I am considering replacing code 83 rails with either code 55 or 70 because of its more realistic apperance. I run some MDC and IHC locomotive and various makes of cars. However, I wonder if this will be troublefree or if my trains will jump on the ties because of to big flanges.
Is there anybody wanting to share their experience?
Regards
Bjarne
Bjarne,
if all your wheelsets follow NMRA RP25, you should be fine with code 70 rail on your mainline runs and maybe code 40 on sidings and spurs. Should your MDC and IHC stock be a little older, you need to check on this!
But is there a lot of gain, changing from the already good looking code 83 rail to code 70? If you are modeling present day railroading, you are perfectly fine with code 83 rail, resembling the heavier rail used nowadays.
If you want to have the real prototype feeling, than look into this!
Code 50? Who makes that rail?
David B
HO-scale equipment will run fine down to at least code 40 if the wheels meet NMRA standards. Code 40 requires the rail be fastened to the ties by glue (coat and let dry Pliobond on the bottom of rail, and then heat with soldering iron while applying the rail to the ties) or soldering (on stregetically placed circuit board ties with a gap cut in the metal), but small-head spikes work on code 55 and larger.
Mark
Maybe not to some, but my old 5-by-10 layout was laid with codes 100, 70 (code 83 wasn’t available then), 55, and 40. I appreciated the visual differences.
Mark
Track is a model too. I am with the OP. Code 70, 55 and 40 hand laid for my old steamers.
Pete
To answer your question, MDC - yes, IHC - a few yes, but mostly no.
MDC came with NMRA standard flanges which could be as deep as 0.035" before the coming of the RP25 “standard”, which is 0.025" flanges. RP25 was generally implemented by MDC by the 1970s, with pilot and trailing trucks on the steamers being the last to get the smaller flanges. Either older NMRA or RP25 will run on code 70 under virtually all conditions. I know, I hand laid code 70 track with oversize spikes in the 1970s.
At the time, almost all AHM (Rivarossi) equipment had European flanges (0.040" - 0.045") which were too deep for most code 70 track. Most IHC equipment I have seen has the same deep European flanges, except where IHC specifically said it had RP25 wheels. It’s easy enough to visually spot the difference between RP25 and European flanges.
If you solder or glue your rail to the ties, you have no problems, even with European flanges on code 55 rail. If you use commercial flex track or spike using very small spikes (ME micro spikes or Proto87 Stores near scale spikes), you can use RP25 flanges all the way down to code 40 without problems.
Many a Rivarossi owner has turned down the drivers on his Rivarossi steamers by gently applying a file to the drivers while the motor was turning the drivers. The same should work for IHC steamers. Other wheels, particularly in freight and passenger car trucks, are easily replaced with RP25 wheel sets. Diesel drive wheels and pilot/pony truck wheel sets on steamers would take some hunting to fin