Aristocraft curved track, how many pieces per box?

[GrahamMills]

I am one of the people bidding on this:-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300382806616&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

It is a box of Aristocraft 12.5ft curves code ART-11802 which the seller confirms comprises 18 pieces and indeed the box end photograph states that.

That has me very confused because the aristocraft catalogue states clearly that there are 16 pieces to a box and a full circle. Indeed whilst some of the curves are 12 to a circle none of them appear to be 18 to a circle for obvious logistical reasons. So why are there 18 pieces in this box?

Whilst I have 11.5ft and 15ft curves I don't have any at 12.5ft so wondered if anyone here has experience.

 

[Gizzy]

I am one of the people bidding on this:-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300382806616&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

It is a box of Aristocraft 12.5ft curves code ART-11802 which the seller confirms comprises 18 pieces and indeed the box end photograph states that.

That has me very confused because the aristocraft catalogue states clearly that there are 16 pieces to a box and a full circle. Indeed whilst some of the curves are 12 to a circle none of them appear to be 18 to a circle for obvious logistical reasons. So why are there 18 pieces in this box?

Whilst I have 11.5ft and 15ft curves I don't have any at 12.5ft so wondered if anyone here has experience.

If the seller confirms that there are 18 curves, then you seem to have a Brucie bonus....

 

[tram47]

Very expensively !!!!!!!!

 

[spike]

Odd one.
Looking around the net quite a few retailers say there are 18 pieces but Aristo say there are 16.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Hope you win the bid, Graham, then you can tell us the answer

 

[GHWood]

Could be 16 bits of track plus the hex driver (s) for the rail joiners?

 

[stockers]

E-mail sent to Aristocraft. Now to see if we get an answer!

 

[Bram]

E-mail sent to Aristocraft. Now to see if we get an answer!

That will be interestimg, even Bachman can't raise Aristocraft at the moment, which is a bit worrying

 

[Steve]

E-mail sent to Aristocraft. Now to see if we get an answer!

That will be interestimg, even Bachman can't raise Aristocraft at the moment, which is a bit worrying

Would you like me to walk around to Barwell there UK office and ask

 

[The Devonian]

Aristo are there. Maybe Bachmanns' line 'is snowed up'.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Sandy Taylor's Scottish Garden Railways site lists everything from 11.5 feet to 18.5 feet as 18 to a circle

8 feet are the only ones listed as 16 to a circle

 

[stockers]

Well, Aristo are quicker than Backmann. Its amazing the power of GSC (I did say I was a moderator answering members questions)

They respond--

A full box of 12.5 diameter makes a full circle.
18 is the correct #.
Regards,
TATE

Looks like thier own website is out of date.

 

[Gizzy]

Well, Aristo are quicker than Backmann. Its amazing the power of GSC (I did say I was a moderator answering members questions)

They respond--

A full box of 12.5 diameter makes a full circle.
18 is the correct #.
Regards,
TATE

Looks like thier own website is out of date.

Interesting!

So do ART make a half length curve for a 90 deg bend?

 

[GrahamMills]

Firstly I did not win the auction, it got too hot for me. I also forgot the closure time so did not put a last bid in but I don't think that would have succeeded anyway. I buy track like this when I have the opportunity at a reasonable price for future use without a current need, therefore I will not pay near to new prices.

Secondly it all really confuses me about the AristoCraft track. Their catalogue has been consistent for years:-
20, 16.5, 15, 14, 12.5, 11.5, 8 ft diameter curves = 16 pieces to a circle
10, 9, 6.5, 5, 4 ft diameter curves = 12 pieces to a circle
Note that in all cases you can make a quarter circle.

Now I have 4, 10 & 15 ft curves and they agree with the catalogue. So the idea that the catalogue is not only wrong but on some curves you can not make quarter circles rather screws up my track planning! The software I use WinRail agrees with the catalogue but then it was probably taken from it.

I happen to have an unopened box of 11.5 ft curves which I bought some time back so I had a look at them and sure enough there are 18 pieces in the box. I then tried to lay them out in a circle in the spare bedroom which is only just wide enough to take this circle and has to go under the bed so is not the best place to try this. Now there is always a bit of leeway on the joints but the best fit for a circle that I could get was with 17 pieces
I am sure that I could also have made 16 or more easily 18 pieces fit.

All in all I am confused about all this.

Added by edit.
I just checked my box of what I thought was 11.5 ft curves and sure enough it is actually 12.5 ft curves. The box does not give the diameter just the part number so my memory is wrong on what I bought. 8D
That probably explains why it was a tight fit in the bedroom but also confirms that there are 18 pieces to a circle.

I am still confused that AristoCraft have such a simple mistake in their catalogue including the illustrative track diagram and wonder what other errors there are.

 

[Elmtree Line]

Aristocraft changed some of the curves during last years production, hence you are all correct, older boxes may contain 16 pieces, new ones 18, but they will all make the same circle.

I believe the only curves not affected were those under 8ft.

Must be something to do with the production plant.

 

[Elmtree Line]

I received a box of 14ft curves last year that were stickered at source to reflect the change, but seemed to point that "NOW MORE PIECES" was better, even though you still got the same result, ie a circle if you buy a box!

 

[GrahamMills]

From the AristoCraft forum I have ascertained that a change to 18 pieces per box was made to make the boxes shorter and therefore cheaper to ship. The implication was that this was in the past and not the current situation.

I am trying to ascertain the current position for all the curve diameters and will let you know if I get any clarity.

Overall I think that it is a pretty crappy bit of customer service to produce incompatible pieces of track.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Overall I think that it is a pretty crappy bit of customer service to produce incompatible pieces of track.

Depends how your laying out the track. For my railroad, with a bit of a free flow format, having different numbers of curves to make a circle between the two radii that I was using, gave me total freedom to make any curvature required

 

[stockers]

Agree with you there Rhinochugger. I had various curves of 20, 22.5, and 30 degrees. I tended to use which made my corners to the required degree rather than how sharp they were. Some curves are a combination.

 

[steve parberry]

I am sure it all comes down to how many boxes fit into a shipping container and by putting more shorter pices in a shop box allows more boxes to fit in a standard forty foot container..
Clever people work out the best way to fit the most stuff into those big steel boxes!!

Dont forget everything now has to fit onto metric pallets and if you are two inches too long over 50cm then you ony get one row instead of two...