Aristo Track Question

[altterrain]

I'm building a much smaller diameter helix, but will have to design the track supports to clear the cars too. It will be a framework to allow lifting the whole thing away.

Here's the mockup to test the theory, the trains will only run DOWN and they will be short!

http://www.elmassian.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=49&Itemid=62

I'l love to see some pictures of your "more reasonable" helix!

Regards, Greg

 

 

Yikes Greg!

That looks like a roller coaster ride, not a train track. Its not even close to Rex's elegantly designed and beautifully built helix.

-Brian 

[Rex in Pinetop]

Greg,

I designed my helix to raise the level 21" in 112.5' or roughly a 1.5% grade.  I did this with 2 1/4 turns in a 16.5' diameter giving me 9" in 50' which was fine for my 1:22 LGB loco's.  If I were to do it again I would try for 9.5" in 50' as my clearances for my 1.20 Bachmann Connie are very tight.  Here are some previously posted pictures:

I'm guessing you're close to 30+" of drop with less than 50' of track which gives you somewhere around a 6+% grade on a constant curve!  That's going to be pretty exciting if any slippage occurs or if your speed gets to more than a crawl coming down that grade.  As you said you're not going to try going up.  You might want to consider another turn if you have the clearance.  Let us know how its coming.

Rex

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I'm building a much smaller diameter helix, but will have to design the track supports to clear the cars too. It will be a framework to allow lifting the whole thing away.

Here's the mockup to test the theory, the trains will only run DOWN and they will be short!

http://www.elmassian.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=49&Itemid=62

I'l love to see some pictures of your "more reasonable" helix!

Regards, Greg

[Rex in Pinetop]

Tomtrainman,

Since June I've managed to lay the 100' of aristo 16.5' dia stainless sections in my helix.  I used split jaw clamps and because I used the curved sections I didn't have to do any cutting of the long ends. 

Since June I've also managed to lay 225' of aristo and left over LGB brass track from the helix to the mine loop.  I used the double rail bender which I can't say enough good things about.  I used my dremel to cut off the long rails so the joints ended up at the same location instead of being staggard around the sweeping curve (100+ foot dia).  I did remove all the tie screws and sliced the interconnecting plastic on the inside of the curved segments rails so tie spacing works better.  This whole 225' goes up and down a 1.5% grade so track leveling the length of the track wasn't done.  I just eye-balled the length to take out the roller coaster dips.  I am using the width bubble on the rail bender to get the track level that way so the trains don't lean so much when traversing those spots.  Rain and time make this ballast adding about a once a month thing.

I did put a loco (battery RC) on the 225' section and had a great time running it back and forth.  My next task is to nip off the brads that came through the helix beams so I have enough clearance to run the loco clear through the helix.  After that I can bridge the 5' gap to the helix to connect the two sections and build a temporary loop in the town to allow continuous running.

My plan is to not have to polish track.  I will have to remove pine needles and bigger stuff.  Train running for the neighborhood kids and my grandson is my primary objective.

Rex 

[tomtrainman]

  Rex.  I built my entire railroad using aristo 5' stainless sections. I removed all the tie screws and used a double rail bender to make the curves. then I used a small electric grinder with a six inch cut of wheel made to cut metal. when i made the curves I would cut the longer rail off to even up the joints.and then I used the split jaw type rail clamps. it saved a lot of drilling and tapping.plus the split jaws hold the rails better than the factory rail joiners.I left the tie scews out. I haven't had any problems with rails moving.and I'm running some pretty heavy locos.
 I layed over 300' of track that way.the split jaw clamps are more expensive ,but. you'll have a lot less problems in the long run. my railroad is pretty much maintence free. 

                                                  trainmantom.

[altterrain]

Oh sure, drill the holes in the plastic if you want to do things the easy way!

 -Brian

[Rex in Pinetop]

Actually I was thinking of putting some holes in the plastic ties since there are more than enough holes in the rails.  But if it doesn't matter then I'm not going to bother with it.

Rex

 

[altterrain]

I would not worry about the extra screws. I often take out the screws from one rail to make it "flex track". I have heard of guys taking out all the screws with no problems of the track going out of gauge. Also tapping small screw holes in stainless can be difficult, that's some hard stuff.

-Brian 

[Rex in Pinetop]

I bought some Aristo stainless steel track.  Unfortunately the place I bought it from didn't offer SS in the larger euro style ties.  I'm in the process of swapping out the smaller size ties for the larger ones to more or less match the LGB track ties.  Aristo secures their ties to the rails with screws into the bottom of the rails.  I'm ending up with a lot of left over screws since there are not as many holes in the larger plastic ties as there are in the rails.  My question is should I drill more holes or just do with less screws or does it matter one way or the other?  In my younger days it was bad news to have parts left over when a part replacement job was finished.

Rex