Track joining, Aristocraft style

[alec dawe]

LGB track is joined using fishplates, just like OO gauge track, but obviously bigger! Aristocraft use a fishplate with a tiny "Allen" screw (socket headed cap screw to be pedantic).
Does anyone know what thread these screws are, and if there's any percentage in drilling and tapping similar holes in 'other' brands of track to join in a similar fashion, assuming of course that machine screws of a similar type, and appropriate thread taps are available.
I wonder what the brass rail section is like to tap threads in, should be reasonably easy.

(Not like the high tensile stainless that I was attempting to tap, 45 years so in Vickers, Barrow! Evil suff that was!).

 

[shropshire lad]

They are 2mm Alec, Aristo do a kit with a drill bit and tap. Most of my track Aristo or not is drilled and tapped.
Edit
Aristo do bags of screws too

 

[Cranford]

One of these Alec
http://www.bachmann.co.uk/prod1.php?prod_selected=aristo&prod=10 < Link To

A11902 Tap & Drill Set 2mm For Track £ 8.00

 

[trammayo]

Its dead easy to tap - I use a pin chuck to hold the tap ( saves accidentally snapping the tap when using a tap wrench!).

 

[alec dawe]

Thanks all.
Sounds like a plan then.

 

[alec dawe]

They are 2mm Alec, Aristo do a kit with a drill bit and tap. Most of my track Aristo or not is drilled and tapped.
Edit
Aristo do bags of screws too

Do you know of a stockist for the drill, tap and screws, one in he UK preferably?

 

[ebay mike]

see http://www.ontracks.co.uk < Link To www.ontracks.co.uk - ref A11902 £7.20 plus p&p. That's for tap and drill only. If you buy your own screws make sure they're stainless steel. Poundland do a set of allen keys, one of which fits Aristocraft and another which fits the hex screws on Hillman track clamps.

 

[jclfan]

For 12 years I operated a G Gauge Commercial Train Sales and Service Business. I sold, installed and serviced trains running 8 hours a day in commercial establishments. I have installed hundreds of feet of Aristocraft and USA brand track, most on overhead track systems. I first had a machine shop make me a hex nut driver, with a long handle to fit these cheap small hex nut screws. After you clean out the pink wax that held the screws on to each section of track. Forget about the small blue handle drivers that come in each box of track. After a trying to get the screw real tight, the corners are rounded off these China made drivers. My new tool worked good. I found USA screws to be made better than Aristo's, they had a deeper socket hole, and did not round off so easy. Where I did not have a track screw hole, such as when you cut a section of track, I used a Split-Jaw or Hillman Rail Clamp. Much easier than tapping and drilling. BUt, here is a better screw, and hex nut driver, to get a super tight fit. A screw that when put it on the head of the driver, it will stay there, even as you climb a step ladder, and aim the screw into the little hole on the track joiner. The screw size is an exact replacement for the factory screws, only 100% better. Has a deep socket hole, and will not round off, and stays on the driver. That's the biggest plus for this screw and driver combo.

The screw is sold by: McMaster-Carr Company, in Atlanta, GA. http://www.mcmaster.com/ < Link To www.mcmaster.com . Their item number for the screw is: 91290A010, Description: Metric Class 12.9 Socket Head Cap Screw, Alloy Steel, M2 Thread, 3MM Length, 0.4MM Pitch. Sold in a box of 50 for $7.66. The Hex Driver is item number: 52975A14, Description: Miniature Plastic-Handle Hex Driver, 1.5mm Hex, 5-45/64" Overall Length. Price $3.61.

These great steel screws can be really screwed in tight, will not strip or round off. After dropping hundrews of the factory screws on the floor, never to be found again, or worse yet dropping them on a lawn when installing a outdoor garden RR, the additional cost is well worth the ease of installation. My driver has lasted 8 years, so your only cost after first purchase is the box(s) of screws. Do not waste your money buying factory screws from the track manufacture. One box of these steel screws and you will be sold. Trust me, Please. Jimbo611

 

[steve parberry]

After you clean out the pink wax that held the screws on to each section of track.

Tried several ways to do that ...At one point I just put loads in a tin can and warmed it up that shifts most of the wax...in the end I got so fed up I just left them stuck underneath and purchased a couple of bags of replacement screws

Applied some Graphite grease and its been down outside for years without a problem

 

[funandtrains]

I just pull of the LGB joiners and use rail clamps as both the LGB and Aristo types have their issues.

 

[modeler]

Count me in as endorsing rail clamps. After 15 years in the hobby, changing rail around, & yes, even drilling
and tapping the rail(both LGB & Aristo), I have totally committed to using rail clamps. They work with anybody's
rail & you can change a section at a time without disturbing the others. I run electric & live steam, & have had
no problems with the clamps other than those I have initiated either through negligence or "senior moments."

 

[playmofire]

But rail clamps are expensive, are they not?

 

[funandtrains]

But rail clamps are expensive, are they not?

How many times do you want to join one type of track to the other? I mostly have Massoth which aren not that expensive if you to the right shop and buy a reasonable number.

The 2mm screws are quite difficult to put in and if you drop them outside you will often lose them. If using small sections it is best to join several together on a table and then lay them, jointing the combined lengths with clamps.

 

[modeler]

Yes, rail clamps can be expensive. But in the overall scheme of things, as far as I am concerned, the time it
takes to put rail joiners on the sections far exceeds the cost; especially when you consider your time, drilling, tapping & keeping track of all of those small screws. Actually, my accumulation of rail joiners has taken some time.
Through our club's swap meet, sales, members reducing the size of their layouts, the final cost wasn't a large factor. My conversion to rail clamps has taken me at least 2-3 years, if not more. To acquire the complete total needed to do my existing layout would wipe out gifts for my next 2 birthdays, 3 anniversaries, 4 fathers' day gifts, and not to mention at least 5 Christmas'!!!

 

[alec dawe]

But rail clamps are expensive, are they not?

How many times do you want to join one type of track to the other? I mostly have Massoth which aren not that expensive if you to the right shop and buy a reasonable number.

Ah!
But which is the right shop? I'm very much feeling my way with this project, not having a shop closer than about 60 miles, which makes browsing and asking questions difficult.

 

[funandtrains]

But rail clamps are expensive, are they not?

How many times do you want to join one type of track to the other? I mostly have Massoth which aren not that expensive if you to the right shop and buy a reasonable number.

Ah!
But which is the right shop? I'm very much feeling my way with this project, not having a shop closer than about 60 miles, which makes browsing and asking questions difficult.

If you want to buy other track items it is best to order from Germany, Franks do a good flat rate postage deal and take PayPal:

http://fgb-berlin.de/index.php/en/component/virtuemart/?page=shop.browse&category_id=48

 

[Martino]

I have to agree that rail clamps are the way to go. I think they pay for themselves in time saved and ease of use. My fingers and eyes aren't what they used to be so small screws are a problem, particularly in an outside environment. I have replaced fishplates with clamps over about four years, bit by bit.

Now as to which brand of clamps, well that's a whole new can of worms......

 

[jclfan]

Yes, I agree, rail clamps for all switches, and wherever you join two rail sections that one, of both do not have a screw hole at the end. BUT, Where you have screw holes, save on the rail clamps, just remove the factory cheap screws, and use the McMaster-Carr screws that I gave you all the details on in my post yesterday. They never get loose or allow the rails to pull apart. Much cheaper than Rail Clamps. Work great on Garden Railroads.

 

[Tony]

I have often wondered if one day 10,000 years hence some "Time Team" person is going to be digging my garden and find a hoard of scattered little screws and say " Arh we can safely say this is the site of Aristo tracked garden railway and the person who lived here was called a Gscaler" "we have worked out the track plan by the where we found each one"

 

[Railfan]

I have often wondered if one day 10,000 years hence some "Time Team" person is going to be digging my garden and find a hoard of scattered little screws and say " Arh we can safely say this is the site of Aristo tracked garden railway and the person who lived here was called a Gscaler" "we have worked out the track plan by the where we found each one"