Hi everyone,
I’m laying out my first G scale layout for my yard. Sorry gang, I use N scale inside! I’m using AristoCraft track and turnouts for this layout, and I’m struggling with closing the reversing loops.
I need a 5’ diameter (minimum) for my locomotives and I bought 10’ turnouts. I layed out the loops in RR Track 4.0 using 5’ track. I just can’t close the loop and I think I need flex track to complete my layout.
Does anyone have a recommendation for 332 flex track, and if there are any suggestions for how best to form it?
Thanks everyone, I appreciate any suggestions and advice you might have to get me off the ground and running! Take care now!
John
Hi johnvoitel
Cannot help with a suplier of flex track.
Don’t Aristocraft make any ?? when you do find the flex track you will need a rail bender
this is a tool with three rollers on it one of which is adjustable if it is a good one it will also be marked for radiuses.
I cannot remember who makes them have seen them advertised in Garden Railways mag make sure you get the right one for your rail.
To use it remove the rails both of them from the sleeper strip set the roller feed the rail through to bend it then put it back in to the sleeper stip lay the track it will stay bent…
If you manage to bend the radius by hand unlikely though it is it will keep trying to straighten out with all the problems it will bring
regards John
Hi,
Flextrack: Aristo 11005 (rail) and 30102 (ties) 8ft length
Bender: Aristo 11920
Flextrack: LGB 10005 (rail) and 10003 (ties) 5ft length
Bender:http://www.svrronline.com/catalog.html
Bender: http://www.llagastrack.com/pricelist.html
in Tools, Accessories
Bender: make one
http://www.geocities.com/trackworker.geo/bndrtext.HTM
http://www.comnett.net/~jryells/machinepics2.htm
Hey everyone!
Awesome! This is MUCH different than N scale! Thanks for the excellent advice and recommendations!
You’re the best!
John
Dear John;
Oh how i hate to write, etc.
You have come to the right place for information on using flexitrack or similar.
I have about 65 m or 200’ of track down, just about all done with our local club rail which is a similar product. Have alook at my topic, regarding camber in the general section. I am a bit confused how N scale is involved but i will ignore it at this time. The track I use does not come assembled, so there is no neeed to pull it apart. What I got was 20 X 3.69 m or 12 ’ lengths of rail, sufficient joiners and sleepers (ties) to suit. This will make up about 37 m or 120’ of track.
In this pasttime there is no wrong or right way to do anything. so I will just relate what has worked for me, I have had a number of problems along the way and they were just about all to do with my own mistakes and general sloppyness.
1/ Get an assistant, the lengths involved are so long, they will bend and become damaged unless it is supported over its entire length. If this person has a different outlook to you (wife or friend with other views) all the better. To this end be careful about getting rail out of its packing.
2/ View the situation and decide where you wish your rails to go, ie where to start and where to finish and what route you are going to take to achieve this. Draw a line in the dirt roughly (as exactly as possible) where you have decided where one of the rails is to go (any one, you only have two to pick from).
3/ Measure the length of the line you have drawn in the dirt, if its straight this is easy, if curved borrow you wifes dress making soft flexible measuring tape and work out how long that rail will have to be (the one you have chosen) and write it down. If you are going to make a curve, make a template out of an old coat hanger or similar using a premanufactured curve as the original, this is to ensure that your curve will not be too tight for your equipment. I use an LGB R1 curve as my worst case and an R3
I used the llagas bender, and made my hand held electric screwdriver run it. Helped a lot, since I started with H&R stainless, the stiffest rail around. Took several passes for each rail! The plus side is that it’s harder to overbend!
I bent the rail by myself, so rigged up shelves on each side to support the rail.
Greg