were can i get spikes from to make my own track?
Llagas Creek, MicroEngineering
They come in various grades i.e. Stainless Steel or blackened.
Just to give it a try, you could use the spikes that are used in electric brad drivers, they’re galvanized and shouldn’t rust.
Hey Tony,[;)][:)]
We’re all millionaires, living on large estates, having our gardeners do all the grunt work etc. etc. 
If I’d spend $20K on track I’d get shot, so we’re all looking for more reasonable ways (cheaper just sounds too tacky [:o)][:o)]) and depending on inclination, talent, time and finances we come up with something. One thing’s for sure, if you’re in to modelrailroading - regardless of scale - you better not count your time or you’re broke before long!
Where ever your buying from , STOP! they’re robbing you blind!!![:0]
Who ever said we were rich? I certainly am not. $20,000? I could probably lay a loop around my back yard for around $200 but it would be pretty simple. Laying your own track is a pretty good way of saving alot of money when building a larger more complex layout. your trading the out of box conveniounce of RTR track for a lower price by supplying your own labor to make ties and bend track. Making you own track sound VERY labor intensive, your trading your labor for a lower material cost, after all your only buying the railand your buying that in bulk.
Instead of buying ten 60" track sections ,50’ of track, at say $10 each for $100 total, you could buy a hundred 60" rails for that same $100 bucks, that when layed would equal fifty 60" sections or 250’ of track. 50’ -vs-250’ for the same dollars. Do the math, you’ll see the light too.
To Kevin Graham
I am up here on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and i belong to the LGB and Garden railway club located in Sydney, the man is Colin Everitt. They have their own die and draw their own rail and also have sleepers to go with them. They will also lend club members a bending machine as it comes in 12 ’ (3.69 m) lenghts I am using it at the moment and i recon its the best thing since sliced bread and about 1/3 the price of discreet sections.
I am committed to making my railway fit my garden not the other way around and being able to form the track to suit your requirements is the only way to go.
If you want Colins contact details please contact me direct and i will give them to you. My email address is iandor@bigbond.com.
Regards
Ian.
Nightingale, Tell me more about your methods/materials. I have been thinking about
forming my own track out of aluminum. Any thoughts others? I too have big dreams but no cash. iaviksfan@aol.com
Where does everyone buy their rails? I look in Walthers catalog and see only Lots of
money for 48’ ($58.00)
Kevin,
I’m in Adelaide, similar weather conditions. I have an article here:
http://www.trainweb.org/toenailridge/story1.html
on hand-building and hand-laying track using red-gum sleepers ripped down from a real full size sleeper. Use blue-tacks for nails, the track is now over 7 years old and has had less than 10% of the sleepers and nails replaced.
Get in touch…
nightingale:hello from the usa–im one of then G scalers.-- this is my first post here so with that said.-- i was amuse with your statement,(selling your wife off) it would be cheaper to let go of your plans to buit a train.but it wouldnt be no fun.i made a deal with my wife,she wonted a pond, i wonted a train, ill built you a pond if you’ll let me have a train-!-oh by the way i would like to put this train around that POND WELL YOU HELP ME?some $500 later i got what i wonted she got what she wonted i us her money and now ya-la train city.
toms g train
Tomtomtif, you must love living dangerously , What your saying is that your wife is only worth $500, . Man your brave, …
Cant afford it, see what can be achieved on a tight budget.
Give it a go this easter, you might surprise yourself!
Tony
Nightinggale replied to a G scale question on the 16th July. He lives in New Zealand and makes his own track. Would like to hear from anyone else who makes their own track…also Nightingale…would like to hear from you direct if possible…perhaps you could email me. I am just about to spend my money on a starter kit…but will not commit myself until I am sure that I am not going to have to pay $50 per 1.2 metre of track…like others I have plans for about 200-300 metres of layout as I have stacks of space…but am no millionaire…so gently,gently… look forward to any comments.
Thanks for the Forum…it has great to help me make my decisions to date.
Kevin.
Hi Kevin,
I make my own track. I cut the ties out of redwood and use Sunset Valley code-250 brass rail spiked down with Micro-Engineering spikes. My track is dual gauge (0 and 1), which makes building the switches kind of hairy, but it can be done. My railway has about 150’ of mainline and eight switches, each designed and built for the space it occupies – no two alike.
I wrote 4-part series on my trackbuilding methods that started in the December 1996 issue of GARDEN RAILWAYS. I believe the back issues are still available from Kalmbach.
Building your own track is not a lot of WORK but it is time consuming, I enjoy this part of the hobby. My track is built on SPLINE roadbed made of “TREX” ( www.trex.com ) I also cut my ties out of redwood boards and use Old Pullman code-197 nickel silver rail and Old Pullman stainless steel spikes plus Old Pullman stainless steel rail joiners. My spline roadbed has enough flex so that expansion and contraction are NEVER a problem and temperature extremes in Minnesota can go as high as +110 to a low of -35 degrees. All my track and turnouts have been built INPLACE so weather has been a consideration whenever I want to add more track.
May All Your Weeds Be Wild Flowers… OLD DAD
OLD DAD:
I’d love to see some of your stuff. So far, I’m just rail-bending with store bought ties on red lava crusher fine ballast.
vettbass
I’d love to show you our layout but we don’t have a scanner or a digital camera. I see that your in New Mexico, the southwest just happens to be the area were modeling our layout after (monument valley type of scenery). We have a water feature that runs through deep canyons of red brown and gray (cement) rock. Our scenery is built in the same way as indoor layouts only with 1/4 inch hardware cloth (wire screen) and morter cement and rock castings, so our mountains are hollow. Frost has killed off our annuals, we’ve had our first snowfall and it’s only 20 degres so this is not a good time for new photos. Maybe we will have a digital camera by spring then I can share some photos of our layout. IS THERE A PHOTO GALLERY ON THIS WEBSITE?
May all your weeds be wild flowers…OLD DAD.
OLD DAD:
Sorry, there is no photo gallery on this site. We’ve brought it up before and one of Editor Horovitz’s partners advised us of the difficulty they would have at this time in providing one.
Perhaps someday.
I’ll look forward to seeing your layout next spring.
Yes we moved here recently from Hawaii where I had a layout down. Boxed it all up and brought it back to the mainland. We’re still looking at properties as we rent for the time being. Can’t get a new layout down until that’s solved. In the meantime, I have a new Steam Kit mama bought me for my b’day that will keep me busy over the winter.
Regards,
LDH
vettbass
Good luck with the steamer… see you around this great website
Latter…OLD DAD
Old Dad,
Your method of track laying sounds interesting. I hope Santa brings you a digital camera! g I’m sorry we have no photo gallery here, but there are other freebie galleries on the web. I use Yahoo for posting photos, for instance. You can post photos elsewhere and link to them here.
Rene S
I’ll go you one better…would Garden Railways be interested in a article about SPLINE roadbed and the method I use for building track on top of same?
Then I can share photos of our layout taken with an “old fashion” camera…make a little money…buy a digital camera…share photos on the web…what do you think Rene.
In antisapation…OLD DAD