If you use it inside in a dry place is there any advantage to the stainless steel rails over the cheaper tin plated steel rails?
I see they make joiners to connect to Lionel tubular track. Are there any issues with mixing brands like that?
I often here Gargraves described as expensive. At JusTrains it is $4.85 for 37" of Gargraves 101 and $5.65 for 40" of Lionel tubular. Other than the cost of the joiners are there other expenses with Gargraves that you don’t have with Lionel?
Thanks
The disadvantages to stainless are it doesn’t work with magnetraction and difficult to solder to. If you are in a dry enviroment, the practical, economical choice is tin plated rail. I would worry more about the trains if it were in a less than dry enviroment. Stainless was designed for outdoor use.
You can by adapter pins to mate with Lionel track.
You will have to shim the Gargraves when mating with O31 tubular, otherwise it mates OK. Note that Gargraves switches do not like Lionel prewar (wheel flanges) or early postwar with sliding shoes.
runtime
Been using regular GG track since the 1970s still have every piece on the layout. Stainless is very hard to work with for all the reasons stated above. don’t even try to solder it, need a blow torch, well almost.
Like the other guys said, don’t even bother with stainless steel unless you have some compelling need for it.
I looked into and pretty seriously considered using gargraves on my layout. The price looks very good, provided that you’re willing to only use the flex track and do all of your own bending, and don’t use many switches. If you start looking at buying sectional track, specifically preformed curves, it gets pricey relatively fast. The switches aren’t cheap, either, especially if you start looking into good ones like Ross or Curtis(not sure if they’re even still around).
In the end, I went with tubular because I built it on a shoe string budget, and consider to only be semi-permanant. I bought most of the track used for $1 a section or less, switches for $20 or less each(with the exception of one K-line switch that I had to buy new), and operating tracks for $5 and less a piece. The majority of the track that wasn’t new, I bought on closeout from a store up in Michigan for next to nothing-$4 for 10 sections of O42, as I recall. Considering all of this, tubular was a less expensive option, although I’ll likely go with Gargraves for my next, hopefully more permanant layout.
I will support all of the above. Also I would strongly advise to use Ross switches in place of the GG switches. Many of my friends have had problems with the GG switches. Also Ross have a very large selection of different type of switches.
We are using GG track at the museum
And here is what it looks like after ballest.
[2c]
well the first thing you must ask yourself is is this a permanent layout or a temporary setup. next question do I want to just run trains or am I wanting a more sceniked layout. the final question am I willing to spend the money for a good quality track for my trains to run on? most here will tell you they buy some very pricey locomotives and not think twice about it but cringe at spending for a good set of rails for them to run on. gargraves is a good track and has a lot of curve choices available and the flex track is good for those track alignments that otherwise with normal track just wouldn’t mate up. for me I started out with O-27 track and k-line 0-42 switches that lasted for 5 years then I learned of gargraves and I bought some and feel in love with it. you also need to think of switches the same way theres plenty of manufactureres that make them it all depends on what you like or can afford, if you want the best and no one here will deny Ross switches are very good quality and have with stood the test of time and they have a very good customer service. as to stainless unless your going outside and do what they call a garden layout save your money for a locomotive or? that you really want. you should also check out the other brands of track too to make a well informed decision try and find some fellow modelers in your area that have the variuos track brands and I’m sure if you ask them they’ll be glad to show you there layout. hope this helps you some.
One thing to keep in thought is that the different track brands will result in the same layout being a slightly different physical shape. This can have an impact on some design decisions. Even though Ross has O-31 curved turnouts, and Lionel has O-31 curved turnouts, these turnouts are different sizes and affect the final shape of the layout.
Track planning software (if you don’t have some already) is great in this situation because you can select different brands of track and see the different results.
Gargraves and Ross are a good, tried and true combination. As others say, Ross switches are a bit pricey. Some guys combine Lionel O-22 switches and Gargraves but operation is on the clanky side as trains pass over the adapter pins.
Gargraves flex is a bit stiff and is difficult to get a uniform curve without a jig. It kinks easily. A lot of guys cut curved templates out of plywood and bend the track around those. You can cut easement curve templates as well. Where a joint is in the curve, you can solder the joints before you bend so they don’t kink.
In my opinion, flex is better than sectional because you have less joints which means smoother operation and better electrical continuity. It also gives you more flexibility in track planning and the ability to make true easement curves.
No one has mentioned it, but aren’t Ross switches Nickel-silver, and therefore non-magnetic??
runtime
Ross switch rails are rolled tin plated steel, match Gargrave’s profile, and take Gargraves pins.
I’m stocking up on Ross switches for a future layout and also have bought about 80 feet of gg track for said layout already. I picked up some older gg o42 manual switches for a little industrial yard I’m working on. These should be good for this application, but I got them cheap enough that if they fail I’ll use them in places where track is going off ‘yonder’ and not actually used to switch - more deocrative.
[quote user=“CB&Q”]
well the first thing you must ask yourself is is this a permanent layout or a temporary setup.
This one is goin to be permanint.
next question do I want to just run trains or am I wanting a more sceniked layout.
I think tubular is fine if you are doing the whole “post war dealer display, the 50’s come to life thing”.
I started in HO and just like track that looks like track.
the final question am I willing to spend the money for a good quality track for my trains to run on? most here will tell you they buy some very pricey locomotives and not think twice about it but cringe at spending for a good set of rails for them to run on.
Yea I spend as little as I can on my locos, so why am I talking GG?
I plan on usingi the GG 101 37" flex for the staights and usinging K line super snap for the curves and switches.
Before you laugh too loud here me out. GG and SS both have more realistic ties and a blckend ceneter rail that I like. GG seems to make all there money on swiches and pre foremd curves but the 37" straighs are alomost the same proce as Lionel tubualr , the cheapest game in town since they bought K line.
Why don’t I just use K Line super snap?
They don’t make it any more, the places that have it want a lot for it and they only have the 10" straights. Were I can I like to use the longer sections of track, less places for loose conections at joint that way.
you also need to think of switches the same way theres plenty of manufactureres that make them it all depends on what you like or can afford, if you want the best and no one here will deny Ross switches are very good quality and have with stood the test of time and they have a very good customer service.
Yea 1 Ross switch would cost more than my most esxspinve loco. I have some K line switches laid away and all my stock is short enough to use them. ( I think my Lionel 0-8-0 is the only loco I have that w
Not realy, a 40 watt pencil soldering will be enough, the issue is if you are using the wrong flux.
grainger sell SS flux and work fine, no high temp needed. Micromark sell a ss flux either.
A.
I have 350 ft of Gargraves with 21 of their turnouts. This track was laid nearly 20 yrs ago and still functions just fine. It is not stainless steel! My turnouts are powered by Gandy Dancer compressed air switch motors. I had to solder jumper wires on my switches from underneath the benchwork to eliminate a dead spot. It was a bit of work to bend the radius of the curves which range from 6 to 10 ft. I butted turnouts together to make crossovers for the 4 track mainline resulting in a 5 1/2 inch track center spacing. I can run 5 trains at once or any train anywhere including the “Carnegie Secondary”. To finish off the track, I airbrushed it with Floquil Railbrown, cleaned the tops of the rail with lacquer thinner soaked towels and ballasted it with Kitty Litter–NO GLUE! This has lasted better than18 years with no problems for the locomotives or rolling stock. If you want to add a spur or make a major route change, simply vacuum up and repeat the finishing process. I can run any size locomotive or rolling stock including 89’ autoracks and the Westinghouse Schnabel cars with no problems. Good Luck and have fun!
