I have not done much work in Large Scale before now. I was wondering what everyones favorite track system is. Do you like LGB or AristoCraft track better? Is there another brand?
Thanks,
George
My track is all AristoCraft Brass track. THat's what my local hobby shop could supply me at the time. I don't think there is a big difference in quality between brands. I cannot comment on the differences between brass, stainless steel and aluminum. I've never used the others. I use DCC through the rails and have little trouble with dirty track. I just pull a track cleaning car around every so often.
Bob In Kalamazoo, MI
Well to be honest I don't use EITHER of them...
For my 16mm scale locomotives I use PECO SM32. For my Gauge 3 models I use the Gauge 3 Society parts, (white metal chairs, ABS fishplates, brass pins -etc), to assemble my track -it runs on Brandbright mahogany sleepers.
Welcome to Large Scale -which I define as being; "Larger than "O" Scale and Smaller than 5 inch Gauge".
regards
ralph
The Home of Articulated Ugliness
I use Aristo Stainless. I tried a small loop of brass, and had to clean it prior to every operating session; perhaps it was proximity to salt sea air.
Aluminum is ok if you are going to be exclusively battery operation, but not good conductor! Alum is also soft and very easily bent out of alignment.
Stainless is the hardest thus more difficult to work on, and needs clamps wherever you have to cut it. If you are a machinist you may be able to drill and tap it for connectors, but by the time you spend all that time and effort doing it you might just as well have bought the clamps! Clean it once a year! I think it is well worth the approximate 20% premium in price!
overall I was wondering what everyones favorite track system is.
I happen to like the LGB "flex" track, mostly because of the color it turns as it ages. It cleans quickly and easily allowing for power by rail operation. Unfortunately that particular rail is getting harder to obtain as each day passes. I am planning to get some of the Piko "flex" track, as it is possibly the closest chemical composition to the LGB. I have had some Aristo (brass) and it held a brassy shine for several months and did not patina up like I like. There is stainless steel rails out there. I choose not to use it because I did not want the bright silver lines running through the garden. (Plus when I started the stainless was almost twice the price of brass.) Since stainless oxidizes so slowly (probably a hundred years to get to the same point as brass in 3 months) it should maintain electrical contact with engine pickups with next to little effort.
Tom Trigg
Capt Bob Johnson I use Aristo Stainless. I tried a small loop of brass, and had to clean it prior to every operating session; perhaps it was proximity to salt sea air. Aluminum is ok if you are going to be exclusively battery operation, but not good conductor! Alum is also soft and very easily bent out of alignment. Stainless is the hardest thus more difficult to work on, and needs clamps wherever you have to cut it. If you are a machinist you may be able to drill and tap it for connectors, but by the time you spend all that time and effort doing it you might just as well have bought the clamps! Clean it once a year! I think it is well worth the approximate 20% premium in price!
I Like the SS and also use clamp's on cut rail. And I use the rail to tie connector screw for power.
The only problems I've had are with the Switch guide rail's
Dave
The head is gray, hands don't work , back is weak, legs give out, eyes are gone, money go's and my wife still love's Me.
We've been very happy with our Llagas Creek track.
Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, COClick Here for my model train photo website
I started in the last century (90s) with LGB, I like the patina color. I had some trouble with power through the joiners however, even with conductive grease. I changed to Aristo sectional brass because of wider selection of curves, cost and I like the screw type connectors. I’ve also drilled and tapped (2-56) a lot of my LGB track. At first I painted the track but found after several years Aristo also develops a nice patina, it takes longer than LGB. USA is the same as Aristo, their construction is more robust than Aristo USA style track, similar to Aristo EURO style. I use and mix Aristo Euro style and USA because of deer problems. Their hoofs fit between (45mm) rails and when the ties break on USA style it’s like a Chinese puzzle, usually destroying a section of track before shaking free.
I use track power with an Aristo, 10amp Ultima power supply and Aristo TE. I run an Aristo track cleaning car around the railroad periodically.
I hope this helps, Rob
Thanks to everyone for the replies and all the good information. I will probably try the USA first and see how it goes.
I like usa track brass very rareiy have to clean it and I use the DCS system
Ed
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