Rail Stock - Where to get?

Garden Railroading
1

Hi all, I am looking for a source of model rail stock. I don’t need complete track, I have the wonderous advantage of owning a 3D printer and am planning on constructing a scale crossover. The end result will be used for training in the assembly of actual turnouts (life size), so I prefer to manage the gauge and turnout rate myself, with the various components scaled to suit the dimensions of the rail profile.

And for an extra challenge (though i doubt it is available at this scale), is it possible to obtain assymetric rail for switches?

I can make the rail from plastic if need be, but for strength, steel or brass rail is preferred. Curving the rail will be doable, so no need for precurved.

2

so if i understand you correctly you just want rail? almost any place that sells track sells rail. perhaps for your purposes aluminum rail from switch crafters

3

Thanks! Still new to the scale model side of things, so i wasn’t sure where to look, but that’s got me on to a start. I will have to work out if 250 or 332 scale rail will suit my needs (though if you can tell me the width of the rail that’d be great - .25" and .332" height isn’t a lot of use to me without a little more detail). The miniature rail benders are also very cool, if only the real stuff was so easy.

Any chance you know of asymmetric switch rail? Most (apparently all for what I’ve seen so far) turnouts for model rail are conventional turnouts, with straight or differently curved switches machined from stock rail. I am hoping that there are tangential switches out there, though I haven’t been able to spot any. These have a continuous radius from the tangent point, and use thick web rail for the switches, and are raised on slide plates before transitioning back to the stock rail profile. If someone has at least heard of a scale version of this, it would be a great start. To give you an idea of the normal size of them, they range from around R190m 1-in-7 to a R1500m 1-in-25.

4

Give Rail Crafters a call, the will be happy to send you sample pieces of rail for your review.

Bob C.

5

When I make my switches I use stock rail (332 brass). Points, check rails and frogs are made from the same stuff. I use my band saw to roughly shape them then hand file them to profile…I’m into hand doing things. Milling them would certainly improve their geometry.

I got rail in 8’ lengths from Aristocraft a package of 12 i think.

6

Come to think of it, 332 does look a little like thick web rail, so that might just work. I’ll just have to find something that is a little taller. Here’s an example of what i’m looking for (just a rough cut shown):

7

How much do you need. If you need a substantial amount, you probably can get it wholesale from a factory in CHina. Minimum several hundred feet. You may want to buy some local rail stock and try hour hand. Laying track is an art and bending it is even more so. Don’t make up your mind until you’ve done some of both.

Will be watching for your response.

8

If you are going to go to the trouble of hand laying track, for either scale appearance or personal satisfaction, depending on scale of rolling stock, .332 can be what, 9" tall rail?

Even current mainline isn’t 9", I don’t think.

I use 250 and 215, about 200 or 205 being the absolute minimum to use with factory mass produced flanges.

Track power?
Live steam?
Radio/battery?

Aluminium rail works well with the last two choices.

Llagas Creek, Sunset Valley, some others make rail of smaller profile than 332.

Almost every person I know who has tried to hand lay track in LS for out of doors use has given up.

Maintenance can be a killer.

Ties warp, shrink, expand, rot. Gauge goes all over.

Spikes do not like to stay in place.

Keeping spiked ties in place on turnouts can give you grey hair. Once they move, they move the gauge.

I know with Llagas turnouts, they use solid UV stabilized nylon ties, spikes run through pre-drilled holes, and mandrel bent over on the underside, and they do not move.

Smaller or indoor scales, we’d glue the ties down, sand them smooth, stain, spike, and ballast.

Outdoors, what are you going to connect all the bottom of the ties to?

There was a guy, local, many moons ago…0 scaler…got his buddies over, they spent the summer hand laying and spiking all his new LS outdoor railroad…worked pretty good…until spring came around.

The ties and shrunk and expanded, spikes all out, nothing would run.

Tore it all up and gave up.

Try a bit first and see how it works out for you.

Dave

9

you can lay your own track and still use nylon UV resistant ties

thats what I do

10

Thank you all for your input. After a fair bit of moving house and Christmas, I am now just getting details of when i can get G scale rail locally. Apparently it isn’t that common, so I will have to get it online (nearest is a couple of hours away at least). The track won’t be used outside (in fact, i’m not even sure if we’ll get a train for it), so i’ll be making the ties from ABS or PLA plastic with a 3D printer. I’ll also be making the crossing (frog) and the switches i think. After a quick experiment, i should be able to make a plastic flexible switch, maybe even a solenoid points motor if i can find one the right size.

11

Try the following - provided w/o endorsement:

xlyongde.com.cn – this site in China manufactures rail & ties.

email: tracykung@xlyongde.com.cn

ZHONGSHAN XIAOLAN YONGDE METALS PRODUCTION FACTOY

Descriptions

Brass Track Unit Price(USD) FOB CHINA

Stainless Steel Track Unit Price(USD) FOB CHIINA

Aluminum Track
Unit price (USD)
FOB China

MOQ (For Each Item In One PO)

12" STRAIGHT TRACK

4.47

5.78

2.46

120

24" STRAIGHT TRACK

9.73

10.56

3.92

120

36" STRAIGHT TRACK

11.40

14.28
12

Looks like that site is down. They probably would only be interested in large amounts anyway.

13

Train-Li-USA (an advertiser in GR) just received code 332 brass and nickel plated rail in 5 foot and 8 foot lengths.

They also have plastic rail and it is packed 18 foot long in a pizza style box. Might be great for modeling a switch or crossover to get started and at a low price compared to metal. And you could use the plastic for your guard rails!!.