After some track??

Post by **-steves-** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 10:26 am

I am looking to get some track for my increasing loco and stock but only have a handful of track at the moment.

I currently have Piko 45mm brass track and like this very much. i am having major problems getting hold of any, have they stopped making it or something? he I started looking round and thought the Accucraft 45mm track which is compatible would do the job, and I can;t find anyone with that in stock either. There are lots of places that advertise Piko track, but no one with any significant amount in stock, just the odd bit here and there.

What alternatives are there that are compatiable and where can I get some

Thanks

Keith S · Post by **Keith S** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:06 pm

If you're really stuck for track there is a place in the USA called "Sunset Valley" that sells track that looks quite like the Peco track. It has a smaller rail than LGB so it looks pretty narrow-gauge-y even in 45mm.

I don't know how much it would cost extra to have it shipped to England, and it seem odd to import 16mm scale railway stuff to England, but if you're stuck, there is a source of rail.

Also, he has rails in nickel, brass, and aluminum. I bought some aluminum rail and it was astonishingly inexpensive compared to the other kind. Maybe this would defray the expense of importing it, I don't know.

Worth a look, anyway.

Endless, Nameless · Post by **Endless, Nameless** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 5:14 pm

Piko and Peco G scale track is very different Keith. I'm afraid I don't know of a supplier of Piko track with good stocks- Dragon G Scale is always worth a try, if you haven't already done so- I'm aware there have been some quality issues with the points though.

If it is Peco you are after then Track Shack would be my first port of call, but alternatives are available...

Keith S · Post by **Keith S** » Wed Sep 07, 2011 9:22 pm

Oh, sorry, I don't really know much about either, they are very rare in Canada. At least where I am. The track I was suggesting is appropriate for 16mm use, I think, it's what I use, even though my engine is 45mm gauge, the Sunset guy makes 32mm as well, and is Roundhouse dealer too.

Anyway, good luck in your search for track.

James-Buzz · Post by **James-Buzz** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 12:22 am

Dragon g scale, gaugemaster and trackshack should all be able to supply peck 45mm track, being thinner rails they are not compatible with lgb or aristocraft.

Endless, Nameless · Post by **Endless, Nameless** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 6:47 am

James-Buzz:58486 wrote:Dragon g scale, gaugemaster and trackshack should all be able to supply peck 45mm track, being thinner rails they are not compatible with lgb or aristocraft.

We've just had this discussion- we're after PIKO here, not Peco... Piko is LGB compatible.

It appears Dragon is low on stocks of Piko which puts me at a bit of a loss!

Post by **-steves-** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 7:35 am

Well the good news is I now have this lot sorted out.

I ended up at TrackShack and got a circle of 16 x 4' radius and a box of 12 x 3' flexi track made by AMS. I also picked up some extra joiners and some track rail clamps, just in case. That little lot should be 100% compatible and should be enough to extend it a little for now

Happy steamings

bessytractor · Post by **bessytractor** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:18 am

let it be known Peco G-45 is compatible with LGB type track, Peco make adaptor fishplates to enable this.

Endless, Nameless · Post by **Endless, Nameless** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 12:23 pm

bessytractor:58489 wrote:let it be known Peco G-45 is compatible with LGB type track, Peco make adaptor fishplates to enable this.

It's adaptable. I wouldn't say it's compatible, the rail profiles are totally different.

bessytractor · Post by **bessytractor** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 12:56 pm

Endless, Nameless:58496 wrote:
bessytractor:58489 wrote:let it be known Peco G-45 is compatible with LGB type track, Peco make adaptor fishplates to enable this.
It's adaptable. I wouldn't say it's compatible, the rail profiles are totally different.

indeed, my steamers didn't get on with LGB as well as they did with Peco.

James-Buzz · Post by **James-Buzz** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 6:05 pm

Piko, Peco potato, potarto.................

timit · Post by **timit** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 4:44 pm

Hi
I am new to this group and really looking forward to getting involved in some of the discussions.
Regarding the sourcing of track.
This is probably a long shot, but a few years ago (6!) I was in the US at a conference looking at the Walthers website on computers kindly provided by the conference organisers (as one does rather than actually attending the seminars). There I noticed an advert for Peco gauge 1 track. Anyway, I ended up purchasing about 50 yds of it (4 boxes) at the bargain price of about 3.50 a yard+post. The downside to this was that the item had to be ordered by Walthers and was eventually delivered by sea. I think the sea shipping cost came to about 20 pounds and about 35 pounds import tax- so the total cost was about 200 pounds (not bad I though). Anyway about 6 weeks later I received the items at home (then Sweden). I guess the moral of this tale is (especially if you are not in a hurry!) to check everywhere if you are thinking of buying in bulk. If I can just add one comment, I would stay away from brass in the garden-it doesn't look great, its expensive and its a beggar to clean. I have had the Peco track down on my railway in Sweden for some years now with temperatures fluctuating between -25C and +25C and the track has behaved impeccably. Although I eventually turned to radio control (through sheer laziness and the fact that I was also running live steam) I can also vouch that the LGB motorized track cleaning locomotive makes a great job of keeping the track clean enough to run my then Märklin gauge 1 digital locomotives (which are fab and have good sound in analogue or digital mode). Anyway that's my pennyworth-I guess the discussion of brass v nickel silver track has been raised frequently before.
PS Alternatively I have used the signal box as a source for Peco track (points) in the UK.Maybe they sell other types too
best regards Timit

James-Buzz · Post by **James-Buzz** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 10:14 pm

brass track is tops for running leccy trains on, peco stuff oxidises and becomes poor at conducting electricity, the thicker surface area of brass track generally conducts better too.

If your running steam its matters not one bit.

timit · Post by **timit** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 10:50 pm

Hi James... thanks for that-yes maybe you are right. But the NS rail, I find, is easier to clean ...and I have used both outside..albeit in the very unforgiving Swedish climate
best regards
timit

Post by **-steves-** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 8:04 am

Well at the moment I have 3 makes of track, AML, PIKO and LGB, they are all 332 profile and all seem to join up very well. OK so the sleepers are different but I am yet to see 2 identical real sleepers anyway, and after a couple of winters I dare say I shall never know the difference. It does appear that once its down it may need some careful filing to make sure there are no "sticking out or in" joins in the track, but this is for any joint not just different make to different make, they will all be checked and filed where needed.

Very pleased with what I have managed to pick up so far, but I just have this niggling feeling its never going to be enough, no matter how much I buy, I just see person after person "upgrading" their lines, lol

Narrow Minded · Post by **Narrow Minded** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 9:26 am

-steves-:58722 wrote:I just see person after person "upgrading" their lines, lol :lol:

Or dismantling them!

Post by **-steves-** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 10:25 am

Narrow Minded:58726 wrote:
-steves-:58722 wrote:I just see person after person "upgrading" their lines, lol :lol:
Or dismantling them!

Tha doesn't sound good

Garden Railway Forum

After some track??

After some track??

sourcing garden railway track

re brass v nickel silver

Who is online