homemade track

[Pauly]

I need a way of producing my own track suitable for electric engines.

it doesnt need to be out-doors resistant or good looking it just needs to work.

 

[Steve]

what shape size ect are you looking for

 

[Pauly]

45mm, just straights (dont require curves)

 

[coyote97]

U just take a brass or even aluminium "L"-shaped profile, drill it on the one side and srew it on a plate...easy, cheap and fast.

If u dont want to drill the metal, u can take a "T" profile bottom up and nail or screw it left an right

Frank


Aluprofile is just about 35 Cent /meter.

 

[coyote97]

ooooopps,

Hi tac,

why that?
(i fear i tumbled over a translation: "plate" is here as "brett", what is made of wood. And "made of wood" is meant by my side...)
Why should wood make a short circuit???

not even when its wet.

(we´re talking about a max. of 24 V ....u can pour salty water over such a supply without getting a short circuit..)

Frank

 

[Pauly]

could someone write this out so that even a duh brain like me can understand it all

also apictre or 2 would be very helpful

 

[Dtsteam]

Brett = Board or plank, and therefore usually wood.

Keep posting Frank, we can cope with the odd loss in translation.

 

[Steve]

ooooopps,

Hi tac,

why that?
(i fear i tumbled over a translation: "plate" is here as "brett", what is made of wood. And "made of wood" is meant by my side...)
Why should wood make a short circuit???

not even when its wet.

(we´re talking about a max. of 24 V ....u can pour salty water over such a supply without getting a short circuit..)

Frank

I for one admire any one who can speak more than one language and write it ,( ok i cant even write in English )

 

[stockers]

[/quote]

Frank, 'plate' in English in a railway context is usually referring to metal, not wood. Your English is pretty good, don't worry about it, just confungled me, is all.

tac
http://www.ovgrs.org < Link To www.ovgrs.org
[/quote]

Some times Tac yes - but our language is great - a platelayer is a track worker.

 

[Steve]

Ding Ding Round Two , Are you all sorted now Pauly

 

[The Devonian]

Just to confirm that this has nothing whatsoever to do with tracklements.

 

[coyote97]

yes, back to the thing....

....using foreign languages, there is always a bit of a mismatch and man has just to cuddle it apart...im used to....no problem....


What i meant with "plate" was a board....a ...mmmm..how to say, just a flat piece of wood.
The "L" or "T" solution seems to be the best.
Recently there was a thread about a fiddle yard made of plastic-stripes...dont remember if it was here or on mylargescale. That sort of cunstruction i mean...just take something of metal, not plastic.

Frank

 

[don9GLC2]

I need a way of producing my own track suitable for electric engines.

it doesnt need to be out-doors resistant or good looking it just needs to work.

Hi Pauly,

I must admit I have been disappointed at the way track has increased in price ever since I contemplated extending my 'test track' into a proper layout. There are a number of issues that you might consider which may affect any recommendation that those with more experience may make.

First, you state 'suitable for electric engines' and from this I assume you mean track powered (nominal) 24V locomotives. If so, I would be wary of aluminum since the non conducting oxide coating that it forms on the surface would need to be cleaned off regularly. In my experience, unacceptably often and far too much effort, but I have not used aluminum for G scale track because of previous problems in other applications. Perhaps others with relevant experience can advise? Indeed if the aluminum is anodized (as is normal from my usual sources) it is about as conductive as a plate! My plates are made of porcelain, one of the traditional insulating materials (sorry guys -Frank/tac/stockers/et al. - I could not resist that!)

My indoor test track is plated steel and corroded badly when left boxed in the garage over the winter. It causes very uneven running over the corroded sections where the plating has oxidized despite relatively vigorous rubbing with a nylon pan scourer. It's so bad that I intend to remove my outdoor brass test track and use it for the indoors test track.

You do not mention switches (turnouts / points) which implies that you are looking at storage tracks only. If not, I suggest that the astronomical cost of these items (in my budget) may well influence what kind of straight track you use. On the other hand, you may be using a traverser, or some similar storage arrangement. Do you need to power the locos along all the track, or can sections be made unpowered for storage of rolling stock?

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and what is not good looking to you at 10PM may well be viewed differently at 2AM after a few drinks. That comment was meant as a bit of fun, but do you want your track to resemble track at all, or is it just a means of supporting your trains and it does not matter what others seeing it may think, and does it depend on who is looking at it?

Although you may feel that a 'bit of cleaning' before you use the track is acceptable to reduce the initial cost, believe me when you skimp on the cleaning (which you will) the track won't 'just work'!


Sorry for all the questions but in my part of the world if you ask someone 'what would you like to drink' the answer is often 'what have you got'? In other words, there is no point in asking for unrealistic / unavailable items.


Don

 

[coyote97]

LOL

Hi Don,

the oxidation is a thing that makes alu some kind of so-and-so, thats right.
but there are manufacturers that used alu for making g scale rails, so as far as it is not laying outside or in wet air conditions...it may function.
There is one important thing (yes!!!!, good u reminded me): surface treats on alu mostly dont give contact (like Eloxal).
The problem is, that brass is 3 times more expensive, steel rusts...nicleplating brass is even more expensive.

stainless steel would be a possibility. Perhaps in the near neigbourhood is some company that cuts stainless sheets (for kitchens or food-boxes or things).
They often have leftovers....

Frank

 

[Pauly]

it need not resemble track at all, Im using it for an overhead layout in my new workshop so it wont be visible for the ground anyway.

I dont need switches or curves because Im using premade curves.

and it needs to be suitable for LGB electric locos.

 

[Spule 4]

Korm's brass curtain rail track he posted over at MLS might be your best bet?

 

[don9GLC2]

it need not resemble track at all, Im using it for an overhead layout in my new workshop so it wont be visible for the ground anyway.

I dont need switches or curves because Im using premade curves.

and it needs to be suitable for LGB electric locos.

Thanks Pauly,

That helps a lot.

Probably you need to consider how you connect the straights to the 'pre-made curves'. If you have a lot of curves, this may affect the best decision. Track joiners are not inexpensive!

I did see a YouTube video of an overhead layout with stainless steel cylinders as rails (no ties) and it was most impressive but I have lost the link I also suspect it was HO rather than G scale.


I am certainly not the 'expert' on this but I suspect that unless you have unusually long straight sections, your best solution for it 'just to work' is to use the same source as your pre-made curved sections.



Don

 

[minimans]

Simplest and easiest way is to use 1/8 X 1/2 steel or aluminium strap which you can buy in 20ft lenght's if you want to. Then take a suitable piece of ply say 4in by 3/4 and cut two parralel grooves with the table saw 45mm appart and 1/4 deep then hammer in the strap giving instant cheep track

By the way there a'int nothing wrong with aluminium track! inside or outdoors, I now have about 150ft of Ali rail outside which is used mainly by the live steamies but on occasion by the 'lectric mouses and other than a quick clean to start it works as well as the brass, I just kee it clean with a wipe down using WD40 on a rag and that seems to last quite a while. I would think indoors it would be even easier..................Paul....................

 

[trammayo]

Hi, I would buy the brass rail and make my own sleepers out of wood. Hardwood is best for durability but all wood can be treated to last longer. I made a radius one "Y" point using wooden sleepers and there was absolutely no problem with insulation (Wood was used right up to the end of trolleybus operation in the UK for spacer bars (500 - 550 volts DC). I would pin the rails down using brass pins (from the likes of Hobbies) drilling the sleeper first. Also there would be no problem connecting up to curves or points.
Mick

 

[korm kormsen]

this is made from curtain rails:

for more info look here:

http://kormsen.ko.funpic.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=434 < Link To Curtain rails