CME & Bottlewasher
Guest
Hi all
An anomalous encounter with a certain manufacturer's flexi track hasinspired made me put pen to paper, so to speak.
I had started to lay the track - outdoors - for Down Ampney (in the cooler evenings).
Quite a milestone after all of the other trials and tribulations and indeed in general (I hadn't put down any 'mainline' track for a few years). Anyway all went well, nice compound curves laid, with radii between 5' 6" and 6' 6", using the MK1 eyeball and a mirror, then backed up with track setters etc. I also left room for expansion on the track joints and all looked really good, stock ran well through it all - great!
Then last evening a problem became apparent. I had noticed that the 'chairs' weren't holding the rails as well as I had expected and some had stress - 'witness' - marks and some had broken, some may be thinking at this stage '....ah must be the heat...' but no no not the case, or so it seems .
I had used the same manufacturer's track (1 yard) as a test piece outdoors (for various 'experiments') and that was not affected - and still isnt - through snow, frost, and heat etc...
When I looked closer I noted - I had seen such before yet it didn't occur at the time that something was different - that this new box of track had lighter coloured brown/grey sleepers which had almost a matt finish (sorry it wont photograph all that well).
Most of this manufacturers' track is dark brown and shiny - all of such being made from UV resistant polypropylene (or similar).
In fact on the H&BLR, which uses the SM32 version of this manufacturer's track, the track is 11 years old now with no problems (the sleepers have matted down in the weather, yet still tough and resilient). I also know of others who use, as have I, the 7mm FS version and have had such down for 20 years or more, with no problems ....
BTW I will open the other two boxes of track that I have and see if they are dark brown and shiny or not.
Sadly when I take the track up - I cant risk leaving it outdoors now/for peace of mind etc. - some of it will get damaged, I hope however to use, what is salvageable, inside.
It all makes me wonder, is this a 'faulty' batch, or was it an experiment, in cost down (cost cutting), on the part of the manufacturer - with any problems not really coming to the fore as most customers will have used such indoors with a myriad of different fixing methods including ballasting (whereas we have to just rely on track pins) - and in addition no further damage from the elements/UV.
I then remembered that I had read that one or two garden railway bods had a similar problems and had switched to the more expensive C&L flexi-track...
I usually champion consumer rights and yet this time I shall, I believe, just have to walk away as I can not really log a formalised complaint (as I am confused as to why this has happened ). I expect that the heat has made the matter worse/sped the problems up, yet shouldn't as the track is designed for outdoor use, and the fact that we are just relying upon track pins to affix such too has also highlighted the problem.
Suffice to say, along with the timber/ply issue, I am now contemplating giving up the hobby as such holds little pleasure for me at the moment - time will tell ...
Anyway my advice to anyone purchasing OCEP track, is to look in the box before handing over any cash and check that the sleepers are a nice dark brown and very shiny!
Kind regards,
CME
An anomalous encounter with a certain manufacturer's flexi track has
I had started to lay the track - outdoors - for Down Ampney (in the cooler evenings).
Quite a milestone after all of the other trials and tribulations and indeed in general (I hadn't put down any 'mainline' track for a few years). Anyway all went well, nice compound curves laid, with radii between 5' 6" and 6' 6", using the MK1 eyeball and a mirror, then backed up with track setters etc. I also left room for expansion on the track joints and all looked really good, stock ran well through it all - great!
Then last evening a problem became apparent. I had noticed that the 'chairs' weren't holding the rails as well as I had expected and some had stress - 'witness' - marks and some had broken, some may be thinking at this stage '....ah must be the heat...' but no no not the case, or so it seems .
I had used the same manufacturer's track (1 yard) as a test piece outdoors (for various 'experiments') and that was not affected - and still isnt - through snow, frost, and heat etc...
When I looked closer I noted - I had seen such before yet it didn't occur at the time that something was different - that this new box of track had lighter coloured brown/grey sleepers which had almost a matt finish (sorry it wont photograph all that well).
Most of this manufacturers' track is dark brown and shiny - all of such being made from UV resistant polypropylene (or similar).
In fact on the H&BLR, which uses the SM32 version of this manufacturer's track, the track is 11 years old now with no problems (the sleepers have matted down in the weather, yet still tough and resilient). I also know of others who use, as have I, the 7mm FS version and have had such down for 20 years or more, with no problems ....
BTW I will open the other two boxes of track that I have and see if they are dark brown and shiny or not.
Sadly when I take the track up - I cant risk leaving it outdoors now/for peace of mind etc. - some of it will get damaged, I hope however to use, what is salvageable, inside.
It all makes me wonder, is this a 'faulty' batch, or was it an experiment, in cost down (cost cutting), on the part of the manufacturer - with any problems not really coming to the fore as most customers will have used such indoors with a myriad of different fixing methods including ballasting (whereas we have to just rely on track pins) - and in addition no further damage from the elements/UV.
I then remembered that I had read that one or two garden railway bods had a similar problems and had switched to the more expensive C&L flexi-track...
I usually champion consumer rights and yet this time I shall, I believe, just have to walk away as I can not really log a formalised complaint (as I am confused as to why this has happened ). I expect that the heat has made the matter worse/sped the problems up, yet shouldn't as the track is designed for outdoor use, and the fact that we are just relying upon track pins to affix such too has also highlighted the problem.
Suffice to say, along with the timber/ply issue, I am now contemplating giving up the hobby as such holds little pleasure for me at the moment - time will tell ...
Anyway my advice to anyone purchasing OCEP track, is to look in the box before handing over any cash and check that the sleepers are a nice dark brown and very shiny!
Kind regards,
CME