OK,
First off, I’d like to thank everyone for the input.
I’ve looked around some ( in fact my wife and kids are yelling at me for hoggin’ the computer, schools first I guess) and made some decisions. First, now that I know the difference between scale and gauge, I’m going to use 45mm track. I think that’s narrow gauge as opposed to standard. I’ve already made some maufacturer choices based on what trains I like. I’ve picked out a starter set with a small track up grade to have more than a circle and that’s on the way. The other thing I’m doing right now is looking for expansion track. I’m looking at the brass but I’ve seen nickel plated brass, also. It seems quite a bit less expensive.Can I mix the 2 types, as long as the height is the same?I can’t find any info on the pros and cons. I also can’t find a bender for the flex track.
Again, thanks in advance for the support. I’ll send photos.
Hackmo
45mm is the ‘standard’ rail width for a lot of manufacturers.
At 1:29 it is almost standard guage
At 1:32 it is standard guage
At 1:20.3 it is 3’ narrow guage
At1:22.5 it is metre guage
A lot of us mix them all up and a lot of us stick with one, 1:20.3 narrow guage is popular.
Trackwise, I use Aristo because it bolts together, the brass tarnishes down to a nice colour. If you have bought an LGB starter set you can mix that with Aristo track. Nickel plated brass cheaper than standard brass?, I would have thought it would be more expensive, careful you are not looking at some tin plated stuff - Bachmann for instance, won’t last 2 minutes in the great outdoors.
Kim
As far as benders go aristo makes one that bends each rail sperately (before you put the ties on, (cost about $90?)), and Train Li makes one that bends both rails at once (done after you put the ties on (cost is $277 incl S&H)). I know other mfgers make them, but I dont know who they are. I personally went with the Train Li bender, and it works nicely, although really the main difference is feeding the ties on after bending the track with the aristo one. I personally though it was a pain doing it with the rail straight, so I bought the Train Li bender, plus if I ever change my layout (heaven forbid, as I am going with concrete roadbed) I can bend the track in place without removing the ties.
The short answer on track I believe ( although I am the least unsure of this of every thing I am posting) is that Brass and NS can be mixed - but do double check that answer - I know I read the answer some where, but I cant find where.
For track I am going to give a much longer, larger answer than you requested, but here it goes:
As far as what type of track goes, this is only head/electrial/HO ( have many years of experience in HO guage indoor knowledge)/told/read knowledge, I havent used each type of track. I went with brass because of price, strength, and I am going batt powered. Somewhere I have the printed info on the different strength & weakness of each type of track, but since I made my decision a few months ago I cant readily find the info, I will answer from memory. I am only speaking of outdoors and soild rail (Bachman,etc track excluded). Here it goes:
Types of track avail:
Brass, Stainless steel, NIckel silver, Aluminum, Steel.
Strengths/weakness of each:
Brass-fairly strong, good electrical when clean, eventually weathers to a prototypical color, bend easily with a rail bender, readily avail from various mfgers. weakness : can be kinked by large objects if not properly suported(you for example, but a solid bases should avoid that issue) -
I’d agree with Rockmodeler on the track, but add that Nickel silver as made by Peco and is solid not plated and weathers down nicely in time but the there isn’t much in the way of pre-formed curves and locos with pick up skates between the wheels can cause a short across the frogs on your switch / point.
LGB have just released nickel plated brass and I personally don’t see the point as surely it’ll wear away on the rail head leaving brass visible! If it’s too tough then it’ll wear the wheels down, (over a l o n g time), and that is far more difficult and expensive to sort out.
In a nutshell I’d say go for solid, one metal, track not plated , - I use and like brass.
Track benders are expensive but you could put in a solid base and pin the track to hold the curve?
Wood treated in preservative hidden in the ballast if it’s temporary and in the long term put in a permanent block roadbed when you are happy with the plan. Blocks are relatively cheap, don’t rot and some can be nailed into or screw into rawlplugs drilled into the block.
A motor tool with a cutting disc such as dremel makes cutting rail much easier too, just wear eye protection.
Good luck
Paul
I wouldn’t go for the unit that bends both rails at once or at least i would think about it long and hard. I have 160 metres of track down and i have bent the lot myself or at least my wife and i have; so i have some knowledge of the subject (not just an opinion based on no real experience).
From my point of view it is easily the best way to go, as you can make any length you like and any curve you like; which can be important in tight situations of which i have many.
One thing i have mucked up and have to redo in a few places; is to watch what you do when making a join on a curve, i have a real mongrel on a R2 curve and 4% gradient. I am waiting for my grandson to visit to help me fix it, not that my wife and i can’t do it, but we think he could do with the experience; i have ruined both the gauge and the evenness of the track and its not hard to do.
The down side is that if you do it economically and with the minimum of joins; you need to get long pieces of rail, ours are 3.69 m or 12 ’ and they need two people to handle them and sometimes a special vehicle to carry them, ie a small car is a worry.
rgds Ian
To prove my point :
Quote: I wouldn’t go for the unit that bends both rails at once or at least i would think about it long and hard. I have 160 metres of track down and i have bent the lot myself or at least my wife and i have; so i have some knowledge of the subject (not just an opinion based on no real experience). End Quote
Reply: I dont know what rail he used so hand bending is possible… and I didnt say the dual bender is the ONLY way to go, did I? Secondly, I have experience I have used it to bend several sections of my track, so I do have experience!!! I also tried to hand bend -didnt work for me with brass 332, and tested a single bender.
Second Quote"
From my point of view it is easily the best way to go, as you can make any length you like and any curve you like; which can be important in tight situations of which i have many. " end quote ,
reply: ANY method could do this, benders make it easier.
Third quote:
One thing i have mucked up and have to redo in a few places; is to watch what you do when making a join on a curve, i have a real mongrel on a R2 curve and 4% gradient. I am waiting for my grandson to visit to help me fix it, not that my wife and i can’t do it, but we think he could do with the experience; i have ruined both the gauge and the evenness of the track and its not hard to do. End quote
Reply, this bender makes it nearly impossible to “muck up”, and makes bending a joint a snap, just put spit jaw or hillmans between the two sections and keep bending- duh. I dont think it is possible for me to ruin the gauge or evenness with this bender!
I guess “NO REAL EXPIERENCE” doesn’t apply to me. If you had been keeping up with my site, I am building my layout right now, as I have pre bent most of my curves.