How to lay flexible track
Flexible track lets you lay smooth, broad curves and long straights with fewer joints than set track. Take your time with the cuts and joints and it will run well for years.
- Time
- Half a day for a small layout
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Cost
- Moderate cost
- Steps
- 8
- Checked
What you’ll need
- Flexible track (e.g. Peco Streamline OO/HO) Search Amazon for peco streamline flexible track
- Rail joiners, metal and insulated Search Amazon for peco rail joiners
- Track pins Search Amazon for peco track pins
- Xuron-type track cutter or razor saw Search Amazon for xuron track cutter
- Fine file Search Amazon for needle file set
- Small hammer and pin pusher
- Track gauge or roller gauge Search Amazon for ho track gauge
- Straight edge or steel rule
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. The Amazon links go to search results, so you can compare what’s available.
Take care
- Rail cutters can send small offcuts flying — wear safety glasses.
- Take care with soldering irons; use a stand and work in a ventilated area.
Step by step
-
Step 1: Mark the centre line
Draw the track centre line on the baseboard or underlay, using your full-size plan. For curves, use a trammel (a strip of wood with a pencil hole at the right radius) or a curve template.
Next: step 2 -
Step 2: Fit the first length
Lay a length of flexible track on the centre line and pin it lightly through the pre-drilled holes in the sleepers. Don't hammer pins tight — they should hold the track, not squash the sleepers.
Next: step 3 -
Step 3: Bend curves smoothly
Bend the track gently into the curve. One rail will slide through the sleeper chairs and stick out at the end — that is normal. Keep curves smooth, with no kinks, and ease gradually from straight into curve.
Next: step 4 -
Step 4: Cut the rails to length
Mark where the rails need to end, then cut with a rail cutter or razor saw. File the ends square and remove burrs from the top and inside edge so wheels don't pick at them. Slide off a sleeper or two and trim the chairs so joiners fit.
Next: step 5 -
Step 5: Join the lengths
Slide rail joiners onto one length and push the next length into them so the rails meet squarely. Use insulated joiners where you need to separate electrical sections (Peco makes SL-111 insulated joiners). Avoid joints in the middle of a curve where possible — stagger them or solder them so the curve stays smooth.
Next: step 6 -
Step 6: Check gauge and alignment
Run a track gauge or a wagon along the track. Sight along the rails at eye level for kinks, and push a long coach through every curve.
Next: step 7 -
Step 7: Join different rail codes properly
Use a transition track where code 75 meets code 100 (Peco SL-113) or code 83 meets code 100 (SL-116).
Next: step 8 -
Step 8: Test, then ballast
Run trains for a while before ballasting. Fix any derailments now — it's much harder once the ballast is glued.
Tips
- Leave a tiny gap at rail joints on big layouts in rooms that get hot and cold, so the rails can expand.
- Solder feeds to every few lengths rather than relying on rail joiners for power.
Questions people ask
Can I mix flexible track with set track?
Yes, if the rail heights match or you use a transition, but set track with moulded roadbed sits higher, so you'll need packing.
Should I use cork underlay?
Underlay quietens running and gives a raised track bed; it's optional.
Sources
Checked 18 October 2026. We wrote this guide in our own words, using:
- Peco: Streamline track range (peco-uk.com)
- Peco: SL-103 OO/HO code 100 flexible track (peco-uk.com)
- NMRA RP-11: curvature and rolling stock (2018) (nmra.com)
- Wikipedia: HO scale (en.wikipedia.org)
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Printed from locoho.co.uk/guides/how-to-lay-flexible-track/ · Checked 18 October 2026 · General information only. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your trains, track, controllers and decoders.