# HOm installation starts...



## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Laid 3' of experimental narrow gauge this afternoon.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

Looks good, did you go with the dual gauge or the hand-laid?


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I hand laid that rail in the photo. This is just a test rail to see how well CA will hold the rail over time. I used Loc-Tite 404 on this rail after clearing any protruding ballast. 

I may have to do this over the ballasted four feet of branch line to keep from destroying both the ballast and the scenery edges. In some places it comes right up to the edge of the ties.

It may not be very easy to work the PCB copper clad ties in between the plastic ties in this one ballasted section. Pre- bending the rail takes the side stress off of the rail in a curve and it lays naturally at the correct (or nearly correct) radius before applying the adhesive.

A short piece of the test rail I laid had to be forceably pried up with a flat tip screwdriver after the adhesive cured. I believe it will be secure enough for four feet of rail to run trains on.

The standard gauge trains roll over this section with no problem. That was another test of this rail too.


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## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

Looks good Michael. 

Could you spike it to give some extra hold down? :dunno:


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Thanks. 

I learned yesterday that another modeler on my German Railroad forum that models in TT laid a third rail for TTm on his layout using this same exact method. That was two years ago he reported and has had zero problems with the rail.

I picked this up on e-Bay a little while ago to test my rail laying skills as far as keeping the rail in gauge. 

This is a Bemo model and they are Europe's go-to manufacturer for HOm modeling. There are only a handful of manufacturers that produce HOm equipment, but Bemo is supposed to be _the_ best.

This coach is normally around $90 retail but I got it for $47.40 and came to $61 with tax and shipping out of a shop in Florida.

This will be a big help while laying rail and then it will be added to the RhB 4/12 train I'll be ordering from Germany in a few weeks.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

With Central Valley ties I use Pliobond contact cement, I think in the long run it will hold better than CA. Also, CV ties makes ties that are dual gauge so the ties have the guides for the third rail.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Thanks for that information. I will have a look at CV ties.

Is that a company name or a product produced by Fast Tracks?


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I visited CVT and they are hiding those ties really well. The only thing I found there was standard HO gauge tie _strips_.


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

The only thing I'm finding dual gauge are their bridge ties.

https://www.shop.cvmw.com/Dual-Gauge-HOn3-Code-83-70-ME-1909-8.htm


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

That isn't the correct gauge anyway so it doesn't matter.

Thanks for checking Stumpy. I didn't see anything there for HOm.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

The RhB coach showed up today and I was happy to learn my rail laying skills are up to the task. It is only the first three feet, but it rolled smoothly and with about the same side-to-side play on the rails as you would find with a standard gauge wheel set. No binding in the slight curve that was laid either.

These cars are a bit fiddly to get on the rails because you are working with a full size 1/87 coach with an undersized truck and wheel set. I can't get my fingers on the truck bolsters to align it with the rails, so it's sort of hit and miss until both wheels on the truck hit the rail at the same time. These are short coaches given the curve radius of the real railroad. If you've never watched one the RhB cab videos, you wouldn't believe how tight some of the radii is on the section of track from St. Moritz to Tirano.

This uses a coupler that is similar in function to the Roco hook-and-loop type with slightly different dimensions, and unlike the Roco coupler, this one appears to be a close-coupler. I won't know that until I order the train and it arrives from Germany. Several weeks off yet.

I don't yet have the hand rails or hoses installed on the car. A short piece of rolled up electrical tape is keeping it from rolling down the grade and off of the HOm section.


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