I was working on some track problems the other night when a light bulb came on…literally. Every time I put my 35 year old stainless steel (?) NMRA standards gauge across the rails, the current limiting light bulb meant to protect the DCC system from short circuits lit up. We need a non-metallic – or at least a non-conductive – NMRA standards gauge. I happened to be working in HO scale but I’m sure the same thing would apply to all scales.
I don’t know what material could be used but it would have to be very hard and very rigid to function as a gauge and last a long time. The properties of stainless steel are ideal except for that little matter of conducting electricity.
Well, yes, killing the power would seem to be a solution. But, at the time, four other people were working on the same railroad (same DCC system). My short circuits were technically bad but did no real harm and lasted for only a few seconds each. Shutting down the power would have interrupted the others a whole lot more.
Besides, I had to have track power for testing after checking with the gauge, adjusting, testing, saying bad words, checking again, adjusting again, testing again, saying more bad words, … And all of this was, of course, while balancing precariously atop a stool to be able to reach the bad place in the track but that has little to do with the short circuit except making it even more inconvenient to turn the power off and on.
Somehow I can’t believe it is ever good for the system to have more short circuits than are necessary…
What I can tell you is that Atlas years ago made a track gauge out of the same fiber material that they used to make the fiber tie flex track and the fiber tie strips for handlaying. In fact I think they came “free” with the fiber tie strip. The problem is that the fiber tie material was notorious for swelling with humidity, so I assume likewise the gauge. (Also most materials that are non conductive are also more prone to wear than metal.) I do see these Atlas fiber gauges at swap meets, frequently in bins of giveaway stuff.
Dave Nelson
Funny you should mention that old flex track with the fiber ties. I ran across some the other day. Interestingly enough, the steel staples (spikes) had rusted but the fiber ties didn’t seem to have been affected. Maybe it wasn’t Atlas or it was a different batch and a different fiber material.
But I agree that fiber would not be a good material for a gauge.
Here I disagree. I think an accurate gauge could be made of plastic. The problem would be whether it would remain accurate. Most plastics, I’m afraid, would wear too quickly and/or be too flexible.
Glass fiber and aramid I’ve heard of (although I can’t say I know what aramid would be) but “ptfe”? Never heard of that which should not surprise you when I tell you I flunked freshman chemistry 40 years ago. [D)]
And I was gonna be an enjinr – before my ultimate profession of software engineer had been invented. [:p]
Don’t suppose we could get that down to a more manageable few hundred, could we? [:D] [:D]