Plastic track

K

Keith Patrick

Registered
OK, so I broke my leg a few months ago and the Watton Garden Railway has got put back a bit. In fact it hasnt even started. But now I can hop around the garden without falling over I propose to drive new impetus into the project. I feel a little ashamed amongst all you people who have proper garden railways: all I have so far is a Lionel set that I got off Ebay in the USA with some extra (plastic) track. And, worse still, I do not yet propose to invest in metal track as she who must be obeyed (and holds the purse strings) wont allow it. Well, she probably would but then I would be beholden to her - and I prefer it to be the other way round. So the question is: how heretical is it to consider laying Lionel plastic track on disguised wooden boards along the garden in the UK? I can appreciate that in hot sun the track might distort or even get bleached. I'm not too worried about the latter because I am using battery power and could always consider a coat of Humbrol but how bad can the distortion get and is there any other problem I should take into consideration? Ultimately I may get authority to get a decent amount of brass track but for now it's a no no.
 
I've seen Lionel's G brass track with yellow sleepers, but I don't know of their plastic track? I'd be worried about UV deterioration, the plastic track is probably only intended for indoors "round the Christmas tree" arrangements?

I have some really cheap black plastic track which came with a set by Scientific Toys, and a similar design in brown plastic which came with a Newqida set. The straights from the black track are used for static display on shelves, I've never used the NQD stuff.
 
Keith Patrick said:
OK, so I broke my leg a few months ago and the Watton Garden Railway has got put back a bit. In fact it hasnt even started. But now I can hop around the garden without falling over I propose to drive new impetus into the project. I feel a little ashamed amongst all you people who have proper garden railways: all I have so far is a Lionel set that I got off Ebay in the USA with some extra (plastic) track. And, worse still, I do not yet propose to invest in metal track as she who must be obeyed (and holds the purse strings) wont allow it. Well, she probably would but then I would be beholden to her - and I prefer it to be the other way round. So the question is: how heretical is it to consider laying Lionel plastic track on disguised wooden boards along the garden in the UK? I can appreciate that in hot sun the track might distort or even get bleached. I'm not too worried about the latter because I am using battery power and could always consider a coat of Humbrol but how bad can the distortion get and is there any other problem I should take into consideration? Ultimately I may get authority to get a decent amount of brass track but for now it's a no no.
Click to expand...
But you will get a longer life if you spray it Matt Bkack with a Halfords Rattle Can.
 
Before I got around to building with LGB track, I had an RC layout made with Playmobil plastic track out in the garden for around a year. Their plastic is amazing stuff and just does not deteiorate.

OK, In the very depths of winter the point blades froze up and when it snowed there was an issue, as it wedges under the locos, but apart from that..... the only problem is that is can be expensive.

I agree with the other comments though, cheap plastic track will soon suffer outdoors, UV, Heat, Cold i is just not up to it.

James
 
I could do with a few meters of (cheap) plastic track for in shelf storage area, looked at fleabay, and not that cheap - thoughts.
 
You can get cheap Newquida track from East Coast Models.

Or alternatively, if you have wood shelves, you could cut grooves with a router....
 
I have always considered plastic track for indoor use. Brass for the long-term outdoors. (I don't have a budget for stainless, or to replace track for a long time so I would rather do it right the first time.)
 
I believe the OP asked about using plastic track in the outdoors for a layout, not storage tracks or inside. That's the reference to "sun" ;)

Yes, storage tracks are a completely different issue, I have rolling cabinets with grooves routed for cars and locos.

I have display shelving inside with the bachmann and new bright sectional track, both plastic and the self destroying tinplated hollow steel rails.

But outdoors, plastic is not great.

Another issue is that plastic expands a lot more in the sunlight than metal, and that causes more track issues, unless you paint it white ha ha!

Greg
 
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