What goes round?

[brian alan]

Hi Folks,
I have a track min 5` 0" radius and 10`-0" dia. points in 332 Aristocraft. I started enquring about 10mm or 1:32
locos and have received conflicting advice regarding track and points from "the track will be ok but points will derail" to
"it should be ok". It would be great to hear from people who have "solved " this problem even if it is in fact a difficult path to follow.

 

[bobg]

Sorry, I don't quite understand the problem, 5ft radius and 10ft diameter are the same thing. If it works on one, why wouldn't it work on the other (as long as the points are operating correctly)???

 

[korm kormsen]

hello Brian,

it depends...
for short locos and cars the R1 (2') radius is good enough.
but if you buy some of the really impressing modern stuff, like coaches of two foot length, then a 5' radius will be small.

 

[railwayman198]

Does your question relate to wanting to run G1 stock on G scale track? If so it may well be that the smaller wheel flanges will run o.k. on plain track but give problems on the pointwork. Also 5 ft radius is tight for a lot of gauge 1 stock.

 

[Westcott]

Hello Brian,

What sort of Gauge 1 locos are you looking at?

All G-scale locos will manage 5' radius curves, even the "Big Boy" Mallets.

Perhaps the reverse curve formed by a cross-over of 2 of these points could be a problem for the very longest stock?

Hamish

 

[brian alan]

Hi Bobg Sorry if my comment was not clear but I want to run G1 on Gscale track that "may" be a
problem and I dont want to waste my money on a loco that will not run satisfactorally on my track

 

[brian alan]

Hi Hamish, Thank you for your comments, but I need to know what G1 locos can successfully negotiate my track That is my current dilemma as I have had such conflicting reports from people none of whom have personally solved the problem

 

[bobg]

Hi Bobg Sorry if my comment was not clear but I want to run G1 on Gscale track that "may" be a
problem and I dont want to waste my money on a loco that will not run satisfactorally on my track

Ok Brian,

As far as I am aware, the main difference between Gscale and G1 track is the section of the rail and the sleepers, we still have 45mm running space between the rails. So if your stock will negotiate a 5ft rad curve you should have no problems. GI stock will look a tiny bit out of place on Gscale track as it's heavier, but not so the unintiated could tell.

<edit> With pointwork the critical measurement is the back to back of the wheels, as G1 willl be finer scale than Gscale there may be a little too much clearance through the check-rails, rather than too little which would create a problem. <end edit>

Now I'll duck.........while someone shoots me down in flames.

 

[brian alan]

HI bobg, Your suggestion in" edit "certainly looks creditable. Would you know if shims attached to both outer check rails
would solve the problem or would correction also need doing on the inner rails

 

[hagen]

Actually, many G1 / #1 1/32 locos and wagons simply do not like the aristo-craft switches.
That is one of the reasons Aristo has now issued a replacement frog for their wide radius (10' diam) and their #6 switch.
The guard rail is also "off" the guard rail is too lax/wide.

Easily fixed with a piece of black styrene glued to the inner side of the guard rail. It should not pose any problems with any G scale stuff after these things are done. But G1 is quite a bit more senisble to these things.

 

[chris m01]

In oo terms this is like running the latest Bachmann stock through Tri-ang super 4 track points. It might work or you might be able to modify the points. Although the track gauge is the same the wheel standards are quite different. Aristo points were not designed for, and probably not tested with, stock using G1 wheel standards. It is probable that some G1 stock will run ok and some won't.

 

[chris m01]

I guess the cheapest way to experiment is to but a few G1 wheels and drop them in a coach (assuming the axle lengths are simialr) or maybe buy a Slater's wagon and try it.

 

[railwayman198]

Another factor will be whether the points are set to the straight or the curve, facing or trailing. If you have a circuit with all points either trailing or set to the straight then you stand a better chance of success.

 

[hagen]

I guess the cheapest way to experiment is to but a few G1 wheels and drop them in a coach (assuming the axle lengths are simialr) or maybe buy a Slater's wagon and try it.

Slaters axles are shorter than LGB/Bachmann also "G" usually uses 6mm axle ends, while 10mm/slaters use 6,2mm.
Slaters wheels are a direct replacement for "Scientific/Echo toys" for some weird reason.
Märklin G1 locos with NEM wheels runs trough Aristo switches on the straight, and can usually traverse them "switched".
But the frog problem made me not use the G1 stuff on the "Aristo line".


(Edit: LGB switches are apparently better, but I have noen, so I can't comment)

 

[hagen]

Hi Folks,
I have a track min 5` 0" radius and 10`-0" dia. points in 332 Aristocraft. I started enquring about 10mm or 1:32
locos and have received conflicting advice regarding track and points from "the track will be ok but points will derail" to
"it should be ok". It would be great to hear from people who have "solved " this problem even if it is in fact a difficult path to follow.

To answer the original question.
"Most often it works, but it's not ideal. And you should get the new frog for the switches ($1 a piece, $2 for the #6 switch))
It also depends a bit on the flange. semi scale, fine scale, NEM

 

[bobg]

HI bobg, Your suggestion in" edit "certainly looks creditable. Would you know if shims attached to both outer check rails
would solve the problem or would correction also need doing on the inner rails

I think you would have more problem if you tried things the other way round, running Gscale on G1 as then the back to back would be smaller and cause the axle set to try to jump the point, i.e. climb the check-rails. Extra clearance on the back to back shouldn't touch anything so should roll right through, provided everything is true (flat and level). I've noticed on my stock's axles that the tolerances seem quite large and it might be that some axle sets might be too wide and allow one wheel to miss read the crossing-nose when the back to back clearance is big. In that case closing of the check-rails clearances would solve the problem.

 

[wpandyr]

I used to have Aristocraft code 332 ? track and #6 switches. I have run numberous G1 1:32 scale engines OK. The wide gap in the frog does tend to let the wheels drop and " clank" a bit but I have not suffered derailments with them Marklin and Accucraft, and Regner G1 have all run successfully on my track. Aster is a different case altogether as they rarely negotiate less than 2M radius. I did have an Aster T3 0-6-0 and an 0-4-0 that ran ok but anything bigger needs the wide G1 test/race track type of layout.

 

[hagen]

I think you would have more problem if you tried things the other way round, running Gscale on G1

That's not really a problem if you use, Peco #1 track, or most any code 250 track. I do it all the time as I have Bachmann and other "G" scale items running on G1 infrastructure.
The "old" Märklin track (the items not previously made by Hübner) however does not work very well for LGB as the flanges will hit every railspike.

 

[brian alan]

Hi wpandyr, Thank you for your comments now I know that I can follow in your footsteps and enjoy an english railway
in my garden,

 

[brian alan]

Hi Hagen, Thanks I appreciate your comments