The ME code 70 commercial track is based on North American standard rail. With sidings, the ties are almost always spaced out more. We just never pay attention to it when we glance at it.

The best way to answer this is to have you use satellite mapping and look at the areas you plan on modeling. Tie spacing varies from railroad to railroad and from mainline to secondary to sidings or new construction to 50-year-old well used with little upkeep track. Take the grand tour via kzfaq.info and visit every camera. When watching prototype videos look at the trackwork, not the trains. You will learn a lot.

@@thomasboese3793 Old ties from class 1 railroads also get recycled into short lines etc, as well. There is a standard but there is also an exception to every rule. I almost always have to reform my dogma when I take a walk down a local short line railroad. I see things that contradict my assumptions all the time. e.g. The short line railroad I presently model (SRY), has a little bit of everything because some of it's sections are used, leased and maintained by big class 1 carriers like CN/CP/BNSF. Part of the agreement is they maintain the track sections they use which includes everything you can think of like CTC relay boxes, etc. as well.

​@@boomerdiorama The absolute beauty of modeling following a specific prototype subdivision is you truly never know what you will find until you go digging. This is why I started with satellite mapping to see the major details. Track details depend on who built it, as well as the year, why it was built and the history of ownership to the time your modeling it. The subdivision I'm modeling is currently owned by the CN, but is being sold off. The CN got it from the WC Ltd merger, who got most of it from the Soo Line, who got it from their merger with MILW, who built it as a light branch line. This line runs north/south, but is crossed by or had past junctions with the C&NW. When the WC had it, several C&NW sections were merged into the WC, adding tens of miles of old track going east/west. Standards? I'm dealing with five (5) past owners, who had very different ideas of how to run/maintain this section of secondary track. The current owner treats it as two different sections as they signaled the southern half to the power plant and left the rest dark. I find having Track Charts for the subdivision far more helpful than a book of "standards" for the "railroad".

@@thomasboese3793 Track charts show what was put down at the time of construction and any upgrades. Standard Plan Books cover the whole railroad and usually will also include the differences between what the railroad considers types of track and how the tracks are operated-heavy main, light main, passing sidings, yard tracks, industry tracks, etc. These standards are always changing and upgrading with time from years ago. Most railroads now will not reuse ties unless they have only been in use just a few years because of the labor cost involved with retrieving them. I helped build a tourist railroad where we used industrial grade ties and reused ties because of cost. Modern mainline tie spacing is 19.5 inches using 7X9X9ft treated mixed hardwood ties unless the track is laid with prestressed concrete ties. CWR means at least 12 inches of ballast beyond the ends of the ties before tapering down to be able to hold the track to line and grade. Track using ties of 6X8X8 ft in the main line would be typical for late 1800s to about 1900. Tie plates were being installed at about that time also along with rail anchors to keep the rail from "running".

Thank You Sam. Comments like that make it all worth while to be part of the community. Cheers ~ Boomer.

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

Thank You Ted. The beauty of this community is when they share, and I also learn as well. Half the fun is the associated burgeoning knowledge that goes along with the hobby as we attempt to model certain features which are unique to each individual modeler. I am not a Proto 87 modeler, but I still like to emphasize distinct and varied track characteristics which enhance the immersion level of the layout. It just feels better when I walk up to it with my morning coffee . . . lol. Cheers.

Glad to hear you are catching on to the possibilities of different code rail. Some may assume it is a fixed code to the different scales but it is not. e.g. Code 40 in "N" Scale is almost too large for even class one mainline rail. Whereas in "HO" scale it works as I demonstrated for sidings, etc. On the other hand, Look closely at most N Scale Track and it is almost a foot high. Even then, most N Scale Rail is Code 55 at best, which is even more grossly out of scale. Jump up in scale to "O" scale, and the whole rail code ratio changes again where code 83 is suitable for class 2 branch line yards. You need code 100 or larger, to simulate mainline rail in "O" (1/48) scale. Rail variations in terms of modeling like this begin with "HO" Scale and up. Cheers.

Thank you! It does run well. Cheers.

Me too!

Wow, thank you! Yes indeed. HO Scale is the best of all the worlds I think for sure. Cheers.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you very much for replying to my comment. I would love if you could take a quick look at my page and any feedback would be greatly appreciated.I have a new video out now.Hope you like and share@@boomerdiorama

Thank You. Hand laid track has a distinct look to it for sure. Cheers.

It doesn't take much to model an incline. It's very subtle but it's there. Cheers.

Glad you enjoyed it. The track is half the artistic scene for me. Cheers.

Well Gary. Thank you for sharing. The beauty of the hobby is you don't have to do any of this track laying style if you don't want to. This is the reason why I like the smaller footprint because it serves my interests either way. Just take what you want and try what you want. Cheers.

It's a hobby, Gary. If at the end of the day you're not grinning from ear to ear, you're doing it wrong! The quality of operations in any scale on any size code of rail boils down to one word, craftsmanship. Whether it's benchwork or hand-laid rail every step has to be treated as if it was the absolute final finishing step. Sounds harsh, but, it's not. If you "rush" a job upfront, you will end up having to spend time on many little "fixes" that keep popping up due to poor craftsmanship.

@@thomasboese3793 I think you summed up things quite well. My first layout was a disaster. My second one, was less of a disaster. With this one I have to find out if it meets the standard of my own approval which only increases as I gain experience - which never seems to end. Having said this, I have learned if the track, regardless of it's scale or style, is rushed, it will never meet any ones standard of approval. Everything hangs on smooth running for me which almost requires the most blood , sweat and tears. But man, are the rewards fantastic. Cheers.

Funny you mention that because I see what you mean. The width between the rails is the same all around even though it looks wider. Varied tie color, size and spacing can make things look different. NMRA guage doesn't lie, but the user is capable of it . . . lol. Cheers,

Thank You Larry. In my experience, I have always found lighter rail to look more prototypical in almost every situation. Even if it is in a "vignette" scene in contrast to the primary mainline rail. Cheers.

Thank You. We all share the same journey. Do the things you fear to do and the fear will disappear. Cheers.

You're very welcome!

Thank You Tom ;-) Cheers.

Thank you Ken. I agree with everything you stated so eloquently in stellar prose. Except, I have become more intolerant of derailments in HO Scale, etc. I used to welcome the "grits n' shingles' in On3 (1/48 Scale), back in the day, but I have grown old and tired of re-railing. Therefore, when my operation is comprised of one rusted out hopper, coupled to five minutes, and an over-nursed cold coffee, I demand operational perfection . . . lol. Cheers ~ Boomer.

@@boomerdiorama One old guy to another… eloquently stated: eloquently stated😄

@@kenmunozatmmrrailroad6853 . . . Now go fix that broken coupler Ken . . . lol. Cheers

Yes you can or you can elevate the mainline with some cheap cork (sheet) from Michaels Craft store. ;-)

Good info. Thanks for sharing. Cheers ~ Boomer.

Well in the live steamer world, standard gauge is 7 1/4 (east) and 7 1/2" (west) gauge. Both use 1" tall rail in standard or West coast rail with different shapes sizes, aluminium or steel. Meaning that "east" equipment can´t run in western US and vice versa. That´s for 1/8 scale, making à 40' boxcar 5' long. There is smaller and larger scale too, not counting the LGB garden scale. So we all can go from Z to full scale size. There is one for all of us !

Yes sir. It really is smooth. I like smooth. ;-) Cheers.

Funny you mentioned that. I tried my six axle SD38 on there. It ran smooth, but then, strangely shorted out. Cheers.

Ha! I was thinking more on the derailment side. 😅

I always see what we think doesn't exist the older I become and the more I get out. Cheers.

I can't see the flanges with these old eyes anymore Frank. I only see the track disappearing under the train . . .lol.

😁

I have to wire the layout first. Cheers.

What a great question! In some cases, greater spacing with lighter code rail (in this case, yard tracks and sidings), it is prototypical practice for economic reasons. When I take a walk on the short lines here in British Columbia, I am always amazed at the contradictions of my own dogma. Furthermore, I also take the liberty of artistic license to overemphasize things a little at times. Most notably with track initially, because after ballast, paint and grass, things settle in some visually within the varied ratio of scale and depth of field when viewed through different media, etc. At the end of the day, River Road is a mini production. ;-) Cheers.

I like to build up my substrate (roadbed) with 3/8" Plywood and 1/4" cork. 1/4" Plywood alone is fine as well if you are confident with the underlying support frames. I have built on 3/16" Oak Plywood without cork and things seemed to be fine. I just selectively glued chunks of foam underneath later where I could for additional sound deadening. I don't think it made much difference though. I like the 1/4" cork roadbed because I can pin things down easy, drives spikes, carve low-relief ditches, etc. I use CA to tack my track to the cork, and then ballast with diluted matte medium in the end. The advantage of thin road bed like 1/4" or 3/8" road bed is the installation of switch machines, wiring, revisions, etc. I hope that helps some. Cheers.

Thank You for the help! Prior to watching your videos, still making my trains go around in circles, I was using only pink foam board on the bench work with commercial cork that only went under the track. I could never get the right appearance because it seemed to raise the track to high for the surrounding area. Your suggestions will be a vast improvement!!! Thank You!

@@stevenstorey1945 I never did like the raised cork road bed look. It looks so much better when you lay it on a flat substrate and then work in a few depressions, ditches and rises in terrain here-and-there. It especially looks good when you model yards and branch lines this way as well. Cheers.

Well said. I do believe that because this Walthers/P2K Geep is already a real winner. I just hate admitting it because it is my cheapest locomotive on the roster. I would have to say the more I run it the better it gets as well. Some how I think I must over-rate my Kato's and I don't know why . . . lol. Thank you for sharing that. Cheers ~ Boomer.

I like the subtle dip in elevation as well. Any lower than this span and it looks out of scale. I use 600, 800, 1000 grit wet/dry sand paper. You can go further with the grit fineness if you want. I see no need because dirty track on a small shelf-layout footprint is usually easy to clean, and therefore, a none issue in most cases. Cheers.

Anything is possible with paint! It's all fake at the end of the day . . . lol. Cheers.

No issues. I used a few spikes on the outside rail. With CA and Matte medium (ballast) the rail is not going anywhere. Especially, on a short stretch like this there is very little, if any, movement.

Thank You. No loop. I have never built a loop . . . except around the Christmas tree. I am a point-to-point model railroader in the linear sense. I have yet to see a prototypical railroad that runs in loops if you know what I mean. Nevertheless, each to his or her own at the end of the day if that is your style which is fully acceptable. Cheers and thank you for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate all of them. Cheers.

@@boomerdiorama I’m in agreement with you, each modeler is their own person with individual taste and likes. Our layout is in a sense, point to point. However, we have a divided wall that both points run too and a side track with a tunnel that connects them into a loop if desired. I had to take into consideration my son being young when we started, at that age he just wanted to see them run so the tunnel works for that. Can’t wait to see the finished diorama, great job so far

@@vettebecker1 Sure thing. Sounds great and I totally understand. I wouldn't have the room here for a loop or staging anyway. I just enjoy modeling a section of the railroad with higher detail per square foot than if I committed to a larger layout. What I do is just another niche interest within the collective hobby we all share and love. Cheers ~ Boomer.👍

I used "Micro" spikes from Micro Engineering. Been so long since I acquired them. Good luck finding them though. You can try here: www.micromark.com/Micro-Spikes I am not sure if theses are even small enough for code 40 though but they might be.

@@boomerdiorama ...... so micro spikes even on the Code 70? Micro engineering has the small & the micros on their parts price list. Appreciate your help..... going to build a shelf switching layout after seeing what you did......want something small and managable.

@@michaelevan9184 No spikes on the code 70 rail because it is "commercial" flex track. The small spikes are considered quite large compared to "micro" spikes. I wish there was something in between them but it is what it is. I prefer the micro at the end of the day for code 55 and code 40. The small would work for code 70. Try them and see, you may or may not like them. Cheers.😁

I cut them from Evergreen Scale Models Plastic Strip # 165 (.080" x .100). I scribed each strip then cut them to length. I show how to weather them here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/is9ym652yJ-xXac.html

Yes sir. I still need to get DCC Decoders and Speakers for them. At some point I'll bite into them when I get the locomotive modelling bug which is inevitable some time soon I think.

@@boomerdiorama Good travels 👍

Great observation! All the frogs, as you probably know, are insulated and thus dead at the moment (with a yellow lead wire unconnected under the layout). The points have enough friction from the texture on the styrene ties to hold the point rail in position. Therefore, it does not matter if the powered trailing truck picks up power as the lead truck rides over the dead frog to pick up power on the other side, before the trailing truck rides over the dead frog. In this case, if one used a single truck locomotive it would most likely stall on the frog. Furthermore, if you have a DCC "Keep Alive" board, it won't matter either way. Right now, I can pretty much run any two truck locomotive (except maybe a shorter switcher) through any turnout with a dead frog. Having sad this, I will power-rout the frog when I install the switch machines. I hope that answers your question. Cheers.

@@boomerdiorama Excelent answer. Thank you Very much. Cheers 👏👏👏 👏

@@Gesampa Cheers.

Code 40 rail is 40# rail in HO.

Either way it looks good! Cheers