Cliff Barker track

[Tom the blacksmith]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone is using Mr Barkers track and points, and could offer a review?

I was hoping he might have a stand at Peterborough so I could see it in the flesh but it doesn't look like he's attending.

Tom

[tom_tom_go]

Hi Tom,

I use his ASA injection moulded fish plates with Peco track and I am pleased with them (his stainless steel track was not available when I built my railway unfortunately).

[Soar Valley Light]

Hi Tom,

He's not been to Peterborough for the last two or three years, which is a shame. It's where I fist saw his products and was instantly hooked! I've been building my line using his components for about a year now and I've had track down for most of that time. I'm nowhere near finished yet but it's going well. I'm delighted with the appearance, standard and quality of the track. It's stood up to last Summer and this Winter without any ill effects.

I'm building my own turnouts using Cliff's components (mainly G1 scale stuff). He's working on a set of chairs for NG turnouts but it's a long term project. The G1 scale slide chairs and check chairs look ok. The S1 pattern common chairs are a wee bit small but I'm happy enough with the appearance, If I was starting out again I'd probably use what Cliff describes as 'bridge chairs' instead but as they say on Mastermind 'I've started so I'll finish'. Keeping to a standard is important for appearances sake to me. I built my own turnouts because I wanted to use my own design for the geometry. Although I'm using a standard design it does also allow me to design and build to suit specific locations where necessary. It's not difficult, just time consuming.

Like all track construction, getting the foundations right is critical, it's doesn't matter who's track you're using, if it's not sitting on a firm and level bed, there will be trouble ahead. Cliff's track is the most realistic I've seen anywhere so far for the price and simplicity of construction. Reading this back makes me sound like I'm on commission - I'm not! If you've any doubt get in touch with Cliff, he's very helpful.

All the best,

Andrew

[Tom the blacksmith]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the recommendation on the fish plates, that's one thing I haven't even started to think about. What were you reasons for opting for them over all the other types?

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for such a comprehensive review on the track, you have helped the decision making process much easier
I've just finished rereading your Charnwood Forest Light Railway thread, it's looking great, I doubt I'll attempt anything quite so ambitious. It was very useful to see a wagon on the track to get a real idea of scale. How hard is the track to work/curve? I find some grades hard to work, I forge welded 22 layers of stainless together to make our Damascus wedding rings, took 6 attempts to get it right

Tom

[tom_tom_go]

Hi Tom,

I like the look of them for a start:



They also hold the rail firmer in position compared to Peco fish plates and alleviate the dog leg problem as you can make adjustments to the position of the rail by sliding it back or forward.

Does that make sense?

[Tom the blacksmith]

Hi Tom,

That makes perfect sense, very interesting about the firmer hold over the peco fish plates.
Thank you for posting the picture , I completely agree, they do look very smart and it's really helpful to see them attached to track. Although Mr Barkers website is very informative it's difficult to get an idea of the scale of things from his pictures.

Tom

[Soar Valley Light]

Hello Tom,

Curving is very easy indeed. One thing that scales down from 12" to the foot scale to 16mm is the greater flexibility of bullhead rail. One of the reasons Birmingham New St was relaid with Bullhead S&C in the 70's was the better ability to achieve and maintain the tight radii through the junctions. The wide foot in a FB rail fights curving, with equal head and foot width on BH the problem is gone.

I've gone down as tight as 1320mm radius with my track, this has been achieved without any pre-curving, other than at the actual rail ends themselves. I'm a Pway man by profession and so highly critical of my own work. Poorly aligned curves make my teeth itch every bit as much as wavy straights. I've had no problems on that front despite hot summer and cold winter weather. My track is pinned down to filcriss runners about every four sleepers on the straights and every three sleepers on the curves. This increases to every other sleepers around the joints and on the tightest curves every sleeper for about three either side of the joints. The fixings moulded into Cliffs track are great for baseboard construction but a little fragile for outdoor use. The sleepers themselves are quite brittle and tacking through them can split them, I pop a pilot hole through with a 1/16thmm drill bit, since when I've had no trouble at all. The method has been flexilble enough for get several lengths of track down before going back and easing the pins to correct any cant errors by shimming under the sleepers.

Andrew

[Tom the blacksmith]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks again for such a thorough explanation . Well that's decision made then, I'll be joining you in using Cliff's track, just have to finalise the track design. I hope the track laying team does nothing to put your teeth on edge

Tom