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Backyard Railroading 101: How To Build Track for YOUR Backyard Railroad!

J.T.Engineering

76,569 views

In this video were building track for my backyard railroad! This video is meant to help anyone gathering research, or building a railroad in their backyard! In this video were learning how to make a track jig for straight and curved track panels.

For those of you who are still in the research phase, check out this video I made about all the different types of track that are common here in the US for backyard railroads!
Backyard Railroading 101: Choosing Track F...

As always, if you have any other backyard railroading topics you would like me to cover, leave a comment and maybe Ill make a video on it! I appreciate all the comments I get!

~~VIDEO CHAPTERS~~
00:00 Intro
00:16 Building the Track Jig
03:27 First Panel
06:25 Curved Jig
07:32 Bending the Rail
09:29 Completing the Jig
13:37 Track Demo
14:13 Shenanigans
15:15 Outro

#railroading #railroad #trains #backyardrailroad #diy #locomotive #choochoos #7.5"railroad #traintracks #traintrack #track #modelrailroad #modelrailroading #ihavenoideawhatimdoing #livesteam #hashtag

20 Comments

@JohnDoe-to2kv 2 days ago

I can only imagine the cost of building a “Garden RR” this size , engines , rolling stock etc.
Not to mention the skills needed to custom build it all !
Still , I’m impressed.

@williamgibb5557 14 hours ago (edited)

After my accountant says. The bank has your lottery winnings, I will hire a team to start building my own railroad. Oh, I'll help but it is a labor of love but at my age, I pay and help. Great video! My team will watch it. Great using ties that will last almost forever.

@esinohio 5 months ago

Must... not...buy... childhood.... dream..... You know of course I am going to fully blame you when boxes start arriving. 😇 At least my wife will always know exactly where I'm at, out back messing with the train. lol

@BPSspace 5 months ago

Loving this series dude - I have basically no intention of building this scale of railroad ever but it's fascinating to learn how it happens

@douglasboyle6544 5 months ago

Take a drink every time he says "tie"

@ToughAncientSpark 5 months ago

"According to my precise calculations, which aren't always precise..."
Bullwinkle J. Moose

@Boxmaker_247_Animates 5 months ago

This is an entire niche that i had no idea existed, this is so cool!!!

@Kevin-go2dw 2 months ago

Your rail bending looked a lot easier than what I was doing 30 years ago on 30" gauge and 80lb rail. Took about 4 people just to move the bender, many little bends and measurements and sometimes trying to bend the rail back.

@bartymoff 5 months ago

Where did you find the 10' rail bending chart? Awesome reference material...

@arrowguy_173 5 months ago

She’s a Beauty & the Beast fan… this animator appreciates that. Enjoying the channel.

@TheWhyCapsule 5 months ago

This is solid—clear, practical, and actually doable for beginners. I like how you break down the steps without overcomplicating it. Looking forward to seeing the full layout come together! 🚂

@THEBENGINEER1616 5 months ago

I wanna tell you something from working with track on my own railroad. I volunteer at if you want to make curve track you don’t need a whole Nother jig. You just need to keep your screws loosened so then your track is Bendy and then you hook onto each end and then once it’s all fully put in then you screw them all the way till they’re tight so it’s funny. You didn’t need to make the curve jig for railroad that has very normal curves. I think it’s kind of smart. 7:15

@NotaFed1 5 months ago

Putting that jig on a rotisserie type wheeled frame would be slick

@danreuther1446 5 months ago

Bet your neighbors love 'ya ☺️

@djarnold74 5 months ago

I won’t build one this big but this was informative and funny

@TreyFisher-d9o 5 months ago

keep up the good work this really is going to help me and my railroad

@conrailfan6277 5 months ago

This is an awesome channel, love all the builds, hopefully
one day we'll see you build a
D&RG SD40-2!!!

@austinwagoncompany 5 months ago

I look around at all the cool stuff this guy has and I see that he lives in a desert and I think to myself, "if I never mow my yard again, would I have enough money to build a model railroad in my backyard?"

@kevinzegan6802 4 months ago

Came across your channel today and it's AWESOME! Thanks!

@3ftsteamrwy12 5 months ago

REALLY GREAT VIDEO! Even if your into the smaller "garden railway gauges (G/F or #1 scale) this will work for you. over 25 years ago we built FULL SIZE track panels at the SC Railroad Museum to construct the yard at Rockton SC, and its still in use.