Flex track Yes or No

[ghelman]

I have not used flex track before, but, am considering using it as I expand. What are the pros and cons?

Thanks

[kstrong]

Pros: Infinitely variable as to curve diameter, track layout, and general freedom in designing your railroad. Typically, its cheaper to go the flex-track route, also. Fewer rail joints means more reliable electrical conductivity if you're doing track power.

Cons: You have to own a hack saw or rotary cut-off saw to cut the rails, and a rail bender is highly recommended for forming your curves. The curves don't have to be perfectly bent, but pre-bending--especially the code 332 rail--will help track construction go so much easier.

That's about it, really.

Later,

K

[underworld]

I think K summed it all up!!! What I do like the most about it is that you can make any curve. I found years ago in HO scale that I had a few spots that didn't need a curve.....just a slight deviation, and you can do that with flex track. I just ordered some Gargraves flex for my three rail tinplate trains.

underworld

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[Curmudgeon]

All I now use is 6' lengths of flex.
Mostly 215, always aluminum rail.
The smaller the "code", it seems, the more prone it is to follow the contour of the ground.
TOC

[Anonymous]

I use our Aussie club track which is our own version of flexible track and I can tell you it is a step up, you become a much more professional garden railway person as a rtesult of using it. You can have any curve you like and combination of curves and also any length you like. I wouldnt go any other way.

You do need a rail bender and don't be put off about only getting the bends approximatel right., variations between the tracks is what causes the problems to do with camber. Few peole who subscribe to this forum have any idea of the negative importance of this.

You do need a rail bender, a hack saw and a fine file, as well as some measuring devices such as a soft flexible tape measure, plus a fine marking pen. I also solder all my joints and as the track sections are 3.6 m or 12' long it is hard to get it 100 % right but when you do it is absolutely the best and most reliable track you can have. I have now laid 160 metres (525 ft) of it under about as many variable positions that you could imagine.

It is recommended by Jack Verducci as well and thats good enough for me

Also it is about a third the price in this country and the alloy mix is better than LGB in my opinion.

Send me and email and I wil send you some photos of the terrific curves i have created, really good stuff.

Rgds Ianl

[underworld]

Ian How much does this type of track cost?

underworld

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

Yeah mate I dont know freight will kill you I think but I have 240 linear feet which will make 120 feet of track including the most ingeneous sleeper (tie) set up I have ever seen and joiners for about A$550.00 X 0.77 = US$ 420.00

I owe someone some photos of this and I will as soon as I can, but have had other responsibilities, mothers day and pouring rain I am afraid to admit.


Rgds Ian

[hobbyfossi201]

Here in Europe it´s much more cheaper than sectional track....If you have the chance to use a railbender it´s not that big issue. I did it first with a selfmade railbender and it was almost as easy as laying the sectional track right out of the box.
regards
klaus

[ghelman]

Klaus any pics or how to's on the rail bender? I'd be interested in making one.

[hobbyfossi201]

Sorry, but I´ve no digicam so there are no photos available right now.
It´s very simple to explain but difficult to do. There´s at least a lathe requested.
Let´s start like this:

a plate of aluminium with measurements 15 to 10 to 1 centimeter.
There are 4 screws who hold 4 ball bearings (18 mm diameter) in the distance of 45 mm (rail gauge) and about 10 centimeter in lengh. They are for the guidance of the rails.

In the middle of the alu-plate (between the 4 ball bearings) there is a sledge (in profile like a T) with another 2 ball bearings; This sledgle mooves now up and down. To hold the sledge in place there are 2 M8-screws (which hold/guide the sledge in distance as needed) So you can bent really every radius.

I hope it´s a little bit clearer for you; I´ll try to get a digicam to make some pictures for a better impression.
All in all it costs EUR 50,00 material costs (mostly for the ball bearings) and more than 10 hours at the lathe.

Best regards,
Klaus

[cabbage]

I will be the first to admit that I am not Krytonian... However all the track -bar points on my layout, is flex track. All of it was laid by hand and I never used a rail bender!!!

The track is PECO SM32.

regards

ralph

[Anonymous]

ghelman.
When I relaid my track last summer I mainly used Aristocraft 5 foot straights.
I found that I could get a fair bit of flexibility with it.I have used the LGB flexitrack but it is too pricey.
I would suggest getting a few lenghts and trying it out.

[ghelman]

Troy,
I've heard the same thing about the 5 ft. sections. But, so far the rail bender that I found was $85.00 US. Didn't really want buy it until I was sure I would go that route. I am hoping Klaus will give some details on his self-made bender.

I could try some by hand. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

[Anonymous]

I don't use a trackbender.I just fix the track at one end and ease it round.My father always uses a track bender and always mocks me for doing it wrong.
We both end up with exactly the same results so I can't see the problem.

[Tom The Brat]

I find it a little hard to mock the wrong way when it gets good results[;)]

Having said that, I just received a box of 16 1/2 ft curve, one box of 15 ft curve and one of 11 1/2 ft curve[:-^]

[Anonymous]

If you have a complex curve with gradients and long lengths, you cannot do it properly without a rail bender. I have a problem at the moment and it embaresses me, it has been raining here on The Sunshine Coast, for weeks and i cannot get new pictures for Troy to post. So that you will see the beautiful and complex curves that i have in my layout but wait a day or and i will come up with something


rgds ian

[Anonymous]

Ghelman mate Ihave lost your email address something has happened to my computer as i have lost others. I will send some pictures to Troy for him to post.

refds Ian

[tangerine-jack]

Here is where I get my flex track supplies (on the rare occasions I use it).

http://www.llagastrack.com/

I prefer the pre-fab stuff simply because my time/money calculations show it is easier for me to use sectional. Flex track is excellent for all of the reasons stated above, plus the satisfaction of knowing that you built it.

Good luck!

[oX)]

[ghelman]

T. Jack,
Thanks. I do have another question. This site only has 215 and 250 code. My rail is the 332 code. What's the fix?

Thanks again.

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ghelman

T. Jack,
Thanks. I do have another question. This site only has 215 and 250 code. My rail is the 332 code. What's the fix?

Thanks again.

The fix is transition pieces
Llagas calls them Railblenders http://www.llagastrack.com/#railblender
Other mfgs use a special type of joiner to go from 250 to 332.

[Pagardener]

I considered flex track since I am building to the terrain but I had so much LGB sectional track from my indoor layout so I went sectional. My only problem with flex would be expansion of the layout. Right now I have 1 mainline and two branchlines which converge into the mainline but someday I may want to add a couple of more branchlines. If you have long pieces of flex track isn't it going to be hard to insert a switch for the new branchline? The longest piece of track I have on my layout is 2' (mainly because of all of the curves) so I know I won't have a problem inserting a switch if I come up with the money and time to build yet another branch.
Just a thought.
Barbara

[Anonymous]

This is the track from Iandor's layout as mentioned in an earlier post.

[ghelman]

I went back to the WEB site and read the para. on rail blenders. The first time I saw the topic I thought it said rail bender. Thanks again everyone for the help. Nice pics Ian.

Still would like to hear about anyone building their own bender and how they did it.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Pagardener

I considered flex track since I am building to the terrain but I had so much LGB sectional track from my indoor layout so I went sectional. My only problem with flex would be expansion of the layout. Right now I have 1 mainline and two branchlines which converge into the mainline but someday I may want to add a couple of more branchlines. If you have long pieces of flex track isn't it going to be hard to insert a switch for the new branchline? The longest piece of track I have on my layout is 2' (mainly because of all of the curves) so I know I won't have a problem inserting a switch if I come up with the money and time to build yet another branch.
Just a thought.
Barbara

Use the flex and when the time comes lay your switch over the spot you wi***o place it and mark the rail beneath it. Then cut it with a cutoff wheel and install the switch with rail clamps.

[RhB_HJ]

Iandor's flextrack pictures.

Thanks for the pics, now at least I can see why there would be a camber aka unintentional super-elevation problem.

[ghelman]

OK, I tried my hand at rail bending this weekend. I had some extra 4' radius track and some 24" straight. I snipped the ties and went to work by hand. It seems to be pretty easy even with the short sections. The real truth will be when I use it. I needed a short section with a slight "S'. The 24" section worked great. I will post a couple of pics soon.

[ghelman]

Here are my test pieces by hand. 24" slight S and two 4' radius to make a larger radius.

Thought others may be interested.