vsmith
1st Class Member
SoCal
Engineer
Posts:1171
Send Message
 | | 07/08/2008 11:30 AM |
| Pizza Pizza! Just arrived, hot off the delivery truck.
At the BTS Lewis Polk told me that Aristocraft was going to sell a 20" dia. circle of track (thats 20 INCHES, not feet  ) for things like Christmas tree layouts or special display layouts to things like the Eggliner, I saw the circle on display at St Aubins booth, but I couldnt pick it up that weekend. When I recently decided to seek it out and having found nothing on St Aubins website I did a search and lo and behold found Wholesaletrains was offering it (and for less than I was quoted at the BTS to boot!) A quick order and...
Yesteray I got home and found to my delight my order arrived early, the track looks great! the tieplates are cast to fit this ubertight curve, and it comes with Aristos new track clamps that are very good. Its not a simple one piece circle, its 4 seperate quarter circle sections that when put together form a circle, but this also means that by adding a few straight sections, or mixing with regular R1 curves and track, some very tight and twisty mining or logging lines can be inserted into existing layouts, -or- COMPLETE layouts may now be built in spaces never before considered possible!!! The Microlayout guys are going to freak! 
It Aristo part # ART11140 if your interested, Pics to follow as soon as I can  | |
 Kitbashing, welcome to the Dark Side | |
|
markoles
1st Class Member
Lancaster, PA
Conductor
Posts:882
Send Message
| | 07/08/2008 11:43 AM |
| New clamps? These don't have the standard aristo two-screws-fish plates? Interesting. OK Vic, in addition to the pictures, how about some testing, like what will go around? LGB Stainz? LGB Porter / toytrain locos? This might be a good kids room addition.
Later,
Mark | |
Mark Oles
Millersvillanova Railroad, Lancaster, PA | |
|
vsmith
1st Class Member
SoCal
Engineer
Posts:1171
Send Message
| | 07/08/2008 11:53 AM |
| Mark the clamps look like a cross between a Hillman clamp and a Sanval clamp, solid like a Hillman on the ouside, and with two vertical Phillips head screws on the inside, the screws press the rails against the back and align the track very well.
The display had an Eggliner racing around on it, so I suspect all the above will work fine on it. | |
Kitbashing, welcome to the Dark Side | |
|
Pete Thornton
1st Class Member
Annapolis, MD
Conductor
Posts:625
Send Message
| | 07/08/2008 12:06 PM |
| Hartland has been offering the tight circle of track and hangers to go round your barrel for quite a while:
 | |
 | |
|
vsmith
1st Class Member
SoCal
Engineer
Posts:1171
Send Message
| | 07/08/2008 12:50 PM |
| Pete, I have that track for my Christmas tree
The Positive: it makes a circle that fits nicely on the 36" diameter finished wood tabletop I used for the base, with some felt on the underside to cut the noise a bit.
The Negative, this track is completely useless with any other brand, it only snap connects to its own kind, and the rail is aluminum to a solid cast plastic base, no brass.
The Aristo track will connect to any other Aristo, USA or LGB rail no problem as it uses the same code rail, so its far more versitale, and at 20" dia. some very interesting ideas can now be explored.
| |
Kitbashing, welcome to the Dark Side | |
|
Torby
1st Class Member
North Chicago 'burbs.
Engineer
Posts:1907
Send Message
| | 07/08/2008 3:46 PM |
| | Now you can make an even smaller layout! | |
 One king held the frankincense,
One king held the myrrh,
One king held the purest gold,
One King held the hope of the world.
-- Point of Grace | |
|
vsmith
1st Class Member
SoCal
Engineer
Posts:1171
Send Message
| | 07/08/2008 3:52 PM |
| Tom...just noticed this, it wasn't there when I ordered my circle
http://wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?ID=200509854
A/C is also offering a 31" circle of track, for barrel installation, like the HLW setup. Hmmm yesss....things are looking up in the large scale microlayout world! I now have access to 48", 31" and 21" diameters,
Oooh the mind reals from the ideas..now if I can just get Lewis to make matching turnouts in those diameters
| |
Kitbashing, welcome to the Dark Side | |
|
Dennis Paulson
1st Class Member
Chandler In
Foreman
Posts:158
Send Message
| | 07/08/2008 7:08 PM |
| Neato , you think maybe a Bachmann streetcar would go round these curves ? Or a AC Lil-Critter ? Or the new little Bachmann 4 wheel diesel ?
Now LS sectional track on a 4x8 with no hangover .
Nice addition for some people's interest , or space . | |
 | |
|
Torby
1st Class Member
North Chicago 'burbs.
Engineer
Posts:1907
Send Message
| | 07/09/2008 6:37 AM |
| | I'm thinking of one of my Aristo 0-4-0s. | |
One king held the frankincense,
One king held the myrrh,
One king held the purest gold,
One King held the hope of the world.
-- Point of Grace | |
|
lownote
1st Class Member
Arlington VA
Conductor
Posts:650
Send Message
| | 07/09/2008 7:15 AM |
| | That's really tight--will an 0-4-0 really work on that radius? Interesting for the old christmas tree layout.... | |
Evading the Midas touch of expertise
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/magic/westover/ | |
|
vsmith
1st Class Member
SoCal
Engineer
Posts:1171
Send Message
| | 07/09/2008 8:02 AM |
| | The sample on display at the BTS had an Eggliner racing around it so yes, I expect just about any other similar size 0-4-0 should work OK on it, couplers may be limited, I suspect hooks will work but nut knuckles, I use link and pins and can custom shape my links. I'm planning on using my HLW Mack engines and HLW minicars on this track. I have run alot of my stuff on even the 32" diameter portable track , be fun testing on this track next. | |
Kitbashing, welcome to the Dark Side | |
|
SandyR
Near Lake Ontario in NY
Brakeman
Posts:95
Send Message
| | 07/09/2008 9:08 PM |
| Bet there'll be a lot of new G 'scale' layouts turning up on Carl Arendt's micro layout site!
SandyR | | | |
|
Allan W. Miller
1st Class Member
Struthers, Ohio
Foreman
Posts:100
Send Message
| | 07/10/2008 3:27 PM |
| | Keep us posted on how other small locomotives perform on this track. Sounds like something I may want to play with a bit. I have Hartland's track (36") and have used it on a whiskey cask layout for several years before Hartland ever offered their own whiskey cask rig (which I also have, but which is still boxed up aside from the Mack and cars). | |
Allan | |
|
vsmith
1st Class Member
SoCal
Engineer
Posts:1171
Send Message
| | 07/10/2008 4:36 PM |
| One thing I found already, even the HLW minicars should have roller bearing wheels as there is a bit of drag due to the effects of the wheels on such short radius's, not a big deal with the engines as both axles push the engine along nicely. I'm considering if I use the track for a pizza layout to custom build stock to I can angle the wheels a tad to offset the effects of the short radius...of course if I was Chris I would just make a full lenth car that was curved to match the track.  | |
Kitbashing, welcome to the Dark Side | |
|
markoles
1st Class Member
Lancaster, PA
Conductor
Posts:882
Send Message
| | 07/11/2008 5:42 AM |
| Vic,
Looking forward to your cheesy pepperoni train and cars....
| |
Mark Oles
Millersvillanova Railroad, Lancaster, PA | |
|
vsmith
1st Class Member
SoCal
Engineer
Posts:1171
Send Message
| |
Allan W. Miller
1st Class Member
Struthers, Ohio
Foreman
Posts:100
Send Message
| | 07/12/2008 6:10 PM |
| | Thanks for the videos! Looks good! I may set up a circle in the office to give my Eggliner or one of the Macks a workout. | |
Allan | |
|
Dennis Paulson
1st Class Member
Chandler In
Foreman
Posts:158
Send Message
| | 07/12/2008 6:14 PM |
| | Thanks for the videos , small circle really . | |
| |
|
pacbelt
Sonoran Desert
Brakeman
Posts:51
Send Message
| | 07/12/2008 7:14 PM |
| Cool clips Vic!
I'd love to see your Amtrak train around that! Talk about looking like Lionel!!!
Ya just gotta love it! LS in the same space as N scale! | |
Carmine
Tucson, AZ
 Since 1975! | |
|
carpenter matt
1st Class Member
near columbus, Ohio
Brakeman
Posts:61
Send Message
| | 07/12/2008 8:17 PM |
| I will not be surprised by the next BTS, that Vic has Modular standards filed for this sort of thing with the NMRA 
And a modular PIZZA PIZZA PIZZA Layout! | |
 | |
|