Bachmann & Gargraves - Q's about G-Scale Track

[jwhitten]

 Hello,

I am looking for information about G-scale track. I have a large amount of Bachmann G-scale track with a number of switches and straight track plus the usual assortment of too many curves, etc. Recently I went to purchase more track and ran across the Gargraves G-scale flex track. I had never encountered it before but the price was right so I bought a stack of it. It arrived today and it looks nice and all, but it uses a different method of joining the track and the rail has a different profile from the Bachmann stuff-- not to mention its rolled instead of solid. I don't care about that part, but I am wondering if (a) somebody makes an adapter from one to the other, or (b) anybody has a diy/homebrew method for "bashing" them together? I really like the idea of the el-cheapo Gagraves track but I'm not ready or willing to toss out the Bachmann stuff.

Any suggestions?

 Thanks

 

John

[PJM20]

Hello, I do enjoy your Philsophy Fridays posts. Bachmann trach is bad track that is hollow and cheap and if you step on it is crushed. Only use Bachmann track for staging inside. - Peter

[jwhitten]

PJM20

Hello, I do enjoy your Philsophy Fridays posts.

 

Thanks for the kind words!

 

PJM20

Bachmann trach is bad track that is hollow and cheap and if you step on it is crushed. Only use Bachmann track for staging inside. - Peter

 

Yeah, I know, but I have a lot of it and its what I use to set up the G-scale trains for the kids. The Gargraves (#701) track seems pretty flimsy. The Bachmann track seems much sturdier, but of course not as sturdy as the solid brass stuff.

[ttrigg]

John, my friend, me thinks you got took.

jwhitten

not to mention its rolled instead of solid.

Indoor track, will not survive outdoors.

jwhitten

but I am wondering if (a) somebody makes an adapter from one to the other

Nope!

jwhitten

or (b) anybody has a diy/homebrew method for "bashing" them together

Unless you are running an indoor layout, it ain’t worth the effort.

I hope that I am wrong when I say this, but the Gargraves track will not survive a full year outdoors. It rots out very quickly. Set it all aside for use inside (around the christmas tree) and get some Bachmann and go play in the dirt.

[jwhitten]

ttrigg

John, my friend, me thinks you got took.

jwhitten

not to mention its rolled instead of solid.

Indoor track, will not survive outdoors.

jwhitten

but I am wondering if (a) somebody makes an adapter from one to the other

Nope!

jwhitten

or (b) anybody has a diy/homebrew method for "bashing" them together

Unless you are running an indoor layout, it ain’t worth the effort.

I hope that I am wrong when I say this, but the Gargraves track will not survive a full year outdoors. It rots out very quickly. Set it all aside for use inside (around the christmas tree) and get some Bachmann and go play in the dirt.

 

 

This is all for indoor use. Not outdoor use.

 

 

[vsmith]

John

Given that your indoors, not stepping on the track (I hope), you should be OK with both the Bmann and the Gargraves Tinplate track, but putting them together is going to be a headache buit this has worked using bmann track to other brand track in the past:

Best bet would be to carefully remove the spike joiner from the Gargraves, and carefully remove the metal pin from the Bmann track, align them butted together and screw them down at the last tie of each section so they will not shift you side to side as a train rolls over them, you may have to shim the track hieght if there is a difference, not using Gargraves before I dont know its actual height but getting the rail hieght aligned is extremly important so you dont get a big clunk every time something rolls over it.

Next you will have to use jumper wires to connect the power which with Bmann track means at each butting you'll need one of Bmanns snap on power connector to attach to the Bmann track and I am assuming a similar snap on connector with the Gargraves, you them simply twist tie the power wires together, I like covering wiring connections with heat shrink electric wire insulators. If the Gargraves has power connection screws on the bottom of the track like Aristo/USA track then simply connect the Bmann power leads to the screws and you done.

Gargraves Guage 1 track is intended for old time classic tinplate trains that run on 45mm track but should be fine for an indoor layout and modern equipment.

[ttrigg]

jwhitten

This is all for indoor use. Not outdoor use.

Good news, John. I was afraid you got burned there for a bit. I think Vic has given you a good set of instructions for joining them together. Another option would be rail clamps (Split Jaw or Hillmans, possibly even the new Aristo’s) if they are applied with extreme care to not crush your rails. If were to find a method of reinforcing the ends of the rails to prevent crushing they just might work. I found (yard sale) some of the rolled rails that are used in my storage shelving, along with plastic rails.

Keep us informed as you progress and we all love pic’s of others workmanship. Since you are indoors, my normal comment of "Get outside and play in the dirt" does not apply, so I’ll say go play in the sawdust, and enjoy our hobby.

[jwhitten]

vsmith

Given that your indoors, not stepping on the track (I hope), you should be OK with both the Bmann and the Gargraves Tinplate track, but putting them together is going to be a headache

 Yeah, that's what I think too. Not impossible, just a P.I.T.A.

As you suggested, my thought was to strap them together somehow. I was just hoping that somebody might know of some sort of an adapter from one to the other.

 

John

[jwhitten]

ttrigg

Keep us informed as you progress and we all love pic’s of others workmanship. Since you are indoors, my normal comment of "Get outside and play in the dirt" does not apply, so I’ll say go play in the sawdust, and enjoy our hobby.

 

Thanks for the reply! 

I'm mostly an HO-scale guy. Not so much from choice as available acreage... 

I have a fair amount of G-scale (gauge) stuff, various actual scales that I collected to build an outdoor layout. When we found our house I loved pretty much everything about it except the basement and the yard. Guess where I want to put my trains...

The basement I've wrangled into being useable but I've literally had to remove walls and move plumbing and large fixtures (HVAC stuff) around to do it. The backyard is just small. A lot smaller than I had hoped when we were looking.

So we just set up the G-scale stuff every now and then, leave it up for a month or two, and then pack it away for awhile. Previously, I've had about enough track to fill up the family room, but I would really like to build it so it can snake its way out of the family room, through the dining room, past the foyer, into the living room, back down the hall on the other side, through the kitchen and then back into the family room.

I've also got a couple hundred feet of solid steel rail-- not sure what 'code', I've not measured it. But the stuff is enormously heavy!

I'm not in love with the Bachmann track but its reasonably sturdy, easy to put together though, but not so good on electrical conductivity. Nearly everything else is much more expensive than I'm willing / able to spend. If it were the primary layout, that'd be one thing. But since its only an occasional thing, I just get extra track when I see a good deal on it on ebay. That's why the Gargraves stuff looked so interesting. Seems like a good way to cover some ground (floor) between rooms if I can just get a good way figured-out how to hook it together.

Anyway, I'll take some pictures when we get it set up again and post a few.

Thanks for your comments!

 

John

[PJM20]

From what I have seen with you r Pennsy layout, I don't think that G scale in the basement won't give you any trouble. Good luck and have fun! - Peter

[ttrigg]

jwhitten

I'm mostly an HO-scale guy. Not so much from choice as available acreage...

Talk about "lack of acreage", have a look back a couple of years to the thread "Saga of the ever shrinking railroad" (or something like that). Then take a good read on Vic’s Pizza. It is amazing what can be done in G scale on a 36-inch square of plywood.