Track: Make v Buy

[Anonymous]

One of the impressions I have with G scale is that the manufacture of track is more possible than in a smaller scale (eg HO). Is that true? if so, is it a cost effective solution?

[Marty Cozad]

I built my own switches because they were not being producted at the time.
When i fingured my hours and that my time is worth something, I could have worked some over time to pay for the switches.
Its always worth a try and see what it takes to make track and see how it holds up.
Just some thoughts.

[vsmith]

Being indoors I dont have to worry about weather related rot or maintanence but I still use readymade track for speedyness, but I think if I ever had to move my layout or start over again I would hand lay it because it looks soooo much better.

[tangerine-jack]

I very carefuly calculated the cost of ready-made vs. hand laid track, factored in the time and agravation factors, and decided it was better for me over all to buy ready made. I felt that the cost savings wasn't worth it for my time involvement. With that said, however, I will hand lay some track on my expansion just to experiment.

Disclaimer: I am not interested in proto-types or competition class models, I'm more interested in the trains as a complement to the garden. If you ARE interested in these things, then by all means lay your own track, do your own thing, and have fun. What is best for me may not be best for you.

[oX)]

[Anonymous]

Misty Bee, you will note that all previous responses have come from USA.

For them is more effective to buy ready made than make themselves.
However if they had to double the price due to exchange rate, then pay for postage of heavy brass track half way around the world, the cost of the ready made stuff would be considerably higher. A nd when they made the cost analysis, they may not come to the same conclusion.

The simple fact is if you live on this side of the world, it is a LOT cheaper to build your own. The Sydney LGB club get their own brass rail extruded at a foundry. Ask them for details and costs. Or you can even build track out of 4.75mm square brass or even 3x9mm aluminium bar. And cut wooden sleepers from trellis. It never looks as good as the factory made stuff, but the trains run over it just as good, and you can have a lot more of it for the same price.
It all depends what your budget is. Some people can't just work overtime because they feel like it, but they do have the weekend free to build track.

Glen.

[toenailridgesl]

Misty Bee,Check out the Sydney CLub for good prices on rail & UV stable sleepers:
http://www.trainweb.org/lgbofozclub/

[Anonymous]

Yes mate that is all i use, track from the LGB club in Sydney, they have their own die and make their own track and also produce either brown or black sleepers (ties) I have about 80 metres down and i love it. Multiply these prices by 0.4 for GBP 0.6 for Euro or 0.7 for US$. But for A$500 i got 240' of rail making 120 ' or 37 metres, that was an all up cost.

The rail is the same cross section as LGB but it has a better zinc content than LGB making it harder and less likely to oxidise meaning less cleaning.

I didn't think much of the clubs rail joiners though, too hard to slip on the rail.


Rgds ian

[Kiwi Down Under]

Misty bee, My wife, the computer expert in the family, is in the process of updating my web site to show more recent how my home made track is going. Hopefully by next weekend. Anyway, although a little dated refer to
www.gscalechuffchuff.com

If the link does not take you there you may have to search, but anyway, it will give you some idea of what you can do without breaking the bank.

The updated web site, with more [pictures will give you a better idea.

Tony

[Anonymous]

One of the half billion questions I have is about make vs buy.

I like the flex track i used in smaller scales. Mostly as I didn't like the restrictions i had if i used sectional track. I also liked the fact I had a lot less soldering to do.

In the US, what is the difference in pricing on average for sectional versus flex track for LS?

[Anonymous]

In LS 'flex' track is the 1.5m (or 6ft) lengths. You can't actually pick it up and bend it easily like you can flex track in smaller scales. You will probably need a rail bender, (or remove the rails and carefully hand bend each one, then put them back into the ties/sleepers), but that’s as close as you will get to flex track.
Peco in the UK claim that they have a true flex track for 45mm gauge, but it uses smaller rail (code 250 or 200) and it is in shorter lenghts (914mm/ 1yd). I have never seen it, so couldn't comment on how easy it bends.

Both LGB and Aristo sell the 1.5m lengths of standard code 332 rail, so you should be able to find out the cost comparisons on the internet or at a local train shop. Also several other companies in the US will sell you the rail only in long lengths (some up to 12ft) and then you can make the track yourself. As several people have already commented, there is less cost advantage building your own track in the US because you are closer to the suppliers and not paying the large freight charges that we do living 'down under'.

Glen

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by toenailridgesl

Check out the Sydney CLub for good prices on rail & UV stable sleepers:
http://www.trainweb.org/lgbofozclub/

Hi Phil,

I've been told that the rail is no-longer done in Sydney and they are waiting to find out how much the next batch is going to cost. The factory that was producing the rail in NZ, has also moved off shore, so the price of everything down here looks set to go up.[V]
Glen.

[Anonymous]

GLEN
THE PRICEof track is going up here in USA to and every thing else. ben[:(]

[Anonymous]

Ben, I'm now building my own using sqaure brass. It doesn't look as good as the proper rail, but I can buy 5 times as much for the same price, so a get a whole railway instead of 1/5th of one.


Glen.

[Anonymous]

Thanks,

I'll poke around find out about the costs.