TRACK - WHICH IS BEST

[burnthebox]

HI GUYS, WHICH TRACK IS BEST, PECO, CODE,, ETC. HORNBY, ETC, 

TIA

BTB

[Midland Man]

53 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

The "big wheel" was very much a feature of MGWR cabins, where sited to overlook the road to keep an eye on road traffic. Think a few GN cabins had them too, Poyntzpass(?)

I'm not aware of WL&WR/GS&WR cabins having them.

Clonsilla and castle rea bothe had big wheels.

[patrick]

Tralee  had one operating the level crossing between the passenger station and the North Kerry yard.

[DART8118]

Getting back to Track - Which is best, I’m told that recycling old steel track is not a good idea because it will rust and will be a challenge to keep clean.  Has anyone any experience or advise to share on using old steel track? 

8118

On 3/20/2020 at 9:28 PM, Mayner said:

The photo is of the Swinford end of the station, the gates appear to have been operated by at crossing keeper who lived in the cottage to the right of the photos.

The signals and crossover are likely to have been controlled from the signal cabin which is out of view at the Claremorris end of the station.

Interestingly the wicket gate was removed and a 3 lever ground frame installed to the right of the buffer stop at some stage after the photo was taken. The frame may have been installed to interlock the level crossing gates with the running signals, so that the signal man could not lower the signal for the section to Swinford or the signals to enter the station unless the crossing gates were open

There is another level crossing at the Claremorris end of the station that was operated by the signal man, the gates appear to have been operated by hand rather than from a "big wheel" in the cabin. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/39574108574/in/album-72157713183200497/

 

Thanks for the replies Midland Man and Mayner.

8118

[Irishrailwayman]

33 minutes ago, DART8118 said:

Getting back to Track - Which is best, I’m told that recycling old steel track is not a good idea because it will rust and will be a challenge to keep clean.  Has anyone any experience or advise to share on using old steel track? 

8118

Thanks for the replies Midland Man and Mayner.

8118

Usually not worth recycling as the rails form the very basis for well running trains (along with flat baseboard, electrics). You can develop the most sophisticated layout with every scenic feature but suffer from poor running because the rails are not good.

[Edo]

Another question

My forthcoming layout requires both Bullhead and Flatbottomed Rail - its going to be 1960s era and there'll be a mix of the two - Bullhead for the "mainline" and flatbottomed rail for the barely used "Beet branch" and sidings.

Ok - first thing - its going to be 00 gauge - well at the start anyway - as a returning modeller I'd love the challenge of going 21m - but I've spent too much on a couple of cracking J15's from 00 Works to turn them into paperweights so 00 guage it is for the meantime - but I do want it to be as realistic looking as possible so I'm going to go finescale on the track as much as possible in the "visible" bits anyway

From what I can see and reading here and looking around , Between Peco and C&L - I think I'll get what I need for the bullhead side of things - however I really need some advice on the flatbottomed rail to go alongside the Bullhead without looking it completely off the wall.......ie there will be one long stretch where it will be bullhead on on side and flatbottom rail on the other and I'd like the sleepers to look like they came from the same Solar system at least!

All advice, criticism and commentary welcome

Ed

PS - I've probably caused cardiac Arrest in the purists here - Im not sure if its not really the rail I'm differenciating - but the ties - ie between rail that is held in chairs and the rail held down by pins....... looking at a lot of pics from the 60s and 70s - the mainlines seemed have a lot of rail in chairs - while the weed infested branches soon to close had their rails held by pins ( or mud ash and dandelions it would seem)

 

Edited March 23, 2020 by Edo

[Edo]

This picture of Macmine Junction demonstrates what Im getting at the best

https://www.flickr.com/photos/110691393@N07/11448187214/in/album-72157638438035474/

 

the 2 types of track side by side

 

Edited March 23, 2020 by Edo

[Galteemore]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_profile
 

Prototype  info above. As for modelling it, making your own FB track is as easy as anything with Code 80 rail or similar, and copper sleepers. An hour with a soldering iron and you’ll have loads ! As long as you paint and ballast properly it’ll be fine to have the two types together. But if it’s a lightly laid beet line, don’t ballast it like a main line! Here’s some I made earlier...

Edited March 23, 2020 by Galteemore

[Midland Man]

Very interesting 

In my mind there is no reason to Flatbottomed rail on the sidings  as you would not see the difference as most beet siding were covered in vegitation.Any way hope your layout turns out fine.

[Edo]

21 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_profile
 

Prototype  info above. As for modelling it, making your own FB track is as easy as anything with Code 80 rail or similar, and copper sleepers. An hour with a soldering iron and you’ll have loads ! As long as you paint and ballast properly it’ll be fine to have the two types together. But if it’s a lightly laid beet line, don’t ballast it like a main line! Here’s some I made earlier...

Ah here now - GM - Im an Arts Grad! - this sounds like work! - I was looking for an "off the shelf"  solution!!!!

In Fairness - it looks absolutely  class - I know yours is 0 gauge is it not? .....would I be able to get a similar level of realism from 00 gauge without the need for optical surgery?!

Its definitely something to look alright - I assume its easy enough to pick up the components and gauges and the rest reasonably easily if you know where to look?

Edited March 23, 2020 by Edo

[Galteemore]

I’m an arts grad meself  I had to get my gauges made for 36.75mm  but 00 gauge ones should be easy enough to find. You will find that hand built track has a much finer look irrespective of scale. Here’s a link to the rail and gauges https://peco-uk.com/products/code-80-flat-bottom-rail

Marcway will do sleepers. http://marcway.net/

Edited March 23, 2020 by Galteemore

[Midland Man]

Hi galteemore

I have always wanted to do O gauge where do you get the sleepers and stuff?

[Galteemore]

Great stuff. Rail is dead easy - it’s old Peco code 100. Sleepers from Marcway. Scale Seven Society do 36.75mm gauges. If you don’t fancy the 5’3 thing, it’s dead easy to get track gauges for standard 32mm

Edited March 23, 2020 by Galteemore

[Mayner]

52 minutes ago, Edo said:

Ah here now - GM - Im an Arts Grad! - this sounds like work! - I was looking for an "off the shelf"  solution!!!!

In Fairness - it looks absolutely  class - I know yours is 0 gauge is it not? .....would I be able to get a similar level of realism from 00 gauge without the need for optical surgery?!

Its definitely something to look alright - I assume its easy enough to pick up the components and gauges and the rest reasonably easily if you know where to look?

 

Irish 21mm flat bottom track on copper clad sleepers. Rail in the foreground is similar to Peco Code 75, the B141 and wagons are on Peco Conductor rail which has a lighter Coode 60 rail section. 

Track was prefabricated on the work bench and glued in place on the layout with white glue and ballast scattered on top.

Marcway produce OO Gauge copper clad sleepers which are shorter than the scale 8'6" to minimise the narrow gauge look of OO gauge track.

Peco Code 60,  70 & 75 rail is suitable for OO gauge use, 60 for lightly laid sidings and branch lines 70 & 75 suitable for general use. Code 80 is an N gauge rail section and does not look the part for OO or 4mm use.

For flatbottom track rails are soldered to the sleepers using a liquid flux that allows the solder to flow between the top of the solder and foot of the rail, this eliminates a solder blob at the side of the rail.

 

[Galteemore]

Thanks Mayner - not being a 4mm modeller I took a stab in the dark at code 80!