# Rails not level



## soccercoach (Apr 26, 2012)

The new HO setup track is not level rail to rail. I use a small bubble line level, checking on the ties the bubble is on. Level turned 90* across the rails the bubble is all over the place. The train runs ok, Is this a problem? The cork bed stapled solid to plywood, rail sections flat and nailed with ho nails. On one end of the layout Atlas Pier sections to 3" levels out perfect across the rails. Also the Athern loco and the cars and caboose have couplers at slightly different heights. 
Thanks


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## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

soccercoach said:


> The new HO setup track is not level rail to rail. I use a small bubble line level, checking on the ties the bubble is on. Level turned 90* across the rails the bubble is all over the place. The train runs ok, Is this a problem? The cork bed stapled solid to plywood, rail sections flat and nailed with ho nails. On one end of the layout Atlas Pier sections to 3" levels out perfect across the rails. Also the Athern loco and the cars and caboose have couplers at slightly different heights.
> Thanks


I think I get what your saying here.

As for level of the track, I believe its almost impossible to get the tracks perfectly level. For example, by using the track nails, you can easily cause a very slight misshaping of the ties under the rails (especially in a softer surface like the cork roadbed......Bottom line here is simple, if your trains run on this track, I wouldn't worry to much about it. In fact it seems to me that you see this "wobble" quite a bit in the real-world.

Coupler heights could be a problem for you down the road. If they aren't at least close on match-up height, and you happen over a hump in the tracks, the shifting in vertical height that causes, plus the mismatch, could cause your trains to uncouple...

Just my two cents....

Jim


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## Rangerover (Feb 8, 2012)

If it works for you and you have no problems and if you're happy with it, but it's important that if you later add grades make sure they are level from side to side and especially on grades with curves. Make sure as your curves incline or decline are level side to side.

What I know and have learned about track work is this "be a perfectionist" when laying track and aligning turnouts (switch's). As most of us grew in this hobby taking your time with track laying and techniques for the best possible, trouble free running of trains, comes from experience and doing it right once. Today most use cheap latex caulking to secure roadbed and track with first underlayment of plywood secured with screws on a frame made of 1x4 and foam glued to the plywood with latex caulk or glue's that are friendly for foam. And the track glued with the latex caulk, easy to pull up, but strong enough to keep it in place.

I used an older method when I built mine 7 years ago, homasote instead of foam for roadbed, painted the roadbed, glued and screwed to the plywood. It raised it rather nice with 1/2" above the plywood, took a long time to cut and bevel all the pieces and especially the curves, but I am very satisfied with what I did and I simply laid my track using track nails pushed in with a pair of long nose pliars. I haven't had a bit of trouble with expansion or contraction due to moisture. And it is sound proof, but foam is quiet too and foam is what most are using. My layout is 11' X 17' U shaped twice, meaning I have a NYC subway system under it with 2 lines.

I drew a blue print of what I wanted for my layout long before I did any work at all on the big 18" by 36" artist sheets, it saved a lot of changes, easier to erase with an eraser than pulling up track and hoping it will work. There is available software that you can build your layout by trial and error on your computer also. Jim


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Just to put things into perspective from a mathematical standpoint ...

Let's say that the track is off-level (side to side) by 2 degrees. For HO track (at 16.5 mm gauge), that works out to about 0.6 mm or 0.02" of skew. Pretty small. 1 degree of off-level is around 0.010" of skew. Hard to build to a better tolerance.

TJ


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## Prospect193 (Nov 30, 2011)

Hi Coach,

Here's my two cents worth!! On my straight track I'm as level as side to side as I can. I used a bubble level to get my cookie cutter ply level. As for curves I have super elevated the track so the inside track is slightly lower than the outside one. I do this both for flat curves and graded curves!! 

Pat


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

You stapled the cork roadbed? Usually the roadbed is glued down. 

The surface that the track is laid on needs to be level and even. Staples underneath the ties could really throw things off, since you don't have an even surface.

It's important for trackwork to be well done. If the trackwork has any poor spots, nothing will run well over those spots. In order to have a good starting point for laying good track, the roadbed and/or table surface also needs to be even and level.


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## soccercoach (Apr 26, 2012)

Bad advice from old how to build train set books. Easy to replace the crooked cork, the rails survived. I have the glue, new cork and time to get the job done right. The table is right on, the hammer stapler was too much for ho scale cork. The track tie nails sold to me from the local hobby store, scale size tiny things, bend easy, one per rail, so the salesman says. Keep reading this site, thanks to all. Now where's that game plan....


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## Andreash (Dec 30, 2018)

The real railroads seem to be ok with uneve terrain...☕🍩


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Those guys and that train don’t look ok to me......


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

That's probably what the N&S locomotive looked like just before it fell off the tracks near my house a couple of years ago.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Gluing the cork and the track is the only way to avoid the problems that nails will cause. Besides, you can make adjustments to them before the glue dries to get the perfect alignment.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Nails don't cause the problem. It's the person working the hammer that does.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Andreash said:


> The real railroads seem to be ok with uneve terrain...☕🍩


First of all, the lens compresses a lot of depth, especially on higher zooms. So it looks worse in the photo than in reality.

That said, no, that doesn't look OK. Looks to me like something is on the ground, not on the rails. Crewmen don't usually stand beside a train in the middle of nowhere looking at the trucks.

I think those are heat kinks, and those guys were probably creeping along, holding their breath and crossing their fingers that they could make it through. Then came the telltale BANG of something derailing.


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