Rail types and who used which type

[Bob49]

Sorry if this subject has been brought up before. I'm planning a small shunting layout in 4mm scale using 21mm gauge track circ 1900ish.  Using a mixture of Templot and C&L components build 21mm gauge bulkhead track is not a great problem. So my question is this apart from the GNR(I) and DNGR which other Irish railways used BH rail and when did companies switch from BH to FB?

 

[jhb171achill]

9 minutes ago, Bob49 said:

Sorry if this subject has been brought up before. I'm planning a small shunting layout in 4mm scale using 21mm gauge track circ 1900ish.  Using a mixture of Templot and C&L components build 21mm gauge bulkhead track is not a great problem. So my question is this apart from the GNR(I) and DNGR which other Irish railways used BH rail and when did companies switch from BH to FB?

 

In 1900 you’d have got FB just about everywhere…. especially in sidings / yards.

If the sidings were old, sleepers would be half-round. But whether they were, or rectangular, rails would must likely be spiked directly to them, without soleplates even.

[Mayner]

In the South the GSWR and DWWR/DSER transitioned to bullhead on main lines during the late 90s/early 1900s Other pre-amalgamation companies used FB.  

In the Baronial Lines of the MGWR Padraig O'Cuimin a recognised authority on the Midland wrote: "The branches (Loughrea & Balinrobe opened early 1890s) were originally laid with 79lb rails spiked to half-round sleepers, there being 1,940 per mile on the basis of straight track. Both lines were relaid in the tewenties with second-hand MGWR Main-line rails and most of the half round sleepers taken out"

He wrote that the new rails included some 26' lengths but 23' rails predominated. Track was laid on a 12' wide ballsat bed 1'6" from railto formation level, the bottom level consisted of broken stone, ballast was originally gravel.

There is some information on SLNCR tpw in Neill Spink's book based on the report of a 1906 derailment original 30' 60lb rail still in use originally laid on half round grooved sleepers although sleepers renewed at least onec. 11 sleepers per rail length held in position at every 4th sleeper by fang bolt withdog spikes at others. Inspector did not consider track strong but well maintained ballasted with'sandy gravel ..hardly any ballast at all"

FB 84,90 & 95lb rail fixed to cast iron baseplates was basically the 'standard' PW used by CIE/IE on main and secondary routes laid with FB rail until replaced by cwr on concerte sleepers from the 1990s onwards.

Photo from Kiltimagh on the Burma Rd

[Mol_PMB]

I appreciate the issues with rail profile and hand-building pointwork - the parts available are mostly BH and it's easier to align and build in BH rail because the gauge point on the head is the widest point of the rail, and it's easier to profile switch blades, stock rails and crossing noses. Building 21mm gauge pointwork in FB rail is something I've been putting off but I need to do it sometime! 

Further to John's comprehensive reply, I'd agree that many secondary lines and sidings in Ireland were laid in lightweight flat-bottom rail spiked direct to sleepers, and remained like that for their entire life. The example I've been studying is Fenit which seems to have retained its original trackform for the entire life of the branch, though the sleepers were no doubt replaced. This photo is 1960s but the track was unchanged when I visited in the 1990s:

Winding the clock back to around 1900, it is interesting to note that the track is uniformly gravelled over the sleepers, and only the top half of the rail is visible. I think this is the same light FB rail, but it's hard to be sure in these photos. But if this style of ballasting was done on the model, it would also be hard to tell what the rail section was. You could get away with BH if the rail foot and fastenings were hidden.

For plain track, code 75 rail and 3D printed bases are ideal for representing this lightweight FB track, as discussed in this thread:

 

[Horsetan]

4 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

I appreciate the issues with rail profile and hand-building pointwork - the parts available are mostly BH and it's easier to align and build in BH rail because the gauge point on the head is the widest point of the rail, and it's easier to profile switch blades, stock rails and crossing noses. Building 21mm gauge pointwork in FB rail is something I've been putting off but I need to do it sometime! ...

For general retail: Code 75 FB rail is marketed by Peco, whilst C&L offer Code 83 only. 

It might be worth seeing whether there's any other FB rail available from HO track suppliers.

The finescale societies are not much different in what they offer in the Members' Stores. The EM Gauge Society only has Code 83, which strikes me as a bit "tall", so I held off buying any at the recent annual EMGS show in Bracknell.

The Scalefour Society currently stocks both Code 55 and 82 FB. Code 55 would probably be ideal for portraying very lightly-laid lines but may not work very well if you don't use finescale flanges.

This weekend is the annual RailEx finescale show in Stoke Mandeville, which is a chance to see if any of the trade stands have suitable stocks of FB.