chaingun
1st Class Member
Brakeman
Posts:47
Send Message
 | | 08/10/2008 4:05 PM |
| Question 1 - Yes
Question 2 - Yes
With good UV durability as I live on the Western edge of Arizona were at the moment we are in a little cold snap of 110. Last week we were at 118+. I am buying the “Chernobyl” brand of sunscreen now.
Best, Ted | | | |
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Martino
Midwest boy now in Texas
Posts:9
Send Message
| | 08/10/2008 8:11 PM |
| Ted, Thanks for the response, however......
Look, again. There are 3 questions. I'm not sure if your second answer is to my second or third question!
Maybe I should number them, eh?
Martino'
I'm in North texas, you have us beat by about 13 degrees! You win. sorry about that. | |
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chaingun
1st Class Member
Brakeman
Posts:47
Send Message
| | 08/11/2008 12:25 AM |
| Yes - Yes & Hell Yes!
Ya but its a DRY heat - kind of like a blast furnace LOL! | | | |
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GlacierBill
1st Class Member
South Sioux City, Nebraska
Brakeman
Posts:63
Send Message
| | 08/11/2008 10:41 PM |
| | I'd be in to try it, with or with out ties, I do not have any battery trains, but would love to give it a shot. | |
The light at the end of the tunnel may be that of an on coming train.
GlacierBill | |
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Ole Toad Frog
1st Class Member
Roasharon, Tx.
Foreman
Posts:258
Send Message
| | 08/12/2008 3:50 AM |
| Posted By Martino on 08/10/2008 12:43 PM
SURVEY Question?
Help me understand what you are willing to undergo or tolerate to achieve an economical yet durable track alternative.
Let me begin with NON conductive plastic rail for battery op.
If I supplied you just the plastic rail to insert into your own tie strips, would you purchase just the rail?
Or do I need to supply the tie strips as well?
?
Rail and Tie Strips as a Unit.
Posted By Martino on 08/10/2008 12:43 PM
Next survey,
LGB & PIKO make/made euro style ties,
ARISTO makes both EURO & AMERICAN.
AML I believe also make an AMERICAN style.
Would anybody be insterested in a "CONCRETE" style similiar to the CLASS I that both the UP and BNSF are using on western mainlines?
No Euro
American style, yes
Concrete style, yes
I run rail power.
Toad
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chuckger
1st Class Member
Foreman
Posts:120
Send Message
| | 08/12/2008 6:37 AM |
| Hi,
Im building a battery powered RR curently have 200' of lagas code 215 allum. narrow gauge track.
I would try it with narrow gauge tie strips if you plan on making them.
In answes to your questions,
1 yes
2 yes
3 no
IMHO rail with sepreate tie strips that you put together your self might be a better way to go than all in one peice track. If you can ciol the rail say in 100' coils with the ties seperate, you could make 100' of track with NO rail joints and it would be a lot cheaper to ship than 6' foot peices of ready made track.
chuckger | | | |
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jtutwiler
1st Class Member
Michigan City, IN
Brakeman
Posts:83
Send Message
| | 08/12/2008 7:09 AM |
| I dont think I would use the plastic rail for main line runs as I currently am only running Live Steam, but I think that this would be a great product to use for sidings and yards, where I will be using battery powered trains. With the current cost of rail, I feel that I am so limited in expanding my operations and this would give a great opportunity.
1. No to Euro
2. Yes to American
3. Yes to concrete
And that is my 2 cents | |
Tipton Union Timber Co. Railroad | |
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rdamurphy
Brakeman
Posts:18
Send Message
| | 08/14/2008 3:05 AM |
| I would DEFINITELY buy plastic rail and ties, especially if they came with turnouts! We seem to have a severe shortage of those. Even hand laying turnouts would be easier with plastic rail. I like the idea of the HO scale rail on top, I'm assuming that it would be inverted, and all of those Atlas HO flex track tie strips on eBay would confuse the heck out of people...
Would you make more than one size, say code 332 for the mainline guys, code 250 or even 225 or 200 for the narrow gaugers? Tie strips would be good, too, or even complete flex track.
Very nice idea! With the brass rail on top, it would wear just like - brass rail! OR, think about this guys, instead of using inverted HO Brass rail, we could use inverted HO Nickel Silver!
Robert | | | |
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Martino
Midwest boy now in Texas
Posts:9
Send Message
| | 08/14/2008 7:06 PM |
| Wow!
This is all much easier said than done.
Currently its all experimental.
For the time being I am afraid all I will work on is code 332. Sorry guys who wish for the other sizes.
For the time being, no switches either, sorry again. Even I want the switches!!!
But before anymore comes about, I have to settle on a durable rail and tie.
Only then will the engineering of conductivity come next.
Yup, inverted HO scale rail would certainly boggle a bunch! I do find it intriguing tho'.
thanks for all your comments.
Martin | |
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SandyR
Near Lake Ontario in NY
Brakeman
Posts:89
Send Message
| | 08/16/2008 8:14 PM |
| I'm all for innovation, so keep up the good work with plastic rail! Is it possible to install the copper strips used for the copper foil stained glass technique on the lastic rail? If so, how long would it last?
SandyR | | | |
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Zonk
Brakeman
Posts:53
Send Message
| | 08/16/2008 9:30 PM |
| hey guys i reckon you could always learn something from this....
http://www.epsplasticlumber.com/livesteam.shtml
Matt | | | |
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Dan Pierce
1st Class Member
South Eastern MA, USA
Foreman
Posts:313
Send Message
| | 08/17/2008 4:53 AM |
| | Plastic R1 switches are made by playmobil and there are adapters available for these to code 332 rail. | | | |
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TonyWalsham
Melbourne Vic Australia
Foreman
Posts:295
Send Message
| | 08/17/2008 7:39 AM |
| Dan.
I think weatherproof plastic track would be a great idea.
I can't see on the Playmobil website whether their plastic track is UV stable or not. Do you have any idea if the Playmobil track would be so? | |
Best wishes,
Tony Walsham
Remote Control Systems. www.rcs-rc.com/
Evolution Radio Control. www.evo-rc.net/
The primary problems of the planet arise not from the poor, for whom education is the answer. They arise from the well educated - for whom self interest is the problem. William Sloane Coffin. | |
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NTCGRR
1st Class Member
Nebraska City NE
Conductor
Posts:833
Send Message
| | 08/17/2008 10:11 AM |
| what was the questions?
I'm for concrete ties, but plastic rail I'd like to test some for couple of years first. | |
 Marty Cozad
North Table Creek GRR
Nebraska City, NE
Is it "REAL" or just 1:29 th | |
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Martino
Midwest boy now in Texas
Posts:9
Send Message
| | 08/17/2008 6:35 PM |
| Sandy, I have no answer on how long the plastic rail will last outside. The first run samples were for indoor display use. So my next run will contain a UV additive. I recall my first use of my older Aristo plastic ties outside in the Texas heat lasted about 4 years. Aristo and others have improved on that over the years. So without a timed trial period yet, I can not give you a longevity response.
Matt, That is a great link on the plastic infrastructure roadbed. I think I have seen bits and pieces in one place or another. The website is much more detailed. There are a lot of innovative guys out there trying new things with new materials. I like that. That's how we share and learn new ways.
Dan, Plastic Playmobile switches? Can't say I've seen them or used them and seriously doubt they contain a UV protect additive. I have never heard anybody claim to have used them outdoors.
As for the idea of using copper tape for leading stained glass, funny you should mention that. At the HAGRS show I put a two foot section of test plastic rail in our module set up with the copper tape. We ran USA's 25 pound Hudson on it for 2 days. It worked, but took a beating. I removed it before complete failure. There were 2 problems we had with the copper tape that I used. First, it was too soft. The engine scuffed it quite a bit. Maybe a harder grade can be had. Second. The only width available wasn't wide enough to give me the surface I needed to solder to on the backside of the rail. So my solder points were located where either the flanges or wheels pounded it. It was an acid test. The copper tape has some merit, but I'm not convinced its the answer in the fashion I tested it. I am also using it for yard storage where there is minimal wear. Oh, keep in mind, the Mesa Grande is an INDOOR exhibit, not outdoor. Nor have I had it in use long enough for the copper to oxidize, I'm waiting to see how long it takes for that to occur.
R&D continues
Thanks guys, keep the comments coming! | |
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Les
1st Class Member
Florissant, Missouri
Foreman
Posts:225
Send Message
| | 08/17/2008 7:58 PM |
| Posted By Martino on 08/14/2008 7:06 PM
Wow!
This is all much easier said than done.
Currently its all experimental.
For the time being I am afraid all I will work on is code 332. Sorry guys who wish for the other sizes.
For the time being, no switches either, sorry again. Even I want the switches!!!
But before anymore comes about, I have to settle on a durable rail and tie.
Only then will the engineering of conductivity come next.
Yup, inverted HO scale rail would certainly boggle a bunch! I do find it intriguing tho'.
thanks for all your comments.
Martin
I forgot to mark the 'mail' box on this thread and am again late to the party. I will run indoors, so UV is irrelevant to me as are ties. I'd make my own, most likely, unless they were cheap to buy. I'm already planning on stub switches--my layout is a special case, early--so switches don't mean that much. I'm assuming your track will be flexible to some degree.
The guys who mentioned 100' rolls/coils with a section on top to insert HO rail had excellent ideas. I have no idea if N would work or be cheaper, but all one needs is the conductive property, little matter how it is arrived at.
I really think you're onto a winner of an idea if you can bring it off and want to offer all the encouragement possible.
Les W. | | | |
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lownote
1st Class Member
Arlington VA
Conductor
Posts:555
Send Message
| | 08/18/2008 7:34 PM |
| I think this is a great idea--plastic rail would have been perfect for my train shed, which is mostly for storage of cars. But if it could be made to conduct, that'd be great. It would be really nice to have an alternative to the high price of track.You could maybe insert HO flex track upside down into the plastic track head, increase the contact area--that might work. joiners would be tough. I'd buy some non conductive even though I use track power, and put it in my storage yard.
I think it's an intriguing idea. | |
Evading the Midas touch of expertise
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/magic/westover/ | |
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Dwight Ennis
Moderator
Milpitas, CA
Engineer
Posts:1466
Send Message
| | 08/18/2008 8:01 PM |
| This thread has been "sanitized." Keep the politics and discourtesy out of it or I'll shut it down. A couple of you guys participating should already know better.  | |
Dwight Ennis
Milpitas, CA
SA #21
http://www.SantaCruzLumberCo.com
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Martino
Midwest boy now in Texas
Posts:9
Send Message
| | 08/19/2008 7:17 AM |
| Thank you Dwight,
I haven't participated in blogs too much and guess I took petty comments to serious to defend.
I have also removed the signature and avatars due to size complaints. How they work is also a small mystery to me.
So, I just keep it down to text only.
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Jerry Barnes
1st Class Member
Lexington, NE
Conductor
Posts:975
Send Message
| | 08/19/2008 9:30 AM |
| | Good job Dwight! Jerry | |
Life is too short to take seriously. | |
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