Flex Track

Graham

Graham

In Smoggy Land
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I have bought Piko flex track and see that the sleepers are continuous linked on both sides in each set unlike LGB which are linked alternately. I assume the LGB sleepers are done this way to allow for bending. The question is should I do the same on my Piko sleepers for the sections I intend to bend or should I rather cut just one side (inside or out side of the bend?)?

Cheers, Graham :nerd:

I think this is daft question number :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
I've not laid any flex track myself
Greg Elmassian said:
Normally you cut the webs on the outside of the curve, since that is the side that will "grow"

Greg
Click to expand...

But, thinking it through, doesn't the inner side compress at the same time the outside expands? I'd always assumed that was why LGB did the alternate cuts in the sleeper web.....?

Jon.
 
No, the rail will not compress, and you do not want the tie spacing to get less, so you let the ties expand on the outside.

You could do this, but it won't look very good. Now if it was an extreme curve, you might want to minimize the tie spacing on the outside by letting the ties on the inside get a little less, but realize that now you may have rail with no ties on the inner side.

Greg
 
Concentrate Hercules ;);)

The reason that flexi track has the webs cut alternate sleepers on both sides is because the manufacturer doesn't know which way your'e going to bend it :shake::shake::shake:

So if the ties are not pre-cut, then as Greg says, you only need to cut the outside, as that is where the 'creep' can occur. It would only compress on the inside if there were gaps where the ties are pre-cut. Providing you're not bending to a very tight curvature, it won't show if you only stretch the outside.
 
Rhinochugger said:
Concentrate Hercules ;);)

The reason that flexi track has the webs cut alternate sleepers on both sides is because the manufacturer doesn't know which way your'e going to bend it :shake::shake::shake:

So if the ties are not pre-cut, then as Greg says, you only need to cut the outside, as that is where the 'creep' can occur. It would only compress on the inside if there were gaps where the ties are pre-cut. Providing you're not bending to a very tight curvature, it won't show if you only stretch the outside.
Click to expand...

Surely you need to cut the ties on the inner rail so that the sleepers can close up a little. As you bend the track you will need to shorten the inner rail to keep the joints square. You don't want to cut the ties on the outer rail and let the sleepers open out as the length of the outer rail (and therefore the sleeper spacing) can't possibly change.
 
Graham, I don't follow your logic, so could you explain:

"Surely you need to cut the ties on the inner rail so that the sleepers can close up a little."
WHY?

"As you bend the track you will need to shorten the inner rail to keep the joints square"
of course

"You don't want to cut the ties on the outer rail and let the sleepers open out as the length of the outer rail (and therefore the sleeper spacing) can't possibly change."
So your reasoning is that you don't cut the outer rail because the length of the outer rail cannot change. By the same logic, the length of the inner rail cannot change either.

It's not the rail, it's the ties... you could cut the inner ties but they WILL become too close together. It's more of a matter of aesthetics until the inner ties collide, then you HAVE to cut the outer ties.

It really depends on the curvature, if extreme there should be no question you have to cut the outer ties.

If not real extreme, you can cut whatever you want and either have ties too close or hitting inside, or too far apart on the outer side.

How about this, try it each way on a representative curve, cut one side of ties, curve it one way, then curve it the other, now you have seen the same curve with both "options"... I'll make a gentleman's bet that on anything except a toylike curve, you will cut the outer ties.

Greg
 
I'm glad I asked :giggle: for the record the planned radii are between 900mm min to around 1,200mm max. There will be a 600mm loop but that will be "borrowed" from the starter set :). Once I have my track bender and the flag on the left shows the Union Jack as opposed to the Republic of South Africa or that of Spain I shall experiment a little.

Regards

Graham
 
At those radii, it might even be worth building track from components. If you're going to have to slide the rail off the sleeper strip in order to bend the track, why buy it already put together?
 
Yes I have bought a Massoth rail bender which can bend both rails at once ;) and in passing the flex track comes in kit form I have several boxes of sleeper packs and a few tubes of rail. Must admit I was surprised how heavy a tube with 20 1.5m rails in it was.
 

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I have an idea, later on I'll measure the sleeper gaps on some 1200 diameter track and let you know. Although I have a couple of lengths of LGB somewhere, it's Aristo that forms the temporary run around the shed.
 
Yes, well, my idea wasn't quite so brilliant after all, because when you look at the ready made track (Aristo 1200mm dia) the sleepers aren't neatly regimented, and are a bit higgledy-piggledy :eek::eek::eek:

As best as I can tell, measuring at the rail, the gap on the inner rail is 15 mm sleeper face to sleeper face, and the outer rail 18 mm. Obviously 900 mm radius is going to give a slightly greater difference - pro rata another 1 mm.

I think perhaps we're all worrying about nothing.
 
Rhinochugger said:
(Aristo 1200mm dia) the sleepers aren't neatly regimented, and are a bit higgledy-piggledy :eek::eek::eek:

.
Click to expand...

Aristo only use a very limited amount of pre moulded sleepers. these get used for all curve radii and as you say - the result is a bit higgledy-pig whatever.
 
I'm confused, Graham is using Piko, so how does Aristo track enter his question, and how does the pre-made sleepers (I assume those are the ones used on sectional track) affect what he is doing? Oh,I guess it was Rhinochugger trying it out. The Aristo sleepers on the sectional track are garbage for flex track, they don't hold gauge by themselves, you need screws to hold the gauge. Look carefully and the "spikes" do not even touch the rail in most places.


Greg
 
Greg Elmassian said:
The Aristo sleepers on the sectional track are garbage for flex track, they don't hold gauge by themselves, you need screws to hold the gauge. Look carefully and the "spikes" do not even touch the rail in most places.


Greg
Click to expand...

Mmmm, not so sure about that - had some pieces of track out yesterday afternoon, to 'survey the route', and the Aristo tie sections grip the track as tightly as the LGB. The difference is that Aristo use screws into the under side of the rail to stop the ties (sleepers) sliding along the rail, while LGB use a downward tang on the fishplate. Aristo use short sections of ties (four or five at a time) while LGB have a one piece section for each rail length.

For my purposes, the LGB solution is less practical, because if you need to adapt a section of track to suit the alignment, getting the fishplate off is a PITA.
 
Tell me how these "spikes" are controlling the gauge:

aristo_fit.JPG


I said on the SECTIONAL track. People have foolishly removed the screws on SECTIONAL track and have had the rails actually "roll over" or spread with heavy locos.

Greg
 
Greg Elmassian said:
Tell me how these "spikes" are controlling the gauge:

aristo_fit.JPG


I said on the SECTIONAL track. People have foolishly removed the screws on SECTIONAL track and have had the rails actually "roll over" or spread with heavy locos.

Greg
Click to expand...

Yes, are they all like that, or is that just the end one to allow a fish plate to slide through?

Can't get my camera to focus that close, but the ones that I looked at the other day are a really tight fit - admittedly I didn't look ate every bit of track 'cos it's all in a big box ready for when I'm ready .....
 
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