Aristo USA track

[Mr_Ash]

Anyone have any pictures of 1:20-1:22 stuff on Aristo USA track? Thinking about switching what kind of track im going to be using outside wanna know how it would look first 

 

[Great Western]

 Hi Mr Ash,

I don't run 1:20.3 but I do have 1:22.5 Bachmann and 1:29 Aristo-Craft stock.

If you look at my Picasaweb Album (the ONF Railroad one) that might give you some idea of the appearances.

[dwbeckett]

Hi Mr. Ash, When the sun come's out I will take and post some pictures of a free section of brass track 1:20 from USA Trains and My Stainless from Aristocraft 1:29 both 45mm wide. With my Shay and with one F3a.

Dave

AS PROMISED , just picture's

I hope this helps sway you to SS

Dave

[Southwest Chief]

Don't have any photos of my equipment on Aristo/USA style track, but if you're going with this type of track, go with stainless steel.  The silver color looks better to me then brass.  And if you want to get really detailed you could paint the rail sides a dark brown color leaving the shiny stainless steel rail head.  And brass, in my opinion, is too much work to keep clean outdoors if you're running track power.

I had LGB track for years when the layout was an indoor Christmas layout.  When we moved it outdoors I debated over what track to use.  Finally went with Llagas Creek code 250 nickel silver, with their "narrow gauge" ties.

So not exaclty what you wanted to see, but this is what a modified USA caboose (more or less 1:22.5) looks like on Llagas code 250 track: 

This LGB baggage is on code 215 rail.  We have a bit of code 215 for the mine train and for display track indoors.

[altterrain]

 I have Aristo stainless so it the US profile (closer ties)

pics of a Connie on my layout -

 
 

and a few pics of a Shay (warning big pics)

-Brian 

[dwbeckett]

Brian, how did you change track color, what did you use.

Dave

[altterrain]

Plain old Rustoleum spray paint. A mix of flat brown and red primer. I wipe the rail head with a bit of used motor oil first, sprayed and then wiped the rail head off with an old T shirt.

-Brian 

[Mr_Ash]

Thanks for posting all the pictures really helped!

 As for using stainless or brass...  no clue yet...

 and then there is nickel silver... and all this code stuff lol

So what is LGB track code 332? Im looking at Llagas Creek's site and they have a lil chart for what code 215 and 250 translate to in lb/yd for each scale so what does Code 332 come out to?

 

 

[Anonymous]

The size of model-train rail in any scale is referred to by "code." For instance, in large-scale railroading we commonly use code-332, code-250, or code-215 rail, although code 197 is also sometimes used. There's nothing secret about this "code"; it is just the height of the rail measured in thousandths of an inch. So, code-250 rail is .250" tall, or 1/4". Code 332 is a little taller and code 215 is a little shorter.

Per GRM

Toad

[Mr_Ash]

Thanks Toad, so what does Code 332 come out to in 1:20 and 1:22 as far as comparing it to pounds per yard of real rail?

Llagas Creek site has Code 250 listed as 80lb for 1:20 and 90lb for 1:22 then they have Code 215 listed as 65lb for 1:20 and 75lb for 1:22

[Anonymous]

Mr_Ash

Thanks Toad, so what does Code 332 come out to in 1:20 and 1:22 as far as comparing it to pounds per yard of real rail?

My thoughts say it would be the heaviest rail and largest more in the lines of prototypical running but I am not sure if you want tie spacing tight as in above pictures or wide like in some of the pictures.

Have to ask 1) want it to stand up to foot traffic, it would be 332.

2) did you want narrow gauge?

3) non narrow gauge?

Even though I use 332 Brass I would suggest you think about going SS. After last brass is layed here I will put down 332 SS. Paint as per Alt. did.

Toad

[Mr_Ash]

I remember when I was down in colorado in august walking along the tracks of teh Durango & Silverton thinking how wrong the LGB track looked compared to the real thing as far as tie size & spacing so I figured I would just switch to Aristo USA track plus this would make it easier for me to get wide turnouts. I need atleast 8' R3 for my K27 to get through them and only place I can get those switches is ebay for $100+ a pop so I figure if I switch to Aristo USA track I can get 2-3 10' switches for the price of 1 8' R3 LGB switch... then ill just use aristo 10'

The track from Llagas Creek looks nice, id love to get some of the code 250 stuff but not sure how bending my own curves would go

[Anonymous]

Well can set you up a oval of 332 and 250 and see how you like them!? You can always use the track else where later after the testing.

Toad

[Mr_Ash]

yeah i think i might pickup a few 6' sections of that Llagas Creek code 250 track... i know one section will be going on the fire place mantel sure would look purdy under the K27 

you know if anything I could do the "main line" of my layout with code 332 and all the sidings and whatnot code 250... hmmm.... i got all winter to figure this out should be interesting... starting to feel more like building a real railroad

That sucks though all summer i searched for R3 switches and nada got outbid in a bunch of ebay auctions too thats never fun... stupid K27 lol still need to get new counter weights for it too

[Anonymous]

Like I say all the time, dude it is your RR, MAKE IT!!!!!!

So main line could really be 332 and siding's 250 or other places...if you feel this strongly then do it to your liking. Some one will come and offer suggestions but that is all they are!

BTW how is the Station drawings?

Toad

[kstrong]

Here's a cool chart that shows how the common rail sizes scale out in the various scales (scroll down towards the bottom).

http://www.urbaneagle.com/data/RRrailsizes.html

In 1:20.3, code 250 works out to around 80 pound rail, code 332 works out to 115 pound rail. Eighty pound rail would be top-end for narrow gauge railroads. Most lines used 65 to 80 pound rail during their normal operating life (assuming they ever upgraded from the 40 - 50 pound rail used when they were first built). You would almost never find anything so heavy as 115 pound rail on a narrow gauge line unless it's a modern, heavily used line, or where government regulations might require its use (some grade crossings, etc.).

If you're serious about going with stainless steel, you'll be more than fine sticking with code 250 across the board. (You'd be fine with code 250 regardless, but the strength of stainless makes it a slam dunk). Sunset Valley does code 250 in stainless now. The drawback is that Sunset Valley uses a different base than Llagas, so I don't think the rail would fit in Llagas' tie strips. (Heck, Llagas' rail is a tight fit in some of Llagas' tie strips. Buy their pre-assembled track; you'll be much happier.) Sunset's rail is very similar in profile to AMS's rail, so you could buy Sunset's stainless rail and AMS's tie strips. I find Sunset's ties undersized for 1:20.3, your milage may vary. AMS's ties are actually a bit oversize for 1:20.3, being 7' long and 10" wide. The 7' long part was fairly common (6' 6" was the norm) but the 10" width is on the wide end of the spectrum. Most were 8' wide, as was customary on standard gauge ties.

The trick here is switches. If you go stainless, you're pretty much locked into using Sunset's switches, as Llagas doen't offer stainless rail (yet--may be worth a call to check). As I just mentioned, Sunset's ties are undersized, but they do tend to blend in when ballasted.

I use their #6 switches, but they also make a #4 switch for the spatially challenged. (It's still wider than 4' radius, so your K will be fine.)

Get yourself a dual-rail railbender (there are a few different ones on the market now), order your rail and tie sections, and go for it. The new breed of rail benders makes working with flex track really as simple as drawing a line and following it. If you accidentally bend the track section too tight, spin the bender around and bend it back out to where you need it. They are seriously slick; I would not build a railroad today without one.

Later,

K

[Anonymous]

K,

I feel like a dip now.

Toad

[Mr_Ash]

Kstrong thanks for the reply that was very informative! Checking out Sunset Valley's site now

 Toad I got the front/back station drawings trimmed up and taped together still not sure if im going to write in the correct dimensions for large scale or get them enlarged and use them as a template never was good at math lol going back to grandma's end of the week for a few days and have a couple busy weeks coming up with old friends coming out of teh woodwork wanting to do stuff never a dull moment lol people allways gotta bug me whenever I get busy with somthing I swear