Re: Hand laid track suplyes

[Sam Evans]

Things you might find useful are roller gauges for making switches and a
T gauge for curved track.  The latter puts an easment into the gauge on
curves, a larger one the more sharply the track is curved.  If you want
I can e mail drawings

Sam E 

"David M. Cole" wrote:
> 
> At 9:46 AM +0100 4/20/01, Kevin Strong wrote:
> >NOTE*** There are some tricks one needs to be aware of before heading
> >out into the garden with these products, which will help tracklaying go
> >that much easier. But, they are another sermon for another time.
> 
> rev up that sermon, rev ... i've got a big box of ties, a big tube of
> track and a big backyard just sitting there ...
> 
> \dmc
> 
> --
> ^^^
> Dave Cole
> Gen'l Sup't:  Grand Teton & Everglades Steam Excursion Co.
>Pacifica, Calif. USA  
> List Mom: sslivesteam, the list of small-scale live steamers
>
> Editor:   TRELLIS & TRESTLE, the newsletter of the
>Bay Area Garden Railway Society 
>
> Webconductor: Pacific Coast Live Steamers 
>
> ^^^ 

RE: Hand laid track suplyes

[Susan Parker]

Hi Dave,

Many thanks (*smile*).

Best wishes,
Susan.

 
 

RE: Hand laid track suplyes

[David M. Cole]

At 9:11 PM +0100 4/20/01, Susan Parker wrote:
>Do C&OC have email/web site?

[EMAIL PROTECTED]

+1-541-582-4104

\dmc

-- 
^^^
Dave Cole
Gen'l Sup't:  Grand Teton & Everglades Steam Excursion Co.
   Pacifica, Calif. USA  
List Mom: sslivesteam, the list of small-scale live steamers
   
Editor:   TRELLIS & TRESTLE, the newsletter of the
   Bay Area Garden Railway Society 
   
Webconductor: Pacific Coast Live Steamers 
   
^^^ 

RE: Hand laid track suplyes

[Susan Parker]

Hi Gary,

Do C&OC have email/web site? 

... or do you have a non 800 number as we can't call toll free from England.

Many thanks.

Best wishes,
Susan.

P.S.
I'm back - computer repaired and returned at last.
S.

Message Number: 9
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 09:34:40 -0700
From: "Gary Broeder" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Hand laid track suplyes

While there are  suppliers out there that have a fair amount of goods I
would recommend a call to  C&OC in OR ( 800-866-8635) as they have a good
stock of rail in aluminum or nickel silver from code 215 to 332, many
different lengths of spikes,  tie plates, frogs and points, roller and 3
point gauges, turnout kits, however they no longer supply wood ties.

GaryB

 
 

Re: Hand laid track suplyes

[Kevin Strong]

Okay, okay...

Geez, It's 50 degrees outside, and I'm in here on the computer! What a
world!!! (For all you Californians, we here in the Northeast consider 50
degrees "springtime.")

Anyway... Since my outdoor activities involve replacing about 4' of
track where the aforementioned tree branch fell over the winter, I guess
I should get my mind in gear.

So, you have a box of Llagas Creek tiestrips (the 1:20.3 variety, from
my experience) and some rail. (I use code 250) There's a small problem
with this combination; the base of the rails are a very snug fit in the
tiestrips. This is because the tiestrips were originally designed for
the code 215 rail, and Gary had to have a new profile code 250 rolled,
so it too could fit. (We folks who lay our track on the ground are a
peculiar lot - seems we want to be able to walk on our track, or at
least have it survive the occasional misplaced foot.) So, given this
rather unique scenario, there are some steps you should take to make
this task as painless as possible.

1) Do not paint your rail beforehand. You will enevitably scratch all
the paint off of the base of the rail while laying it, making you have
to go back and repaint anyway. May as well do it once it's down. (Pain,
yes, but doable.) - Also - don't use Floquil paints outdoors. They are
NOT UV stabilized, and the "rail brown" turns to "moss green" in short order.

2) Cut the tiestrips into two-tie segments. Because the clearance
between the spikes and the base of the rail is so tight, the strips bind
really easily when being pushed down the rail. You can control two ties
with your fingers very easily, and eliminate any binding that may occur.

3) Keep a spray bottle of soap/water handy to help the tie strips slide
easily. (You can keep a bottle of something else handy, also. That will
keep you well oiled.)

Now, for the actual laying of the track...

I stagger my railjoints, so all my track is laid on the ground where it
is going to be. The first thing I do is to file the edges off the end of
the base of the track. A mild taper will do, just enough so it guides
itself into the tiestrips. (A small jeweler's file will do fine.)

Always string the tiestrips onto the rail, as opposed to trying to
thread the rail through the tiestrips. (You'll get what I mean.) 

I start by stringing tiestrips halfway down the length of the rail. I
then take the slide the strips down the rest of the length of the rail,
threading them on the second rail, which is already down. 

(Bad "ASCII art" time)

I I I I I I I I I   I I >>   I I >> I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  ---
I I I I I I I I I   I I  I II I I I I I I I I I I I I
I I I I I I I I I   I I  I II I I I I I I I I I I I I
 
I I I I I I I I I   I I  I II I I I I I I I I I I I I


Tie strips on one rail  Slide them down   Finished track


I forget offhand how many ties there are per foot, but that shouldn't be
too hard to figure out. This isn't absolutely necessary, but it will
give you a ballpark figure so you know when to stop adding tiestrips.

Now, if you're fastening your track to a base, you can do so once you
have the strips on both rails. If you're in colder climates, and prefer
to float your track, then you will want to sandbag your track as you
work on it to keep it from moving as you're adding ties to the rail.
Aluminum rail, especially, is light, and likes to bend. The less of that
you can have, the happier you will be.

One last tip - the two tie sections will have a web connecting the ties
together. String this side onto the first rail. It will make your life a
lot easier. 

This process isn't exactly a model of speed or efficiency. It takes me
about 15 minutes to put down 6' of track. It is, however, the easiest
way I've found to put the track down in the garden.

If you're building track on a raised steam-up track, then you may find
it easier to work with the strips. A wood table against which to work
the tie strips may be a lot easier to deal with. Experiment, play, and
if you get frustrated, pull out a steamer, and run it on what you have
down already. It will get your sap rising to finish the job in short order.

Later,

K 

Re: Hand laid track suplyes

[David M. Cole]

At 11:39 AM +0100 4/20/01, Kevin Strong wrote:
>If you're building track on a raised steam-up track, then you may find
>it easier to work with the strips. A wood table against which to work
>the tie strips may be a lot easier to deal with. Experiment, play, and
>if you get frustrated, pull out a steamer, and run it on what you have
>down already. It will get your sap rising to finish the job in short order.

Thanks for the tutorial.

Interestingly, all the things that make it easier will be here ... 
raised track, 215 rail ...

I've just about finished the engineering on the raised part of the 
track -- modifying ideas from Kevin O'Connor, Mike Martin, Tony 
Dixon, even Gary Broeder -- and hope to get started on the steamup 
bay in the next few weeks. Still hard at work converting a corner of 
the garage into a workshop.

Again, thanks.

\dmc

ps: oh, and it's 50 degrees here in calif and it's *cold* ;-) ...
-- 
^^^
Dave Cole
Gen'l Sup't:  Grand Teton & Everglades Steam Excursion Co.
   Pacifica, Calif. USA  
List Mom: sslivesteam, the list of small-scale live steamers
   
Editor:   TRELLIS & TRESTLE, the newsletter of the
   Bay Area Garden Railway Society 
   
Webconductor: Pacific Coast Live Steamers 
   
^^^ 

RE: Hand laid track suplyes

[Shyvers, Steve]

Dave,

Does your "a big tube of track" come in a tube like liquid nails or bathtub
caulking? That would sure take some of the hassle out of track laying, like
figuring out how to use a rail bender. 

I bet the instructions read: "Apply a single thin bead of track for
shortlines, or a heavier bead for mainline operation. Use two heavy beads
for dual track mainlines. Allow to cure 24 hours, or overnight if
temperature is over 60 degrees F. Avoid locomotive driver slippage until
fully cured (approx. 72 hours)."

Steve
 

Re: Hand laid track suplyes

[David M. Cole]

At 9:46 AM +0100 4/20/01, Kevin Strong wrote:
>NOTE*** There are some tricks one needs to be aware of before heading
>out into the garden with these products, which will help tracklaying go
>that much easier. But, they are another sermon for another time.

rev up that sermon, rev ... i've got a big box of ties, a big tube of 
track and a big backyard just sitting there ...

\dmc

-- 
^^^
Dave Cole
Gen'l Sup't:  Grand Teton & Everglades Steam Excursion Co.
   Pacifica, Calif. USA  
List Mom: sslivesteam, the list of small-scale live steamers
   
Editor:   TRELLIS & TRESTLE, the newsletter of the
   Bay Area Garden Railway Society 
   
Webconductor: Pacific Coast Live Steamers 
   
^^^ 

Re: Hand laid track suplyes

[Kevin Strong]

I'll echo Gary's post - and go the step further that Gary didn't...

The California and Oregon Coast is home to a wealth of Llagas Creek
track supplies, among other products. Depending on what you're looking
for, there's a good chance that you will find it there. Llagas Creek
makes plastic tie strips for scales ranging from 1:32 - 1:20.3, and rail
in varying sizes from code 215 (.215" tall) to code 332 (.332" tall -
the same size as LGB or Aristo track). They also have switch kits in
code 250, and code 215 (I think) which are great. 

I have around 600' of the code 250 aluminum rail on their 1:20.3 ties in
my back yard, and they hold up great, except where very large falling
tree branches are concerned. (but that's really to be expected.) I buy
the nickel silver cast points for my switches, and build the rest from
scratch. (There was an article in Garden Railways around a year ago
which explained a technique very similar to mine.) I've been very
pleased with these products, and they have survived 4 Rochester, NY
winters so far with no problems.

NOTE*** There are some tricks one needs to be aware of before heading
out into the garden with these products, which will help tracklaying go
that much easier. But, they are another sermon for another time.

Later,

K 

Re: Hand laid track suplyes

[Gary Broeder]

>I am thinking about starting to hand laying  some track and
>constructing  some points/switches and would like some  feed back on where
to obtain supplies for this task .
>Paul Gamlin

While there are  suppliers out there that have a fair amount of goods I
would recommend a call to  C&OC in OR ( 800-866-8635) as they have a good
stock of rail in aluminum or nickel silver from code 215 to 332, many
different lengths of spikes,  tie plates, frogs and points, roller and 3
point gauges, turnout kits, however they no longer supply wood ties.

GaryB