Rails for concrate track

[nygma]

Hi Guys,

I met a guy yesterday who is into gauge 1, but everything about his models are home made, not a single commercial product. I promised him to help building track more easily. You might find the following pictures interesting. He has build a mold from steel and he casts his own track from contcrete. You can follow the whole process here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/104121300077685694508/VasbetonAljzatokGyartasa #
Another gallery on how he changed his old wooden track to all concrete roadbed:
https://picasaweb.google.com/104121300077685694508/KertVaganyCsere #

He uses brass rods for the rails and forms them under heat between rollers. This proved to be very time consuming and the rollers weared over time, so he is looking at buying rails to use. I told him about Peco gauge 1 bulkhead rail, but I guess there are others on the market to consider.

Can you advice where to buy rails? Since this is gauge 1 we are looking up to code 250 rails. I guess this is primarily Peco, Tenmille or some US rails. Can you also give me dimensions of the rail? Unfortunately my Peco catalogue is hidden somewhere in the basement and I have no idean where to find it.

 

[JonathanJ]

Interesting way of building track..

Peco sell several sizes of rail, the two largest are :
Code 250 (Code IL9, 6x 36in) - G45 range
Code 200 (Code IL8, 6 x 36in) - Gauge1 and SM32
Both are Nickel Silver, and the code200 is a match for the Marklin spur1 rail section. They used to do an aluminium version of the code 250, but I don't think that's been available for some years now.

One alternative is Cliff Barker
http://www.cliffbarker.talktalk.net/gauge1products.html < Link To http://www.cliffbarker.ta...et/gauge1products.html
who sellstwo different profiles in code200 (one of which matches the Peco code 200) in brass and code 180 in Stainless steel or nickel silver. The code 180 is very nice.

Jonathan

 

[bobg]

I take my hat off to the guy, but to me that's making 'hard work' out of 'hard work'. I know track is expensive.................................!

How many attempts did it take to get that mould to work reliably? I also couldn't spot if he was using a release agent.

 

[3Valve]

Interesting way to make track and the end result looks impresive, but what a monumental effort, and it looks an expensive option too.

Pointwork looks impressive though.

 

[wpandyr]

"MiHa Modell +" in Germany can supply code 250, stainless steel, flat bottom rail in 3 Metre lengths. I used this rail for my track rebuild a year ago and am very pleased with the results. Some pictures of my track in use here;
https://picasaweb.google.com/114036153408224749848/BR70 < Link To https://picasaweb.google....6153408224749848/BR70#

German & English spoken there to.

http://www.miha-modell.com/shop/index.htm

 

[jameshilton]

That's incredible - it looks very effective when finished and I guess can provide a very stable road bed, but it is a LOT of effort. It is always interesting to see how other modellers approach the hobby

 

[yb281]

How long has this track been in place? How many cold winters has it survivied? I'd be interested to know how all that concrete stands up to severe frosts?

 

[supagav]

Wow,

I know it's a little off topic and do apologise but that is some great modelling! I must admit I do have a soft spot for the M.A.V. prototypes, and the M44 is just lovely

My girlfriend is a Hungarian native and I always see locos like that when we go over there to visit. She was originally born in Nagykanizsa, and the local station has a small but busy yard which always has plenty of action, so I try to sneak down there with my camera in my hand and shoot untill the battery runs out! Her family at first thought I was a little crazy, but I think now they've warmed to the idea. Our last trip out there was completed by a visit to the Budapest train museum which was just magical and lovely to see such care and pride in a nation's railway heritage.

Thanks for sharing the photos!

 

[Gizzy]

Looks like your friend Peter vibrates his concrete mix so as to make it stronger....

 

[duncan1_9_8_4]

some people really do go too far. harder work, and i dont think it looks particularly great......... compared to a well maintained pway with mainstream track.

 

[nygma]

First of all thanks for the suggestions. If you have anything else in mind, just let me know? Any comments on the Tenmille rails?

Response to some of the comments and questions from above:
He said that he can get 50-60 units out of one mold. He is using silicon paste as a release agent but it still takes a lot of bashing before the track comes out of the mold. The only thing he changed on the molds is that he welds a think steel bar as a bracket on top, and hammers that when removing the track from the mold.

But these are essentally first generation molds used from the beginning. He did experiment with different wire mash but mainly to make the construction faster. As it says on the first picture a 40cm section (16 inches) weights 18kg (close to 3 stones).

I am not sure if I remember correctly, it takes about 3 hours to insert the plugs, install the wire mash and pour the concrete. Than I guess a day to set and good 10 minutes of hammering before it is released from the mold. Plugs fill up with concreate from time to time which needs to be drilled through. Than you fasten the rails.
This track has been up for 3 years now. And in Hungary we do get -20C in winter and +35 during summer. I saw no deterioration on the concreate.

 

[nygma]

Gizzy: Yes, he does vibrate the mix to make it very compact.
Duncan: This track design would not be my choice either. I am happy with a concrete trackbed and commercial rails. But I guess he got fed up with wood and steel and concrete are the materials he is confortable with.

 

[hagen]

Micro engineering has some nice track for G1
code 205 and 250
Also check out switchcrafters.com for switches

 

[hagen]

Business idea for him would be to make viaduct molds to sell.
would cost a lot less to ship than the finished product, I see a market
(I am going to make my own molds with silicone I guess, but... could be a market)

 

[trammayo]

Exceedingly clever, very meticulous and (I should imagine), very tedious. I can seen the merit in casting (only) concrete sleepers or panels of the same, laid on a well finished concrete base cast in situ.