naive novice.

[idlemarvel]

I haven't been scared off yet - I seem to have entered buying frenzy for various pieces of track, all lgb so far, no turnouts yet. ( they seem a lot of money for small distance traveled!) I will probably bite the bullet and buy one of the station extension packs, I notice lgb & pico both do these at a similar price, does any know which is preferred/better?

LGB and PIKO (not Pico or Peco) are pretty much identical in quality. The main difference is the appearance of the sleepers. LGB is more "narrow gauge" worn wooden sleepers, PIKO ones look like brand new square cut smooth wooden sleepers such as you would find on standard gauge main lines, and one of the sleepers will have a PIKO logo on top. There are differences in geometry if you go bigger than R1 (600mm radius, 1200mm diameter) as Rhinochugger mentioned. Also PIKO R1 points are 320mm long, LGB 300mm. You don't get point motors in the siding or station sets, but if you do want to use point motors, LGB point motors work with PIKO points and vice versa. I have noticed PIKO point motors are slightly higher off the ground than LGB, probably less than 1mm, but it means that some locos with snow ploughs catch on PIKO points but not on LGB.

 

[ebay mike]

I think I have some points at the bottom somewhere. What radius are you thinking of?

 

[JimmyB]

I have 14 LGB R1 curves (12 needed for a circle) used but is reasonable condition, PM me if you wish see photos and discuss a price.

 

[steve the dreamer]

I think I have some points at the bottom somewhere. What radius are you thinking of?
View attachment 268428
Hi Mike, Thanks for your interest and or help, I haven't given much thought to radius or otherwise just yet, initially just looking for a way to stable more than one loco that might or might not work! Matching left and right would be preferable, I suppose small radius would suffice for a passing loop and single larger radius for more ambitious expansion, so please see what you can tempt me with! Cheers, Steve.

 

[JimmyB]

S steve the dreamer I have responded to your chat, and PMed you, however I do not seem to have had a response, please reply.

 

[steve the dreamer]

Steep learning curve! so after acquiring 2 untried Bachmann big haulers and an untried Aristocraft christmas grotto railbus and a reasonable amount of track over a year or so I spent a couple of afternoons and evenings making the wheels turn on the Bachmans, The railbus looked like it would come to pieces easily enough to transform it to resemble something out of the Beverly Hillbillys or Petticoat Junction - wrong - just about every soldered joint fell to pieces + self tapping screws direct into plastic, none of my torque wrenches go that low, I got rid of all the silk screen "curtains" on the windows with bikers gold solvol autosol, no scratches or hazing, soldering iron, heat shrink and much cursing it runs. quite happy, I have set some track up on a 20 foot workbench ,I bought a couple of turnouts to park the engines and try them one at a time - History lesson, I have N, OO , strange Hornby Dublo and O gauge, all untouched (Future Projects!) these are all have isolating turnouts. WHY did I think LGB points would be any different? - 3 large locos making a Santa Pod race for the junction is impressive! Pass The Araldite.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Steep learning curve! so after acquiring 2 untried Bachmann big haulers and an untried Aristocraft christmas grotto railbus and a reasonable amount of track over a year or so I spent a couple of afternoons and evenings making the wheels turn on the Bachmans, The railbus looked like it would come to pieces easily enough to transform it to resemble something out of the Beverly Hillbillys or Petticoat Junction - wrong - just about every soldered joint fell to pieces + self tapping screws direct into plastic, none of my torque wrenches go that low, I got rid of all the silk screen "curtains" on the windows with bikers gold solvol autosol, no scratches or hazing, soldering iron, heat shrink and much cursing it runs. quite happy, I have set some track up on a 20 foot workbench ,I bought a couple of turnouts to park the engines and try them one at a time - History lesson, I have N, OO , strange Hornby Dublo and O gauge, all untouched (Future Projects!) these are all have isolating turnouts. WHY did I think LGB points would be any different? - 3 large locos making a Santa Pod race for the junction is impressive! Pass The Araldite.

None of the G Scale (45 mm gauge) turnouts are self isolating - not sure why, probably just to keep us on our toes when we first start up in this scale.

It's bizarre, so the next thing you go and buy are the isolating fishplates, which are bright yellow - as in, just like the real thing ......................Not !

 

[PhilP]

It's bizarre, so the next thing you go and buy are the isolating fishplates, which are bright yellow - as in, just like the real thing

Also available in black!

But, the Massoth insulating track-clamps are better.. And they come with solder-tags, for ease of connecting your power-feeds.

Massoth Insulated Rail Clamp

Robust insulating rail connector for G-gauge tracks (code 332) made of particularly stable glass fibre reinforced plastic for robust support.

gardenrailoutlet.co.uk

PhilP.

 

[steve the dreamer]

Also available in black!

But, the Massoth insulating track-clamps are better.. And they come with solder-tags, for ease of connecting your power-feeds.

Massoth Insulated Rail Clamp

Robust insulating rail connector for G-gauge tracks (code 332) made of particularly stable glass fibre reinforced plastic for robust support.

gardenrailoutlet.co.uk

PhilP.

thanks for your suggestion, I had just bought some black plastic isolating blocks but i now have some of these on order! - have to say registering on their website is a pain! (could be I'm just a luddite!)

 

[Rhinochugger]

Also available in black!

But, the Massoth insulating track-clamps are better.. And they come with solder-tags, for ease of connecting your power-feeds.

Massoth Insulated Rail Clamp

Robust insulating rail connector for G-gauge tracks (code 332) made of particularly stable glass fibre reinforced plastic for robust support.

gardenrailoutlet.co.uk

PhilP.

Yeah, Accucraft brought them out in black - but I hadn't seen the Massoth ones.

Have had my yeller ones over 10 years now.

The drawback of the Massoth concept is that you have to run your cable to the switch from the track break.


I run my cables from the track at the closest place to the switch

 

[PhilP]

The drawback of the Massoth concept is that you have to run your cable to the switch from the track break.

Not if you are using Massoth clamps extensively..
Especially useful to securing points (turnouts) for ease of removal for maintenance..

 

[Rhinochugger]

Not if you are using Massoth clamps extensively..
Especially useful to securing points (turnouts) for ease of removal for maintenance..

Aha, yes, OK

As you can see, I'm still a bit Jethro Tull

Mind you, I've also had that switch box for over 10 years, but I did have to replace a switch a couple of years ago - seeing as how I had to lift the box and all the wires, I did all three

I think I built the WWSR in about 2006 - the equipment had a two-year break when we moved up here, and the WWNR has now been running for about four years