I recently purchasedtrhe acela Ho for my grandson. the curved tracks are a 22" radius. My question is, I see no holes through the tracks to secure them to my platform, how are they secured?
You can several different methods, but it depends on how permanent you want the layout to be,as to which method is best for you.
niko-
Many people use plastic-safe construction adhesive to fix the EZTrack. If you'll be putting the train up and down I think you'll find that the snap together EZTrack holds together and stays aligned just fine without being fixed in place. Just be sure that the rails slide into the rail joiners, not on top of them. Another way to mount permanently is to drill holes and use small screws. This only works if you have subroadbed which will hold the screws. IMHO this is too much work and the glue globs (you don't need much) seem to work just fine. Whatever method you use for permanent attachment, let your switches float. The tracks on the ends will keep the switches where you want them without exerting and pressures which might cause a switch to bind.
-- D
I am mounting it on a plywood board and wanted it to be semi-permanent. I noticed when I installed the Walthers track, each piece had 2 small holes for mounting. I really do not like glue, but may be the only way to go. Drilling holes also sounds good.
Any other suggestions, I would appreciate it!
Thanks
The track screws by Atlas-O (P/N 6094) work very well. That are a #3 screw 1-/18in long, and can be driven with a #1 Phillips screwdriver. They come 48 to a pack, and you only need 1 per track section.
Just drill a 1/8in hole through the track and into the plywood and they'll go in quite easily. They are a black oxide color, so blend into the ties very well. If your LHS doesn't carry them, you can get them from Walthers, Horizon Hobby, and several on-line retailers.
As someone else mentioned, you should let your switches and crossings 'float'. As long as the 'glad hands' are adjusted properly, there shouldn't be any problems with them getting caught on a screw head.
Len
Thanks for all the suggestions. I will take a little from each. i was just surprised because last year I bought him an HO from Walthers and the tracks had the pre-drilled holes. I thought Bachman was a bigger name and that would have been the case.
Oh well, I can make it work.
Thanks to all again,
Niko