My RR has an outer loop that is level and just a ring with gentle curves, this track is fine. My inner loop is more narrow gauge with tighter curves and hills, this is not fine. The track wants to lean to the outside. No matter how many times I elevate the outside it always ends up lower than the inside of the curve. The track sits on crushed fines and gravel with hillman clamps. Has anyone else ever had this problem?
Poss
Possum -
Is it sectional track or curves you bent yourself. Might be a a twist in the rail.
I’ve got a curve going up hill I bent that is always a problem to cross-level. It’s low on the outside. Most of my stuff gets through it OK except the RDC with it’s rigid outer axles.
JR
Hey Possum, how are you doin?
Welcome to the site. I think there are more INGRS members on this site then show up for a monthly meeting. Well, maybe we talk more here. John posted some great pictures of your revised layout, looks good.
Sorry I can’t help you with your problem, but all my track is supported by the ladder system, not free floating. Although we have something in common, I’m making my layout smaller and more compact. Need more room in the back yard for those 5 grand kids.
Chuck
I agree with Jon. I bet there is a section or two of trail that has a twist in it, and its forcing the ties down on the outside of the curve. I’ve seen that with flex track here.
I offered to run the Train-Li over it, but the offer was only good for 1 hour and Fred let the time period go by, so the offer was null and void. 
TOG
When I was originally building the layout I had that problem on one curve. I buried a brick underneath the high rail, used lots of Liquid Nails, glued the ties down and put weights on it. After a few warm days the track settled down and it hasn’t moved in the past four years.
Don’t force it, just get a bigger hammer! :lol:
Your problem is you went with Stupid Track ™. Some of us bought into the concept of Smart Track ™. 
Well…I still think that a solid foundation for trackwork is important. Against all the naysayers, I screw my track to that foundation.
For years we used to nail the track down using the hole in the middle of the ties…NO MORE; we switched to nailing it down with 3/4- 1" flat head nails, on the ends of the ties. It has proved to be a far superior method…but don’t drive the nails down flush with the tie…leave a little so if you want to remove it, a pair of side cutters can grip it without digging into the tie. We also predrill the hole in the plastic tie…
…but then I’m using PT wood roadbed…
Steve Featherkile said:Oilfield 101: If it moves grease it.....If it don't move paint it..... If it don't fit, get a bigger hammer....If you ain't got anything else to do grab a rake and dress up the rocks around the tank battery, or heater treater, or pump jack......And last but surely not least, it ain't tight until you put a cheater pipe on the wrench that is at least 3 times as long as the wrench and then hit with the appropriate hammer at least twice....maybe that was three times....with the biggest hammer!!
Don't force it, just get a bigger hammer! :lol:
Seems to me to still be a credo that works…
NO!!! don’t paint the damn dog he’s just asleep… well maybe not…
Mark
President of the Stand & Lean Corporation… Chief Architect and Construction Engineer of the SC, BL & FH RR…and ongoing and sometimes sucessful farmer/rancher/gambler…
(for what all that gets me…)
John Bouck said:
I offered to run the Train-Li over it, but the offer was only good for 1 hour and Fred let the time period go by, so the offer was null and void. :) :)TOG
I didn’t know about the 1 hr rule. I do remember someone jumping out of his truck before it stopped ,racing toward me with an $8000 dollar rail bender, shouting this is the Greatest! He then proceeded to grab an 8 ft straight section of Aristo track and bend it into a pretzel. It will never be straight again! When I asked if he could realignI a section of track on the RR he said sure! I just finished realigning this section of track with my own railbender.
Poss
Yeah, you expect these guys to believe that?
Our attorneys are still settling the two lawsuits. Who left the bridge out when a brand new maiden run Uintah on the Possum Lake RR?
As to the track problem.
Here’s my take on it, which you won’t believe, but I’ll try anyway.
Your bottom loop is contained by rocks, bricks, etc.
The upper loop is not contained. Thus allowing gravity to eventually pull the track downhill.
If you retain the upper loop with some nice rocks, it will stop leaning.
Cheats
John Bouck said:
Yeah, you expect these guys to believe that? Our attorneys are still settling the two lawsuits. Who left the bridge out when a brand new maiden run Uintah on the Possum Lake RR?As to the track problem.
Here’s my take on it, which you won’t believe, but I’ll try anyway.Your bottom loop is contained by rocks, bricks, etc.
The upper loop is not contained. Thus allowing gravity to eventually pull the track downhill.
If you retain the upper loop with some nice rocks, it will stop leaning.Cheats
I agree with you! But its sure going to be hard running trains with Rocks on the Track!
Poss
PS My law firm ( Takum, Uhouse, Carr and Cash) says you don’t have a case! There is no law that says a RR must have a bridge if they don’t want one.
the problem is likely to be thermal expansion. If the track sits in loose ballast, when it heats, it tends to relieve itself by pushing out on the curves. This pushes a little ballast over the outer edge. As this happens over and over again, the ballast gets pushed outwards and downhill, never to return by itself.
Glue the ballast along the outside of the track and the problem will be significantly reduced.
- gws
The track tends to relieve itself? Oh, perish the thought! 
madwolf
I have been using 2x pressure treated lumber as roadbed for over 20 years, and won’t change. It requires less labour, and cuts maintenence way down…but everyone has their own favourite way…go have fun…
"The track tends to relieve itself? Oh, perish the thought! "
Oh THAT’s what happened at the botanic Sunday. I was blaming a toddler.
fred weigold said:John Bouck said:
I offered to run the Train-Li over it, but the offer was only good for 1 hour and Fred let the time period go by, so the offer was null and void. :) :)TOG
I didn’t know about the 1 hr rule. I do remember someone jumping out of his truck before it stopped ,racing toward me with an $8000 dollar rail bender, shouting this is the Greatest! He then proceeded to grab an 8 ft straight section of Aristo track and bend it into a pretzel. It will never be straight again! When I asked if he could realignI a section of track on the RR he said sure! I just finished realigning this section of track with my own railbender.
Poss
I remember you having that problem with your LGB track, put 2 pieces of track together and it bowed, we laid it on the garage floor to get it to lay flat. I think that you and Fred need to cut the plastic under the rail, between the outside ties. I think that it not being cut, it is pulling the outside rail up or down, Fred in your case down, John’s was up. It that isn’t the fix, then I’m sure someone will find a fix to your problem. Since I’m here, what is distant between the rails when running double mainline for 1.20 scale?
I have some curves I spiked myself made with a rail bender. After I had all the ties spiked I noticed the inside rail sat higher, and the ties were only on the deck/ground on the outside of the curve. Upon a closer look at the rail bender I found that it bends the head of the rail over as well. this would be fine if it bent it in the other direction then the outside of the curve would be higher which is more or less prototypical.
If you are bending your own rail this could be the problem. I had the bender in the machine shop at work but it still is not right.
I hope this helps
Dave
Dave, Thank you! That is probably the reason I’m having trouble. So its not the stupid track, its the stupid rail bender!