7mm Along the lines of an U.S. O Scale loft layout... (previously 'making U.S. track & switches')

JimG

JimG

Western Thunderer
Jordan said:
The Peco IL-13 spikes are a bit large to my mind, I used them early on for my spurs and they look almost like chaired rail to me!! I changed to Peco SL-14 track pins. Nice thin spike, of course the head is round, but no more 'wrong' than the head of the IL-14
Not sure if they're very visible in this photo, but the rear tracks (code 100) use IL-13 spikes with brown card tie plates, the front track (code 125) uses the SL-13.
Click to expand...
There's always Andy Reichert's etched spikes from his Proto 87 Store

www.proto87.com

Spikes Scale HO

Love This : Spikes Scale HO
www.proto87.com

There are dimensions of the six sizes at the bottom of the web page.

I used the intermediate 0/S spike on my S scale switching layout a few years ago.

Jim.
 
mickoo

mickoo

Western Thunderer
JimG said:
There's always Andy Reichert's etched spikes from his Proto 87 Store

www.proto87.com

Spikes Scale HO

Love This : Spikes Scale HO
www.proto87.com

There are dimensions of the six sizes at the bottom of the web page.

I used the intermediate 0/S spike on my S scale switching layout a few years ago.

Jim.
Click to expand...
I did a bit of digging around this afternoon and several folks recommend them as well as the ME ones Dave notes, the problem as always with these is getting them cost effectively in the UK.

I have to confess both Proto 87 and Twin Star Cars are etched and I'm struggling to see a reason not to do the same to be honest, I do after all have two/three (need to dig them out to be sure) real spikes to measure, it'll be down to cost/effort/frustration about lack of supplies at the end of the day I suspect.

Addendum, just had chance to check out EDM, both the small and micro are out of stock, same old story it seems, decent spikes are hard to get hold of.
 
Last edited:
JimG

JimG

Western Thunderer
mickoo said:
I did a bit of digging around this afternoon and several folks recommend them as well as the ME ones Dave notes, the problem as always with these is getting them cost effectively in the UK.
Click to expand...

Mick,

I got my Proto 87 spikes direct from Andy Reichert in the States. I had two orders from him and they both came quite quickly and at a fairly reasonable postage charge.

Jim.
 
mickoo

mickoo

Western Thunderer
JimG said:
Mick,

I got my Proto 87 spikes direct from Andy Reichert in the States. I had two orders from him and they both came quite quickly and at a fairly reasonable postage charge.

Jim.
Click to expand...
Jim, appreciated, I'll probably get a pack just to see what they're like.

I've been trawling a US FB page on O gauge track work (as well as a lot of other forums and web pages), lots of excellent work going on but the spike wars rage forever, I kind of think there may be 'too' many choices as the number of opinions is exponential to the available choices.

To be fair one guy was cutting up staples, once fitted and painted you couldn't tell them apart from Proto-87 spikes, well I couldn't anyway ;)

The Karlgarin Hi nickel silver rail code 125 looks good :thumbs:
 
Brian McKenzie

Brian McKenzie

Western Thunderer
Photo shows one of the larger size spikes from Andy Reichert's Proto87 Stores. Cleverly, they have a slightly bulbous end to resist lifting (10 thou material thickness).
IMG_1610 Proto87 etched spike sample.jpg
 
Last edited:
JimG

JimG

Western Thunderer
Mudhen said:
I'm intrigued as to how do you drive these etched spikes into the sleeper.
Click to expand...
In my case I was using CNC cut plywood ties so there was no way that I could drive the Proto 87 spikes through them without some help. If I remember correctly, the spikes were 0.6mm across so I used a 0.5mm drill to make a pilot hole then the spike could be "driven" in fairly easily with just enough interference to keep it in place. The spike driving tool was a small pair of smooth jawed snipe pliers. Not a quick operation, but not too much of a problem with a small-ish switching layout.

Jim.
 
richard carr

richard carr

Western Thunderer
You can buy spiking pliers that have a groove cut in the tip so you can hold the head of the spike and this easily drives into a cross tie (sleeper in english), my problem is that it will not go into MDF, it is too tough.

I also need to make a jig for laying out the sleepers, you can buy them from Handlaidtrack.com but I will ask my friendly australian modeller on this forum to laser cut them for me.

Richard
 
Jordan

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
I took these photos during my 'Golden Spike' ceremony, although I had to make do with a brass painted spike. :oops:
Just a pair of curved nose serrated pliers did the job for me. I did NOT - despite the rumours - use a whacking great lump hammer!! :rolleyes: :))
My spikes had to contend with a variety of surfaces to push through; mdf, hardboard, balsa, even polyfiller in places, plus of course the coffee stirrers.
20200320_210803.jpg

20200320_210811.jpg
 
mickoo

mickoo

Western Thunderer
For the real anoraks, here's UP's official spike patterns for their tracks, it's quite modern but other than the double shouldered 8 hole tie plates I suspect much is applicable back to the 60's.

For reference, field side is the outside of the track, I.E toward the cess or other running rails, gage (gauge!) is between the rails. Each pattern shows the most common four types of tie plate in use but the most ones I've seen in real life and in photos are the top left 6 hole and bottom right 4 hole. The 8 holes ones I'm presuming are for heavy main lines and most of those that I've seen have gone over to concrete ties and Pandrols.

UP Spike pattern.jpg

A few days back there was some discussion about industrial leads being on a grade, UP has a preferred set of parameters for that too.

Industrial leads.jpg
 
Last edited:
Jordan

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
richard carr said:
Jordan

So were you able to just push yours into MDF ?

Richard
Click to expand...
It took a bit of force, but yes they went in, so long as I pushed 'straight'. Pushing at an angle would bend the spike. The SL-14 pins were easier as they are sharper and thinner than the IL-13 which are a square profile, but unfortunately due to how the top is bent, they go in diagonal to the rail.
 
richard carr

richard carr

Western Thunderer
mickoo said:
For the real anoraks, here's UP's official spike patterns for their tracks, it's quite modern but other than the double shouldered 8 hole tie plates I suspect much is applicable back to the 60's.

For reference, field side is the outside of the track, I.E toward the cess or other running rails, gage (gauge!) is between the rails. Each pattern shows the most common four types of tie plate in use but the most ones I've seen in real life and in photos are the top left 6 hole and bottom right 4 hole. The 8 holes ones I'm presuming are for heavy main lines and most of those that I've seen have gone over to concrete ties and Pandrols.

View attachment 160622

A few days back there was some discussion about industrial leads being on a grade, UP has a preferred set of parameters for that too.

View attachment 160623
Click to expand...

Mick

This is really useful, I hope everyone notes that the minimum point size is a number 11 on the mainline !
And then a minimum of a number 7 for sidings, how are we all going to manage that.

Richard
 
Jordan

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
Found this nice relaxing video on YouTube of a South Dakota Short Line.
My kind of railroading - plenty of wide open spaces, big blue skies (once the sun rises!), trains not going far or fast, some Jordan track, and a Heritage train - with a "re-enactment" the likes of which you'll never, ever see on a British Preserved Line!! :)) Enjoy....

 
mickoo

mickoo

Western Thunderer
richard carr said:
Mick

This is really useful, I hope everyone notes that the minimum point size is a number 11 on the mainline !
And then a minimum of a number 7 for sidings, how are we all going to manage that.

Richard
Click to expand...
We're not :p I suspect the #11 on the main may be down to the steep grade off the switch.

Both BNSF and UP standards do not give reference drawings for switches below #6, mind both those documents are modern (year 2000 ish) and probably reflect the longer modern stock in use.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
What's New?
Top