I wandered by one of my two local train stores yesterday and stuck my head in their consignment/resale room. Pulled from their track box a bundle of eight full-length sticks of new Code 100 nickle silver HO scale flex. The manufacturer remains a mystery as all that was cast on the underside was "Made in Japan", but it's certainly not Shinohara. The young lady at the counter had no clue and all the rest of the staff were knee deep with other customers, a rather pleasing sight.
Here's the particulars: dark brown ties that are .115 in. wide and .062 thick, textured tops, 44 per foot; 2) pretty stiff stuff (much more so than Altas) with staggered under-rail cuts between every other tie; 3) many of those gaps are half complete or not at all but are very thinly joined and would probably separate if flexed at that point, kind of looks like a possible manufacturing defect as the actual gaps are random; 4) every 12th tie has 4 nail holes, just to the inside and the outside of each rail; 5) slots to accept rail joiners on the end ties; 6) single cast "spikes" attaching the rails - easily separate from the rails if the tie is torqued. I have not yet guaged the stuff. Pictures from above and below follow. At less than $3 a stick, I figured I couldn't go too far wrong. But I'll await your verdict on that.
Who made 'em?
(let's see if the photos properly post)
https://i.imgur.com/YTLFUn1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/vo8M03z.jpg
John
Oops, let me see if I can do better than just URL links:
and, for the bottom side:
Hi, John
If I were a betting man I wouldn't be too quick to rule out early Shinohara flex track. If you look at other examples of their code 100, Google photos are really tough to find, BTW, they show the same spike holes and method of adding the extra tie at the end.
Look at these early curved turnouts as an example:
https://www.fastdesign.top/2-in-excellent-condition-shinohara-code-100-ns-sharp-curved-turnouts-switches-p-11223.html
I have a bunch of the code 83 flex and the method of connecting the ties is very similar with your photo of the code 100. My older stocks of code 83 doesn't have the Shinohara name on the bottom, either, simply "JAPAN CODE 83" the newer stuff does say Shinohara.
My money is on Shinohara.
Thanks, GM.
I suspect that the arrangement of the nail holes may turn out to be distinctive. And on the ties where the holes are found, two cast "spikeheads" bracket them on either side of the rail. Curiously JAPAN is cast on the underside of the tie above the one that has MADE IN, as though we should be reading from bottom to top. CODE 100 is nowhere to be seen.
Early Shinohara, no question.
I am 99% sure you found some older Lambert/Shinohara flextrack.
.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Thanks, guys!!
Hey, there's a bonus here. Extra holes can be used for leads, especially the inner ones.
The holes are for spikes FYI, not leads. If you put wire up through those holes, which you could, and solder it to the rail without melting the ties, you are more skilled than I. I chose to solder the leads where two pieces meet with rail joiners and it's easier to solder the leads with much less risk of melting ties. See below using different track but it just so happens that the track to the right in the photo is Walthers made by Shinohara (which I bought years ago but still have).
AttuvianPulled from their track box a bundle of eight full-length sticks of new Code 100 nickle silver HO scale flex. The manufacturer remains a mystery as all that was cast on the underside was "Made in Japan", but it's certainly not Shinohara. The young lady at the counter had no clue and all the rest of the staff were knee deep with other customers, a rather pleasing sight......John
Which was rather pleasing? The lady behind the counter or the crowd?
Looking at the photo's I have some Walthers code 70 track which looks exactly like what you showed and I don't think it has any identifying info molded into the bottom of the ties.
I'd agree with the crowd, you found Walthers code 100 made by Shinohara for Walthers 20-25 years ago.
My version with the code 70 rail is stiff and you have to massage the ties a lot to get them even and straight. I use ME spikes using the holes on either side of the rail to hold it down - on Homasote in my case.
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Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 The holes are for spikes FYI, not leads. If you put wire up through those holes, which you could, and solder it to the rail without melting the ties, you are more skilled than I.
The holes are for spikes FYI, not leads. If you put wire up through those holes, which you could, and solder it to the rail without melting the ties, you are more skilled than I.
Not likely a better man. More the case of being creative with the inner holes and not thinking ahead.
riogrande5761
Can you provide any information on your nifty heat sinks? They almost look like they are designed specifically for use with rails. I've never seen them advertised anywhere but might consider getting a pair if they're still available.
riogrande5761 Which was rather pleasing? The lady behind the counter or the crowd?
LOL. The young lady was pleasing in her demeanor but not particularly a "looker". What was most pleasing was the crowd, especially for 11:00 on a Friday morning. Nice to see a healthy LHS. I'll give them a plug: it was The Whistle Stop. We actually have two excellent ones here on the east side of town. The other is The Hobbysmith. Reading any number of posts on this forum, we here in Portland could be doing much worse for train shops, even for a city our size.
Thanks for your post.
AttuvianCan you provide any information on your nifty heat sinks? They almost look like they are designed specifically for use with rails. I've never seen them advertised anywhere but might consider getting a pair if they're still available.
Hah hah, remember that place we used to visit called Radio Shack? Are any still open?
Those heat sinks came from Radio Shack with a soldering iron set I bought back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was a teenager or collage student. I really like them and they are one of a few things that I have held onto across the many years and uncounted moves between California, Indiana, Texas, New York and Virginia!
I'm sure electronics suppliers like Allied Electronics or perhaps even Micromark might have them. Here is a linke to Allied:
https://www.alliedelec.com/gc-electronics-9077-1/70159795/?mkwid=sRzuDNlHU&pcrid=30980760979&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9ZDeBRD9ARIsAMbAmobs640vxeFrImXCLsswRi9VgRJaX5HJarAlfcTbYoBy8T3SGTVKYosaAsGEEALw_wcB
There are surely other sources but even alligator clips may work as a low-tech heat sink.
I religiously use heat sinks to avoid melting ties and that works pretty well and makes up for not so hot soldering skills.
LOL. The young lady was pleasing in her demeanor but not particularly a "looker". What was most pleasing was the crowd, especially for 11:00 on a Friday morning. Nice to see a healthy LHS. I'll give them a plug: it was The Whistle Stop. We actually have two excellent ones here on the east side of town. The other is The Hobbysmith. Reading any number of posts on this forum, we here in Portland could be doing much worse for train shops, even for a city our size. Thanks for your post. John
Ah, you are lucky to have decent hobby shops. Here I am northern Virginia in the Washington DC area but nothing much in the area for trains so I have to mail order or make occasional trips to the Timonium Train show on the north side of Balimore MD
(MBK is nearby but now that they shrunk, it's a miserable place to visit on show day)