Aristocraft vs LGB tracks

Henri

Henri

refuses to grow up
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How do Aristocraft tracks compare to LGB tracks? I am looking for tracks to extend my layout and someone offered me Aristocraft tracks, but 'warned' me they do look different compared to LGB. The sleepers seem to be smaller and black colored. But he doesn't have all track I need, so I want to make sure how they mix, Aristocraft and LGB?

I might as well pass the offer and continue searching two R3 switches (left & right) and some flex track...
 
Aristo track is more of a yellowish brass compared to LGB, sleepers are black as opposed to brown, and come in narrow and std gauge versions. Curved track sleepers can have a bit of an odd gap at the joints, but they do fit LGB.

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Edit...

If you do get some Aristo, check under the sleepers for red wax, as that is where they put the extra fishplate screws. They may still be there even with second hand track.
 
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Sounds like the 'American' spacing of sleepers track, as opposed to the 'European'.

It will join onto your LGB with no issues, but it does look different? However, if you look at real track, you will see different sleeper types here in the UK? Wood, concrete, steel of differing designs? Maybe not so much in the Netherlands though.

Important thing though, is that it will work, even if it looks strange. I know several G scalers here in the UK use the American and European quite happily....
 
My only experience with Aristocraft track is with R1 points and I found that my Playmobil and LGB Spremberger locos (all 0-4-0 loco) didn't like them, riding over very bumpily and tending to stall, neither being problems with LGB R1 points.

And Gizzy is right - you do get a mix of sleepers in the real world, but in your back garden you may not want this type of realism. After all, the term "model" was first applied to projects in real life which were seen as achieving perfection, e.g. model farms in the 18th and 19th centuries were not 1/36 scale agricultural layouts but real farms demonstrating the latest and best practices of the time. (At school, I was puzzled for some time by references to, I think it was, Prince Albert having a model dairy farm until the light dawned!)
 
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Most of my track is Aristo Euro.(with LGB points). It matches OK with LGB after it has been down for a few years. When I started it was cheaper & had more radii. Beware Aristo points however.
 
Henri said:
Ok! Great info! Thanks for the pics, Nodrog1826!

Seller said indeed they are the US style tracks.

And I'm after R3 points, not R1. Are the R3's OK?

Or better wait for LGB track popping up for sale...?

It's only a really small section, 2 curves, two points and a couple of straights...
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IMHO, LGB R3 are fine, although they do have (well documented on here) check rail issues. Later PIKO ones are also fine I'm told, but avoid early versions if buying second hand? Check the wiring underneath on the frog to be sure.

I've no experience with ART points at all (only plain track) but I do have a few TRAIN-LINE R2 ones which work fine....
 
Aristo do a 10ft point.

There's nothing wrong with Aristo points - the lever mechanism probably needs a little bit more maintenance than LGB points, but the polarity switch on the long radius (#6) point is a PITA - a lot of people do away with them and make alternative solutions.
 
Loads of LGB R3's here with no real problems.
I have a right ol' mish-mash of track makes here. Aristo Narrow gauge, Aristo standard gauge,and LGB. They all fit together perfectly and I don't notice the sleeper difference of the standard gauge once down. Even the odd bits of stainless rail don't show unless you look for them. I also have some Tenmille track but that does have a slightly different rail profile - but that was dealt with by a pair of pliers on the fish-plates.
 
I have a mix of LGB and Aristo track. All that has been said above I agree with. One extra point, that I have found, is the difference in the type of brass used. LGB rails are easier to solder to and cut.
 
Me too, a mash up currently, aristo R2 on my outside layout, with lgb.

Heres something....there were ....at some time...Aristo production that used poor performance plastic in the sleepers. My R2 , i believe, has this. The tabs which hold the rails become brittle and break. This is inside as well as in strong colorado sun.

Also, while lgb and aristo mate, the fishplate fit isnt always great. As a result of this, and aristo fishplates corroding and becoming brittle over the years, i went to split jaws for my garden layout. Arist fishplates are thinner, and really need those tiny, rust prone screws to stay in place on at least one side of a track joint.

Overall, i like aristo. I was told by some engineering types that the brass was actually a superior formula to lgb in terms of electrical conductivity. I notice no difference, personally. Yes it stays gold a very long time, years in fact.

While not the most discriminating guy, the sleeper styles seem compatible to me, especially once ballasted and covered with garden detritus.

All things equal, ie price and condition, i prefer lgb.

My aristo was purchased in my early , starting a family and career, penny pinch days of large scale sticker shock, like....1985!
 
Mostly LGB, with some ART and PIKO, and using LGB R1/R3 and Train-Line R2 points. And a 'Heyn Hosentrager'!

My mate Big Norm (G1 modeller and not on our forum) has used Train-Line flexi track, which he is very pleased with....
 
Henri,
most of what can be said has been said. However, I do have a couple of points not mentioned. Aristo has the small track screws mentioned in an earlier post. These do assist conductivity, I have never needed paste or lots of extra wiring for conductivity with my Aristo track. Yes, the screws can be a pain in the beginning but with most things you gain a knack in fixing them. Always keep a small tray -or similar - beneath the tracks when tightening or loosening the screws, they can have a habit of falling in ballast and it is not always possible to retrieve them. My track has been there for nearly fifteen years now and has tarnished quite nicely. I have a mixture of both the USA and Euro types but as my track wanders around the garden the slight difference is something that no one - me included - ever notices. I do mainly run battery power nowadays so conductivity is not a priority.
 
Aristo has had UV damage problems on and off a number of times when it was produced. (You cannot tell if the UV resistant compound has been added to the plastic until they either last or disintegrate years later).

Spraying with a UV-resistant compound (Armorall type here in the States) mitigates that issue.

The conductivity with the small screws is pretty bad, notice one of the holes in the joiner is actually a "slot" so there is actually very little contact between the screw head and the joiner, and the other side of the joiner is not drawn tight by any mechanism. For track power, soldering jumpers or rail clamps is strongly recommended.

Greg
 
Aristo Travk with Massoth Clamps works just fine, on my line during the build I managed to source a large supply of Aristo 4ft Radius Curves that pretty well sorted me out with a few LGB equivalents for my outdoor curves. To be honest once ballasted like you do the difference in not noticeable. Though I would personally steer clear of the Aristo Points, we found on the Ruschbahn that the frogs did wear down quite quickly and cause bumpy running when facing trains were using them. Though in fairness I think a lot of the wear was caused by the LGB Track Cleaning Loco that would grind the frogs down at little at every pass. This does not appear to occur on LGB points. Outside I am using LGB, Aristo Train Line and Peco.
JonD
 
For what it's worth, I have mostly LGB points with a couple of Aristos, all R3. I do seem to notice a bit of rough running through the Aristo's. All my rail joiners are Massoth-type and I wouldn't use anything else. If there is a downside, it's just that they "spread" the adjacent sleepers when they should be closer. My track is a mix of Aristo and LGB. My only gripes with LGB are the exaggerated detail in the sleepers and tricky removal of the rail joiners, but it get easier with practice. I'm not keen on the "yellow" Aristo rail, and the black sleepers don't appeal, but a friend swears by the effectiveness of the screwed-in rail joiners. However, he uses a lot of long straights whereas I have a smaller layout with a lot of shorter pieces, hence more joints. As mentioned by others, ballast and weathering hide a lot of the comestic issues, but overall I would prefer to stick to LGB when available, preferably second hand and ... conpetitively priced?
 
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