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What Tools To Use When Laying Track

Some time ago Hank sent in his list of suggested tools for laying track:

1.  A hobby knife for removing ties [sleepers]
2.  Side cutters [if you need to remove any track pins]
3.  Snipe nose pliers [for holding the track pins]
4.  A small pin hammer
5.  A mini-drill with a cutting disk, or a hacksaw [for cutting the track]
6.  A pin vice with a very small drill bit [for drilling holes for track pins in the ties]
7.  A soldering iron

3 Responses to What Tools To Use When Laying Track

  • Tim Morlok says:

    I would add a couple of thing to this list: 8. set of jewelers screw drivers that can be use to adjust the gap on rail joiners if they get pinched or flattened. 9. a mini-miter box with a 1 inch or 1.5 inch back saw blade for making straight vertical cuts of your rails.

  • Newman Atkinson says:

    Suggest a thin Puddy Knife to loosen up the caulking under the track if you need to reset it. In my case I seldom nail or screw track down anymore. I now spread clear APEX caulk onto the roadbed. I actually use it for the road bed too. If it is not right use the thin puddy knife under the track or even the roadbed and it willeasily reset where you want it with fresh APex caulk. You also need some short stretches of wood block and some weights to hold the track in placeas it sets. It will hold itself in less than 20 minutes and down good in the AM. from Newman

  • James Cowdroy says:

    I would also say for the novice some sticking plaster, because blood can stain and really ruin a nice lot of track work. I would also say we probably all the older guys started with what we had and made tools as we went and we have had a great deal of fun and it makes you know what you can handle and what you can’t. So do not allow the lack of tools slow you down

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