Installing the Rail Yard on My Model Railroad Part 1

[@derekalexander4030]

The yard ladder looks great Drew.

[@WhiteRiverLine]

Thanks, Derek.

[@SantaFeBob]

Thank you for demonstrating your installation techniques. Very well done.

[@WhiteRiverLine]

Thanks, Bob. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@shelleykubik1349]

Like your video's keep them coming. To keep the roadbed smooth after layong fown your cork on the caulk use a wall paper roller over the cork, then add your weights until dry. But from all the yards I have worked in on the one to one scale nothing is flat and prefect. There ruts, holes, mud water railroads are not the putting green level. So your find for it to be bumpy and wiggly. Tim

[@WhiteRiverLine]

Great tip! Once I get to ballast and scenery I model some of those ruts, holes, maybe some mud.

[@stephenosborne4064]

Never see your vidos before saw this on reddit and this was an instant sub. I love this so much! Great work!

[@WhiteRiverLine]

Thanks! Welcome aboard.

[@centeroftheearthmining4095]

Awesome job Drew!

[@WhiteRiverLine]

Thanks, Yukon.

[@johnbanicki7232]

Another great video. Love watching the hand laying of track. Hoping to do something like this sometime this winter.

[@WhiteRiverLine]

Go for it!

[@conway573]

You can us an old CC to spread the caulking and glue…I use them all the time in my shop…an added bonus is if you have a sculpted scissors that will cut ridges or teeth…that way the caulk and glue will spread evenly…similar to a tile adhesive spreader…great video as always…😎

[@WhiteRiverLine]

That's an awesome tip. I generally shred my old credit cards, but I might have some old gift cards laying around.

[@hotrail8295]

Beautiful How-To! I loved watching this. One question though.. Is your mainline roadbed height taller than the 1/8" used in your yard? If so, how did you accomplish the vertical transition between the yard and mainline roadbed heights?

[@AnonOmis1000]

You might wanna cut your cork strips in half like you did on the curves. You can more easily follow the line you drew and keep the road bed straight. Also two questions. Why did you choose white/PVA glue to adhear the ties to the road bed? Is the new caulk you're using permanent, or can you still pull the cork up of you make a mistake?

[@WhiteRiverLine]

Cutting the pieces in half could work really well for keeping it straight on my center lines. It kinda adds an extra step though and the straight edge method seems to work pretty well. Something I might consider in the future, for sure. I'm not sure when I'm going to tackle the rest of the trackwork. It'll probably be a few months. The book I read on hand-laying track recommended PVA glue. I like it. Goes on easy, cleans up easy, cheap, has good adhesion. The only real downside is that water (in a large enough quantity) can reactivate it, which I don't anticipate being a problem. In doing a little testing, the new caulk should work well if I need to pull stuff up.

[@154Colin]

That's a slick rolling cutter? I did not see at the MM 'site.

[@WhiteRiverLine]

It’s a rotary cutter designed for fabric. I’ll put a link to one on Amazon in the description.

[@WhiteRiverLine]

I added a link to description for the rotary cutter.

[@YardGoat2022]

I’m getting close to this portion of my own layout and want to know if any cork sheets will work or does it have to be specifically for model railroad? Also, I’ll be using number 5 turnouts for my yard and when I connect the switches together for the ladder and connect the tracks to them the tracks becomes at least 4-6 inches APART! Any ideas as how to bring them closer to two inches apart?

[@WhiteRiverLine]

I just buy rolls of cork on Amazon and cut them myself using a rotary cutter. Any cork should work and I find this to be cheaper. I'm not sure which turnouts you are using, so I couldn't say for sure about your yard. Perhaps the throat (the portion that leads into the switch points) of your turnouts is too long.

[@YardGoat2022]

@@WhiteRiverLine thanks for sharing your knowledge! This hobby ask each one of us to be part time carpenter, electrician, and artist and everything in between! I’m just starting my first layout and feel at times I’m in over my head! So overwhelming at times, but I know when I see all my locos and rolling stock just going around the layout it will put a big smile on my face! Thanks! Rock Chalk!

[@BCHonea]

Are you using code 100 or 83? I know 100 is easier but 83 always looks better and is more prototypical

[@WhiteRiverLine]

I'm using code 83 on the whole layout. Thanks for watching!

[@BCHonea]

@@WhiteRiverLine it’s truly beautiful, therapeutic to watch you too!

[@WhiteRiverLine]

Thanks so much. Glad you enjoy it.

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

Where did U get the huge cutting mat?

[@WhiteRiverLine]

A fabric store. It's designed for cutting fabric with the rotary cutter I am using and it's my wife's. It has a warning on it that it is only to be used with rotary cutter. I don't really want to ruin my wife's stuff, so I've never used an xacto knife on it. It might be fine using an xacto, but I couldn't say for sure.

[@WhiteRiverLine]

I added a link to the description for the cutting mat.

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

@@WhiteRiverLine Thank you

[@EdwinsTrains]

Why do you make your own track?

[@WhiteRiverLine]

Initially I just wanted to challenge myself. Now that I've done a bit I keep doing it because I like the way it looks and I enjoy doing it. Thanks for watching!