I posted this here because this deals with rail/track, but if a moderator thinks it should be moved to the general forum please do so.
I’m working on some early (mid 1950s) Santa Fe piggyback flats. The rub rails on these flats actually had a small metal railroad rail placed on top of a wooden rub rail. The metal rail was used for lockable tie downs. Here’s a photo showing the rail:
The information I have from a Santa Fe folio mentions 7/16" high for the rail, which seems a little low to me based on the picture.
Here’s a closeup of that folio:
Based on the picture, what would be a good code rail to use for this?
I’m making 4 cars (three 53’ 6" and one 60’). Based on the folios I have, the total length of rail I’d need to complete the four cars is 2,427". In HO scale that’s roughly 28".
Where can I get a 30" (or maybe a little more, perhaps 36") piece of HO scale rail in a small code?
Our layout uses code 100 and that would be way too big to use. So that cuts out using any rail scraps I already have.
Most rail I’ve found comes in a large pack. So any help finding small quantity of rail is appreciated.
Buy a package of Atlas N track or a piece of flex N track and strip off the ties.
Enjoy
Paul
Checking the dimensions to the left of your circle, the rail height should be 4 7/16 inches. A quick calculation tells me that an exact match would be Code 51. Code 55 will be close enough. Code 70 is equivalent to 100# rail, gross overkill for that application.
From the photo, it appears that the web of the rail has cutouts for tiedowns and such. Those should be fun to make…
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with code 55 under 762mm gauge log bunks)
Getting a section of flextraxk from a hobby shop or an individual would be the way to go. N scale is now using code 55 in some of it’s flextrack. The gauge, HO or N scale, doesn’t matter since code 55 is code 55 in any scale. Just pull the rail out.
Thanks for the info.
A piece of code 55 flex should hopefully be easy enough to find at my local hobby shop.
I see the OP’s question was answered, but I have to admit that I’m surprised that there is more or less a prototype for this Tyco Piggyback car - would have been rather decent if they had just filled in the gap between the rails at each trailer position.
It is amazing that the Tyco model is close. More surprisingly, the Tyco model is even closer since their piggyback trailers sort of match the 25’ trailer lettering on the trainset I’m trying to replicate:
I’ve even used code 40 for my H0n3 track, no problem.
ME sells it.
Wolfgang