# making your own Atlas "Snap Track" curves...



## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Here's two curves made by converting Atlas flex track into preformed Atlas Snap Track... 










When connected, they form a 10 inch radius circle...










I put three screws into a scrap block of wood, removed the free rail in the flex track, pushed it through the screws to form it into a curly que, then reinstalled it into the flex track ties. Now it holds the curve all by itself just like a piece of Atlas Snap Track! 

Then I simply trimmed the ends, and put on connecter ties so that the curve track will accept regular Atlas rail joiners. 

Couldn't resist running a little train on it... 





 
Greg


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

The track is cool but your shorty Train is the best ever.   :thumbsup: :thumbsup: 

I hesitate to use the term cute here with you guys! Lol.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Greg,

I love your flex track prebend trick.

Refresh my memory, though ... Do you orient the track with the "free rail" on the outside of the circle (or curve), or on the inside? And whatever way, why one vs. the other?

(I know we discussed this in the past, but I forget the rationale ... getting old/dizzy on my end!)

TJ


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

tjcruiser said:


> (getting old/dizzy on my end!)
> 
> TJ


I think it was watching that speedy little train running around that loop. 

Looks good!

Putting the pre-bent rail to the outside would make a tighter radius than if it was on the inside. So I guess it would have to depend on what you want for a radius.

Now if you are doing normal flex track methods then you want the free rail to the inside so you can trim it properly to mate with the next track.

Massey


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

tjcruiser said:


> Greg,
> 
> I love your flex track prebend trick.


Hey tj, 

I can't claim the idea. I got it from the Gn15 Brits, who are some of the most meticulously creative modellers I've ever seen.



> Refresh my memory, though ... Do you orient the track with the "free rail" on the outside of the circle (or curve), or on the inside? And whatever way, why one vs. the other?
> 
> (I know we discussed this in the past, but I forget the rationale ... getting old/dizzy on my end!)
> 
> TJ


I put the curved free rail on the inside so that the ties are compressed instead of stretched.


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Massey said:


> I think it was watching that speedy little train running around that loop.
> 
> Looks good!
> 
> Putting the pre-bent rail to the outside would make a tighter radius than if it was on the inside. So I guess it would have to depend on what you want for a radius.


An excellent point, Massey! :thumbsup:

I didn't even consider that. I put the prebent rail in the inside, so the tie compression limited the amount of curve to a 10 inch radius, even though the bent rail was almost three circles before tie insertion.





> Now if you are doing normal flex track methods then you want the free rail to the inside so you can trim it properly to mate with the next track.
> 
> Massey


Yes, and I ended up trimming both rails to get the ends square, as any change in the curve changes the ends' alignment.

I'm going to have to try some your way, as I'd like to run even smaller radii. 

Greg


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Well, the radius is dictated by the setup "screw jig" geometry, right? I.e., how much "offset" between the middle screw and the outer two screws.


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

I just winged it the three screws at about an inch and a half apart and in a straight line. The rail goes to the left of the first to the right of the second and back to the left of the third. I learned that it's best to push the rail through so that pulling doesn't interfere with the uniformity of the extruded curve. It looks like a large coil spring when you're done. If you want a wider radius you can simply pull the track to relax the curve. I was going for a very small radius so I didn't do that. You don't want to trim the ends until you get the track exactly the desired curvature. My aim is to be able to run a continuous micro layout in the narrow depth of a shelf switching layout. This layout is a mere 24 inches deep. 



















Greg


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Even squeezing a turntable in there, pretty neat!


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

That turntable is pretty large compared to the scale of everything else. I think I'm going to need to make some smaller turntables out of CDs similar to this...


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

choo choo said:


> That turntable is pretty large compared to the scale of everything else. I think I'm going to need to make some smaller turntables out of CDs similar to this...


Bad picture link Choo choo

correction: link is now working
-Art


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

Link still isn't working for me??? Tiny turntable - you need a tiny roundhouse to go with it.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

choo choo said:


> That turntable is pretty large compared to the scale of everything else. I think I'm going to need to make some smaller turntables out of CDs similar to this...


It is pretty large. A smaller one would be a good idea, since all the rolling stock is small. 

FWIW, your link doesn't work, the links get an error, see below. 



> Forbidden
> 
> You don't have permission to access /scrapbook/page62a/overvu740.jpg on this server.
> 
> Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

choo choo said:


> I just winged it the three screws at about an inch and a half apart and in a straight line. The rail goes to the left of the first to the right of the second and back to the left of the third. I learned that it's best to push the rail through so that pulling doesn't interfere with the uniformity of the extruded curve. It looks like a large coil spring when you're done. If you want a wider radius you can simply pull the track to relax the curve. I was going for a very small radius so I didn't do that. You don't want to trim the ends until you get the track exactly the desired curvature.


Thanks, Greg ... good, clear description!!!

You might want to recall Shay's clever audio-jack (or headphone jack) tip/trick for use as a pivot AND a dual-conductor power feed to a custom turntable construction. Pretty clever idea, I think ...

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showpost.php?p=48748&postcount=7

TJ


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

I'd like to suggest that you use some sort of compass on a flat surface and draw a line at the radius you want to bend the track. That way you can put the screws or nails in exactly the right place to get the radius you want. That's a very clever idea and putting the bent rail on the inside makes the most sense. Thanks for posting that idea. Pete


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> FWIW, your link doesn't work, the links get an error, see below.


That's strange... 

All of the pic links show up including the quoted ones.

I'll see what I can do. 

Does this work for you?










Greg


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

tjcruiser said:


> Thanks, Greg ... good, clear description!!!
> 
> You might want to recall Shay's clever audio-jack (or headphone jack) tip/trick for use as a pivot AND a dual-conductor power feed to a custom turntable construction. Pretty clever idea, I think ...
> 
> ...


Yes... I remember, and that's a good idea. :thumbsup:

I came up with another one...  

Small simple tapered rectangular copper contacts soldered onto the underside of the ends of the turntable rails. They'll slide right under the feeder rails and *automatically* make contact while *passively matching* the *polarity* of whichever tracks are lined up with the turntable rails. The pressure on the rails will also help hold the turntable in position using the inherent friction of the contacts. 

When you can't build a layout for a long time, you have *plenty* of time to come up with* lots* of clever ideas. I'll be sure to post detailed pics when I build one. 


Greg


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

No go on the pic links, Greg. "Forbidden ... you do not have permission to access server ..."


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Copied it to my photobucket album... 










It's a really cool little turntable. :thumbsup:

Gre


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

That is SLICK!!! I'd peg that at somewhere around 5.5" diameter ??? (If HO gauge.)


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

It's about 4 3/4 inches, the size of a CD... the perfect size to turn my engines.  

Greg


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That is pretty neat. 

As far as the pictures, I suspect that you can see them because you're logged into the server, doubtless they don't allow hot-links.


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Oh, I'm *definitely* on their server... :laugh:

Over the past year I've easily spent a hundred hours on the Micro/Small Layouts for Model Railroads site. It's a treasure chest of information and inspiration. 

Greg


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

I've been refining my track bending technique by trying a back to back bend in one piece of track. This is what the extruded rail bend looks like...










And this is the end result... 










It turned out so even, the one rail only needs an 1/8 inch trim. I'm planning a steep winding mountain layout so these premade bends will make it really easy to build. 

Greg


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Wow ... that's a lot of "over bend", but I guess it's easy to flex the rail back to the target shape after the initial bend. Very cool.

TJ


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

I'm thinking that what you are doing is ok for sharp bends in the track but isn't Atlas Flextrack already designed so you can bend it around easily where you want the track to go? Pete


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

tjcruiser said:


> Wow ... that's a lot of "over bend", but I guess it's easy to flex the rail back to the target shape after the initial bend. Very cool.
> 
> TJ


Yes, you can relax the bend by pulling on the track because it would be way too tight for normal trains, and you wouldn't want an "S" shape in your layout anyways....

...but that's the actual finished radius I want for my uses. 

In planning a micro layout, the greatest size restriction you face is curve radius. Getting stuff to run on it is easy. Just don't go beyond 0-4-0 or (0-6-0 with no center drive wheel flanges) for your locos, and run rolling stock under 30 scale feet. 

Greg


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

norgale said:


> I'm thinking that what you are doing is ok for sharp bends in the track but isn't Atlas Flextrack already designed so you can bend it around easily where you want the track to go? Pete


Yes, it is... but I'm adapting Flextrack to an unintended use because all my bends are going to be extremely small radius. 

So I want to lay track that is *already* curved in its relaxed state like Snap Track, so that there is no need to pin it down to exert stress on it to try to get it to hold its shape.

Greg


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Just discovered that Flex track can be made into Snap Track down to a radius of 6 inches... 










Any smaller than that just tears the retainers off the ties. This means I can build a continuously running micro layout with a depth of 16 inches.

Greg


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Hey Greg,

Are your end-piece "connector ties" simply bashed from other (normal) track pieces, or as there some source to buy the end pieces in a bundle of 20 or something like that? Just curious.

TJ


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Well Greg I must while I prefer a large layout with the larger engines and cars I am truly impressed with your work on the shorties and now your layout that is fineally comeing together. You have inspired me to create a steep mountain climb up my mountain/hill in my intended new layout and it will be a shortie themed spur with tight turns and a good bit of switchbacks. It will mainly be a small logging train but am thinking I might include a small tourist train or something similar to that. Can't wait to see how yours turns out and especially can't wait for my new layout to take shape.

I also have a question,
What is the smallest engine in terms of length in inches that you have come across in HO scale and what would be the best type for a scenic railway kind of look? Would a Shay be to big or would it look right at home. I am trying to go with your small size looks for this part of my layout but those Shays are calling to me to get one for my layout/collection.

Best of luck:thumbsup:


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

tjcruiser said:


> Hey Greg,
> 
> Are your end-piece "connector ties" simply bashed from other (normal) track pieces, or as there some source to buy the end pieces in a bundle of 20 or something like that? Just curious.
> 
> TJ


Atlas makes those ends that accept rail connectors especially for their Flex Track. I have bags of them because I'm gonna need lots of them for my converted tracks. 

That's one thing I like about Atlas... all of their goodies are readily available.

Greg


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

gc53dfgc said:


> Well Greg I must while I prefer a large layout with the larger engines and cars I am truly impressed with your work on the shorties and now your layout that is fineally comeing together. You have inspired me to create a steep mountain climb up my mountain/hill in my intended new layout and it will be a shortie themed spur with tight turns and a good bit of switchbacks. It will mainly be a small logging train but am thinking I might include a small tourist train or something similar to that. Can't wait to see how yours turns out and especially can't wait for my new layout to take shape.


I'm also planning to run a small mountain tourist train, and am going to chop one of these into a shorty excursion car...












> I also have a question,
> What is the smallest engine in terms of length in inches that you have come across in HO scale and what would be the best type for a scenic railway kind of look? Would a Shay be to big or would it look right at home. I am trying to go with your small size looks for this part of my layout but those Shays are calling to me to get one for my layout/collection.
> 
> Best of luck:thumbsup:


Thanks... 
My favorite small steam engine is the Mantua Camelback 0-6-0 "Goat" switcher and tender... 











It has the unique ablity to negotiate *any* radius curve because the center driving wheels have no flanges. Here's a short video of it going around that 6 inch radius curve I just made...





 
It also has a traction tire which should help it to climb steep grades. I'm going to set up some elevations to test its abilities, as I don't want to build something I can't actually use.

I'm with you on those shays... they're absolutely beautiful. But don't rule out the Climaxes or Heislers either...










This is the smallest Heisler... a one truck...










But unfortunately no one makes a model of it.

Most all of the shays are kind of long, and I have no idea how small of a radius curve they can handle. On the other hand, the little Mantua Goat is perfect for my uses. 

Greg


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

choo choo said:


> Atlas makes those ends that accept rail connectors especially for their Flex Track ...


Thanks, Greg!

TJ


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

I've been further refining my Atlas Flex Track bending technique... 










...and was able to make a one piece 180 degree 6 inch radius curve track. Those siding tracks are in the middle of a 12 inch radius oval. Can't go any smaller than 6 inches... but what I'm able to manufacture now is *perfect* for a micro layout. 

Greg


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

to be honest with you Greg I don't like the Hieslers or Climax's that much They are nice in thier own right but those Shays and their vertical pistons and drive rods just amaze me. I could look at one running for hours and not get board at it. The Shays are jsut one amazeing train in my perspective and have more action going on.


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Yeah, I like them too... too bad they don't make a shorty one truck shay.

Made a video of the 15 Ton Mack towing hot metal ingot buggies... 





 
Greg


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

The short radius track looks very strange after all the HO track I've been looking at with normal radii. With the small engine you can make the track snake around buildings and go places no other track has gone before. This is going to be interesting. Pete


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

I know what you mean in the opposite from working with small radius tracks so much, the normal tracks look absolutely *huge*.  I'll be building a *very* small layout, so tight curves and tiny engines with shorty rolling stock are the way to do it... 










Greg


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## broox (Apr 13, 2012)

inspirational :thumbsup:


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## PRR975 (May 5, 2012)

Great work! Are you going to add more sidings to your mini turntable? Or just leave it with the three attached rails as is? I think it would be really cool to see as many things branching off that turntable as possible, just personal suggestion though. This is really tremendous stuff, thanks for sharing!


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

That's a neat idea Choo Choo. I love the tiny trains too. Is that N scale? Are the cars a copy of an actual prototype? I think I'd go nuts trying to put them on the tracks. I have enough trouble with HO. Ha! pete


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## broox (Apr 13, 2012)

Pretty sure its HO, Norgale. For his Mantua Goat IIRC.


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## broox (Apr 13, 2012)

choo choo said:


> Oh, I'm *definitely* on their server... :laugh:
> 
> Over the past year I've easily spent a hundred hours on the Micro/Small Layouts for Model Railroads site. It's a treasure chest of information and inspiration.
> 
> Greg


this site?
http://carendt.morphoist.com/microplans/index.html


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## TheSleeper (Oct 7, 2010)

I am at a loss for words except awesome work. Keep it up!


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

Very nice, could use the camel back for that shorty tour train, just a thought, or maybe a shay that got re purposed for the tour industry from logging


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## dennis h. pateras (Jan 27, 2010)

Hey choochoo, how clever! I wondering how far apart I would have to place the screws if bending a piece of n scale flex for a 6" (if I'm saying it right 12" width overall). Thanks for any info.


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