7mm Along the lines of an U.S. O Scale loft layout... (previously 'making U.S. track & switches')
- Thread starter Dog Star
- Start date
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
A bit. I have cut the ties to suit the template for this switch. Some are pcb strip for good measure, so yes in fact I will be doing a bit of comedy soldering. The rest of the ties are wood. The 'proper' method in the US seems to involve a wood called 'sugar pine'. What's wrong with McDonalds coffee stirrers is what I want to know??!!??
They're the right width (5mm), the same thickness as the pcb, & best of all free if you don't take far too many at once
Being thin means less ballast will be required too. Cheapskate, moi??
I'm also cleaning up salvaged code100 rail, & have to get to grips with the cast point blades & the tie plates....
Hand laying track does make you think about just exactly how much track - or how little - you really need. Very prototypical !!!
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
You always were a stirrer..... 
Sorry mate you throw 'em up, I'll bat 'em.....
I'm ok for stirrers anyway, it doesn't take many for a turnout, I also have a load of balsa sheets to cut up & suitably abuse for the really rough parts of the line.....
Sorry mate you throw 'em up, I'll bat 'em.....
I'm ok for stirrers anyway, it doesn't take many for a turnout, I also have a load of balsa sheets to cut up & suitably abuse for the really rough parts of the line.....
Osgood
Western Thunderer
The insert must be the tapered piece between the two rails with the raised letters / numbers on top - note the square head of a clamping bolt half buried in the ballast.
But Mn would only normally be used where high impact / abrasion is likely. So I would expect the outer raised wings i.e. the main casting to be Mn, not just this centre piece?
Tony ( who's patio umbrella is weighted down with old crusher swing hammers made of high Mn steel......).
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Having 'aquired' a rather sunstantial amount of these at the weekendThe rest of the ties are wood. The 'proper' method in the US seems to involve a wood called 'sugar pine'. What's wrong with McDonalds coffee stirrers is what I want to know??!!??
They're the right width (5mm), the same thickness as the pcb, & best of all free if you don't take far too many at once
I found with some concern that they are a smaller depth and width than the pre cut sleepers I already have from a well known supplier. I'm going to guess that coffee stirrers are only fit for 1:48 scale US layouts and not S7 UK 
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
Highly likely I'm afraid Mickoo.... I have a feeling that US ties are narrower (as in width, not length) than UK sleepers anyway? They're certainly spaced closer together in the US as well.
Dog Star
Western Thunderer
Maybe those of us who are travelling to Telford on the Saturday can stop off at a Starbucks / Cafe Nero / Little Chef / Macky-Dee (the BBC insists that other refreshment facilities are available) and collect a handful of wooden coffee stirrers... and then present the bounty to Jordan at the lunchtime meet.
Jordan, please remember to write a report for "Armchair Modellers" on the delights of sorting coffee stirrers by width and thickness... maybe even a piece for the eggspurts on selecting used sticks for the pre-stained effect.
regards, Graham
Jordan, please remember to write a report for "Armchair Modellers" on the delights of sorting coffee stirrers by width and thickness... maybe even a piece for the eggspurts on selecting used sticks for the pre-stained effect.
regards, Graham
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
I would say the armchair brigade won't have a clue what to use them for. They don't ever look beyond what comes from the Devonian Emporium, surely.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Mickoo said:
For US layouts you would ideally you want coffee stirrers with cross sections which scale at 7"x9" or 8"x10" for mainline and 6"x8" for industrial & light use siding crossties.
Mainline crossties are generally 7"x9" or 8"x10" x 8'6"
Industrial and light use sidings crossties are generally 6"x8" x 8'6"
David
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
As most of my track will be buried in ballast, weeds, roadway & grot, the depth of the ties is immaterial...
I've hit a slight snag almost at the off, in that the set of point blades I ordered for Code 100, seem to be closer to Code 125 in height, & there isn't much option to file them down. For my Code 100 switch it looks like I'm going to have to use plain old Code 100 rail for the point blades, & detail it as best as possible. The cast blades, being shorter than the actual sets of Code 125 blades I got, will come in handy for a curved Code 125 switch. Every cloud, etc......
I've hit a slight snag almost at the off, in that the set of point blades I ordered for Code 100, seem to be closer to Code 125 in height, & there isn't much option to file them down. For my Code 100 switch it looks like I'm going to have to use plain old Code 100 rail for the point blades, & detail it as best as possible. The cast blades, being shorter than the actual sets of Code 125 blades I got, will come in handy for a curved Code 125 switch. Every cloud, etc......
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
Still making slow progress... but here's something worth a picture...
My Code 100, Self-guarding Frog Switch, drying in the sunshine with a coat of 'sleeper grime'.
This is sort of a 'carcass' version; just a few PCB ties hold it all together; the rest will be coffee stirrers and spikes.
the two rails that meet the frog will be laid when the rest of the track is - no point (no pun intended, really!! ) in fitting two short bits first.
The "wrong way" frog still baffles my eyes, at times....
My Code 100, Self-guarding Frog Switch, drying in the sunshine with a coat of 'sleeper grime'.
This is sort of a 'carcass' version; just a few PCB ties hold it all together; the rest will be coffee stirrers and spikes.
the two rails that meet the frog will be laid when the rest of the track is - no point (no pun intended, really!!
) in fitting two short bits first.The "wrong way" frog still baffles my eyes, at times....
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Dog Star
Western Thunderer
Sleeper Grime?
Come now, that is surely a "colour" from Phoenix /Precision etc. hence for use on railways from this side of the pond.
As a true Dark Side follower then you ought to be using an equivalent from the Floquil range... sorry, no shade card to hand so I cannot offer a colour with an American Flavour. Maybe another WT-er will be along with a suggestion and a possible supplier?
regards, graham
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
You tried actually getting hold of any Floquill paints this side of the Pond??!!??
Even more so now they've ceased production..??????
This is only a first coat, but paints will be whatever I can get anyway...
Even more so now they've ceased production..??????
This is only a first coat, but paints will be whatever I can get anyway...
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
Long time no Update Looks like I had a clean up of my Photobucket account too; some of my pics are no longer here.
Ah well, here's a bit more US track mischief from Muggins...
First a bit of back-story. Over the past few years I had been building a combined HO/OO layout up in my loft, to run both my US-outline HO stuff, & my lad's OO stock on. There's an old Thread about it here somewhere. As he's grown, he's moved to N Scale, and I wanted to concentrate on O; trying to model in two scales meant I accomplished less in either. So once all the HO & OO was sold off, up came all the track. This O scale layout is built on the same boards, and you can see some of the mortal remains of the HO/OO in some of the following pictures.
Overall size is 17ft by 8ft. Curves are tight of necessity (more of which in a bit), and I admit I would not contemplate a British O layout in this space, due to problems with scale couplers & buffer locking.
But we're not modelling British trains here, are we...??
The part I call the Industrial Branch is laid with Code 100 rail (salvaged from the HO/OO layout!). the Main line (which will basically be a roundy-roundy oval) will be Code 125.
First a look down the Industrial branch. Track uses Peco track spikes, thin card tie plates, and coffee stirrers for ties. The Main line will pass to the left, where all the clutter is now
It's more or less just a long Inglenook; just two turnouts and 3 spurs. First spur will have a Chemicals Distributor and Food Processors, the further spurs (below) will be a Team Track & Distribution Warehouse on the right.
Mmmm.... rickety track....
The turnouts are all #6 (apart from the curved one), hand-built over printed FastTracks plans, soldered to a 'skeleton' of a few copper-clad ties for strength. The two on the Branch have my home-made "Self Guarding" Frogs. I have NOT forgotten to fit wing or guard rails!!!
Curves, as I said, are tight - about 3ft radius or so. From above, they look very silly...
... but the layout is mounted quite high up, so the natural view is more-or-less at eye level, and the view then isn't so bad.
The abandoned Elevator in the background is HO scale; an experiment with perspective modelling.
The branch curves around and meets the Main. You'll really have to use your imaginations here - the main will also have a siding (passing loop in English) to the left here, so trains can be interchanged. It's a simple arrangement, but in America, you don't need complex track plans to make for interesting and realistic operations...
In the foreground, the start of laying the Main itself can be seen. This track will look a lot neater than the branch, to further emphasise the difference!
The turnout here is Code 125, and uses Right-O-Way parts.
Cast Frog and Guard rails (extra bolts, & tie plates from Grandt Line)
Cast switch rails and Brace Plates (Caboose Industries ground throw - the N Scale version!!)
Cast Transition Joint Bars for Code 100 to Code 125 rail join, from American Switch & Signal
The one turnout for the siding off the main has to be a curved one. I made it off a blown-up copy of an HO switch plan, as such tight radius (4ft outer, 3ft inner) plans aren't available in O scale! The frog is another home-made concoction, this time representing a Rail Bound (manganese insert) Frog. I used a few more copper-clad ties than usual on this turnout to make sure it stays in shape!
So, there you go... that's the misguided nonsense I've been up to for the last few months, hopefully guaranteed to give serious track laying enthusiasts sleepless nights
Hope you like it, anyway.
Looks like I had a clean up of my Photobucket account too; some of my pics are no longer here.Ah well, here's a bit more US track mischief from Muggins...
First a bit of back-story. Over the past few years I had been building a combined HO/OO layout up in my loft, to run both my US-outline HO stuff, & my lad's OO stock on. There's an old Thread about it here somewhere. As he's grown, he's moved to N Scale, and I wanted to concentrate on O; trying to model in two scales meant I accomplished less in either. So once all the HO & OO was sold off, up came all the track. This O scale layout is built on the same boards, and you can see some of the mortal remains of the HO/OO in some of the following pictures.
Overall size is 17ft by 8ft. Curves are tight of necessity (more of which in a bit), and I admit I would not contemplate a British O layout in this space, due to problems with scale couplers & buffer locking.
But we're not modelling British trains here, are we...??
The part I call the Industrial Branch is laid with Code 100 rail (salvaged from the HO/OO layout!). the Main line (which will basically be a roundy-roundy oval) will be Code 125.
First a look down the Industrial branch. Track uses Peco track spikes, thin card tie plates, and coffee stirrers for ties. The Main line will pass to the left, where all the clutter is now
It's more or less just a long Inglenook; just two turnouts and 3 spurs. First spur will have a Chemicals Distributor and Food Processors, the further spurs (below) will be a Team Track & Distribution Warehouse on the right.
Mmmm.... rickety track....
The turnouts are all #6 (apart from the curved one), hand-built over printed FastTracks plans, soldered to a 'skeleton' of a few copper-clad ties for strength. The two on the Branch have my home-made "Self Guarding" Frogs. I have NOT forgotten to fit wing or guard rails!!!
Curves, as I said, are tight - about 3ft radius or so. From above, they look very silly...
... but the layout is mounted quite high up, so the natural view is more-or-less at eye level, and the view then isn't so bad.
The abandoned Elevator in the background is HO scale; an experiment with perspective modelling.
The branch curves around and meets the Main. You'll really have to use your imaginations here - the main will also have a siding (passing loop in English) to the left here, so trains can be interchanged. It's a simple arrangement, but in America, you don't need complex track plans to make for interesting and realistic operations...
In the foreground, the start of laying the Main itself can be seen. This track will look a lot neater than the branch, to further emphasise the difference!
The turnout here is Code 125, and uses Right-O-Way parts.
Cast Frog and Guard rails (extra bolts, & tie plates from Grandt Line)
Cast switch rails and Brace Plates (Caboose Industries ground throw - the N Scale version!!)
Cast Transition Joint Bars for Code 100 to Code 125 rail join, from American Switch & Signal
The one turnout for the siding off the main has to be a curved one. I made it off a blown-up copy of an HO switch plan, as such tight radius (4ft outer, 3ft inner) plans aren't available in O scale! The frog is another home-made concoction, this time representing a Rail Bound (manganese insert) Frog. I used a few more copper-clad ties than usual on this turnout to make sure it stays in shape!
So, there you go... that's the misguided nonsense I've been up to for the last few months, hopefully guaranteed to give serious track laying enthusiasts sleepless nights
Hope you like it, anyway.
Dog Star
Western Thunderer
Like it? Sure do, keep on posting about the Dark Side
."not modelling British...???" - and why not? Your trackwork looks spot on for an abandonded part of "The Potteries" somewhere in the Celtic part of Wales. All you need now is some Cambrian stock... and a few sheep.
Great pity about the photo tidy up for the absence of images rather mucks up the discussion and education of earlier posts. Any chance of restoring those photos?
regards, Graham
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Look the part
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
Thanks everyone for the comments and 'likes'.
Flat bottom rail, tie plates & spikes instead of cast chairs, etc etc. Can't see the Purists approving!!
...and the sheep there are called Scraggies.
Well I do model British - a little bit; just not on this layout, due to the sharp curves, as I said
Are you sure??
Flat bottom rail, tie plates & spikes instead of cast chairs, etc etc. Can't see the Purists approving!!Sheep? Ah, I assume "Cambrian" is a spelling mistake - it should be spelt "F-O-R-E-S-T O-F D-E-A-N".
...and the sheep there are called Scraggies. Done.
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