

Commercial or Handlaid Track for Complex Trackwork?

There is nothing available commercially as far as mass produced complex track in any scale. The components are sort of available in the form of standard switches and crossings but the selection is far from adequate for modelers to tackle anything other than very standard, non-complex track junctions.  Complex track requires handlaying.

That keeps a lot of modelers on the sidelines when it comes to complex track.  Handlaying requires tools and jigs, increased time and effort and can involve increased expense.  It seems that any of those things is enough to “scare off” modelers from laying their own track, especially the complicated variety.  Modelers avoid handlaying, apparently, because the costs outweigh the benefits.  When the subject is complex track, even fewer modelers step forward. The prospect of getting all those rails in the right place seems to daunting to most people, and rightly so!

What could possibly be adequate compensation for choosing to handlay complex junctions? Why chose the more difficult path? Why not just stick with store-bought track for that matter? And leave the complex track to the crazy few or the track hounds who are only interested in that narrow stratum of the hobby? Why isn’t mass-produced track better, faster and cheaper than handlaid anyway?

I would argue that mass produced track is not “better” than handlaid track. It doesn’t always look better or doesn’t operate better than handlaid. Store-bought track often has less than stellar looks (I’m thinking mainly about N Scale here but from what I have seen of HO track, it applies there as well). Store-bought track doesn’t always operate especially smoothly. This is big detractor in N scale. In any scale, railcars bumping through points and frogs destroys realism and is a precursor to derailments.

If the easy path is to use commercial track then most of the time, this route is certainly faster - simply unwrap the track and glue it down. No fancy tools or jigs needed!  Voila, we’re done, now hand me the ballast!  But wait! You are limited to certain switches and crossings with store-bought track. That’s not fast at all when you can’t lay the track where it needs to go. And that will almost certainly be true when your target plan is more complex.

As far as “cheaper” is concerned, it can go either way. If you handlay without jigs, it is definitely cheaper than commercial offerings, just a few bucks per switch for the rail and ties. If you use jigs, you’re probably still in good shape when making ten or more switches. The quantity of handlaid switches matters because you need to amortize the cost of the jig over the switches you make.  In rough terms, ~$80 for the jig spread over 10 switches will add $8 to the cost of each switch.  Make more than ten switches and the cost per switch goes down even further.  However, if you can’t actually build the track configuration you want using commercial track, then cost is not the issue.

Okay, so if commercial track is not better, faster or cheaper than handlaid and really doesn’t offer a solution for creating complex track, that really only leaves handlaying for complex track.  There is definitely a learning curve to creating complex track, but it is not as steep as people think. And given the limitations of commercial track, handlaid has a lot to offer.

Handlaid track

• Usually looks and operates better than commercial track
• Allows trackplans to be built that would be impossible with only store-bought track components
• Turns us into better and more confident modelers

Complex Track for the Experts

So how did Tim build his fancy track in both HO and N Scale? Could any of us grab some rail and some PCB ties and start soldering up a masterpiece? It turns out that Tim constructed special one-off jigs in aluminium with slots milled for the ties and rails, not unlike the Fast Tracks jigs Tim’s company makes and sells. This takes nothing away from Tim, in fact it is very clever. Handlaying in general and complex track in particular is about getting to a great end result as easily and quickly as possible. The ends always justify the means when it comes to handlaying track.

Having used several Fast Tracks jigs, I can attest that Tim’s technique transforms turnout construction into a fun, rewarding activity.  Once the PCB ties and rails are in place, they are simply soldered together to create a very accurate and strong assembly, especially in HO. So to expand this approach to precision milled jigs for each of the parts of CNJ’s trackplan is a logical extension. Just look at the results.

Complex Track for the Punters

What about the rest of us who don’t have a CNC machine and heavy duty CAD tools to create precision one-off jigs? Are we out of the complex track game from the start? I think the answer to that question depends on what you are trying to build. For folks trying to create the incredible puzzle junctions like those of the Bronx terminal, then the first thing to do is talk to an expert like Tim and think seriously about building special one-off jigs and about taking a second job to pay for them!

If your plan is to build more garden variety industrial track with tight curves and diamond crossings, but absent crossings through switches and other compound track structures, then ordinary competency in handlaying is all that is needed. I also think that there are some key concepts that will help in deciding how to build your junctions and deciding what prototype track to replicate. The two are related, the plan will affect what you need to  build.  What you are able to build will determine what plans you can consider.

To be continued…

Coxy