Large Scale Central

Best Method for Inserting Rail into Tie Strips?

Track and Trestles
#1

I just received a box of 400 Llagas Creek brown plastic tie strips (1:20.3 narrow gauge) in the mail yesterday. Each strip is 9 inches long and contains 8 ties. Now all I need to do is insert 600 feet of code 215 aluminum rail into the strips to make 300 feet of new track.

Up until now, I have hand-spiked my pre-painted rail to cedar ties. I just want to use this new track to temporarily complete one of my loops. I’ll use it on the back side of the layout where it will not be so visible. What, if any, lubricant should I use to make threading the rail into the strips easier? I assembled two six-foot long sections last night; one using pre-painted rail and the other using plain unpainted rail. I used a bit of dish soap on the rails. The unpainted rail slid in a little bit easier, but not by much. Do you recommend painting the rail first, or after it is inserted into the tie strips? Any tips and tricks are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Bob

#2

Try WD 40.

#3

This is how I do it

http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/html/track_02.html

Plenty of WD40 and make sure the ends are burr-free. I use a wire wheel in the bench grinder to clean up the ends. But I use NS rail, Alu may take a finer wheel.

#4

Make sure there isn’t any burrs on the end of the rail you are trying to poke through. (You can taper the foot just a bit with a file, if you want.) Start both rails at the same time. I used Dawn soap as a lubricant instead of WD-40. A little dab from a Q-tip on each tie plate.

#5

Bob,

at one time there was a Jig made specifically for Llagas Creek tie strip. I believe that it held the ties parallel to each other while you thread the rail thru. this tie strip is known to be tight. think you could make one pretty quick using a flat board and some cut scale lumber nailed down to hold the ties. I always try to paint the rail first.

Al P.

#6

I would think WD40 would get messy.

I also think painting the rails before would be cleaner but it would make it harder to slide the rails in.

Is there a way you could secure the ties then use a little hammer to tap in the rails?

#7

WD 40 is not “Plastic compatible”…at least some plastics do not appreciate it…be aware…

#8

Just use dish washing, liquid detergent…

#9

Anybody remember the DVD aristo made of the factory? Those guys had the rails upside down and were just sliding the strips on as if it was nothing. Takes me forever to get the fiddly things on.

I agree with Fred. You don’t want WD40 near your trains.

#10

Al Pomeroy said:

Bob,

at one time there was a Jig made specifically for Llagas Creek tie strip. I believe that it held the ties parallel to each other while you thread the rail thru. this tie strip is known to be tight. think you could make one pretty quick using a flat board and some cut scale lumber nailed down to hold the ties. I always try to paint the rail first.

Al P.

Or, if you don’t wanna go to all that trouble, just place an unused strip upside down under the tie strip your feeding the rail into. The upside down ties will fit fit between the right side up ties. Do the same thing for the next tie strip.

And WD-40 won’t hurt them, it’ll wash off in the first rain.

#11

Bob - I use Sunset Valley RR code 250 nickel-silver rail with tie strips. No matter what rail material, you need to deburr the bottom of the foot of the rail first using a file or fine sand paper. I also round the corners of the foot a very small amount. It will make a noticeable difference when threading the ties. As a lubricant, I use a plastic compatible oil such as Mobil One or similar synthetic oil. Apply the oil to a rag and run the foot (top and bottom) of the rail through the rag.

RE painting the rail - I would think painting the rail prior to inserting the ties would make it more difficult. Have you considered using Birchwood Casey ‘Aluminum Black’, Metal Finish or ‘Plum Brown’, Barrel Finish?

Jerry

#12

Al Pomeroy said:

Bob,

at one time there was a Jig made specifically for Llagas Creek tie strip. I believe that it held the ties parallel to each other while you thread the rail thru. this tie strip is known to be tight. think you could make one pretty quick using a flat board and some cut scale lumber nailed down to hold the ties. I always try to paint the rail first.

Al P.

I made a jig from some pine - specifically for the very snug Llagas strips.

BTW the strips I use, “G”, hold theC215 track at precisely 45.00 with a +0.1mm tolerance that’s what I call accuracy! None of that general slop that one encounters too often!

#13

Use vegetable oil, the ants will clean it for you.

#14

WD-40 used to be fish oil, now it’s typical refined stuff…

So, you will find advocates and haters… and it can be based on the 2 different versions of WD40… personally I would not use it around plastic and especially around paint.

Tom: the “spikes” and “tie plates” on aristo track do NOT hold the rail in place and are really there just for looks, it’s the screws that maintain the gauge, so it’s really easy to thread Aristo rail into Aristo tie strips. (removal is easy too, just wait 5 years and the ties remove themselves!)

:wink:

Greg

#15

I have the comb-looking jig described above, and used Armor All instead of WD-40. Also helps to clean up the end of the rail you’re leading with using a file first … but not strictly necessary. Oh, and avoid applying enough force to stab yourself in the hand if something slips … don’t ask how I know that.

If you can’t find the comb jig, you’re welcome to borrow mine; I now buy all my Llagas assembled because to me it’s worth the extra little bit not to have to do this!

Matthew (OV)

#16

I have Sunset Valley RR code 250 aluminum rail with tie strips and used techniques similar to Jerry’s. I did spray paint my rail sides prior to assembly and had little difficulty with sliding the tie strips onto the rail. I didn’t find it necessary to use any lubricant and it took about 10 minutes or so to do a complete section. In hindsight, a bit of lubrication would have probably made it easier and I would have opted for something like dilute liquid dish detergent.

I did the assembly on a large flat work surface. Once the first two rails were threaded in to a section by about 4 or 5 ties I just placed them on the surface and holding the rails against a stop I just sort of pushed/wiggled the strips onto the rail. I only had to do 160 feet and was completed in about four hours or so total with a few breaks thrown in. About the only issue is that my fingertips were quite sore by the end of this exercise.

#17

Gregg, that’s odd. I had removed all the screws from my Aristo track so I could bend it. I have been running my railroad since 2002 with very few problems. Most of them were self induced, because I didn’t have a rail-bender when I built the railroad. I do now, and its so much better then bending stainless steel rail by hand (foot).

As for putting on ties, or pulling wires through cables, or whatever. I usually use scrubbing bubbles as my lubricant. I always have a can of it around, it works well and its safe for plastic.

#18

I must be the odd man out. I just filed the end edges a bit (i don’t care for the term deBURR) then fed one rail into all the ties then fed the other rail in. I didn’t use lubricant of any kind. Granted the aristo does go in easy but the ams stuff is fairly tight. Is Llagas that snug?

David, I don’t use the aristo screws either.

Terry

#19

Terry, I used them, just not to hold the ties on. I shortened some and used them to hold the feeder wire ring terminals to the bottom of the rails when I built the railroad. As things are repaired, and the failed Aristo joiners are being replaced, I just put the ring terminals on the rail-clamps.

#20

Bob Hyman said:

I just received a box of 400 Llagas Creek brown plastic tie strips (1:20.3 narrow gauge) in the mail yesterday. Each strip is 9 inches long and contains 8 ties. Now all I need to do is insert 600 feet of code 215 aluminum rail into the strips to make 300 feet of new track.

. . .
Do you recommend painting the rail first, or after it is inserted into the tie strips? Any tips and tricks are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Bob

Bob,
I put together a 20 x 50 layout using Llagas tie strips and code 250 rail. Yes, as everyone said, you need to clean the end and relieve the corners a bit to make the rail easy to insert.

I made a jig to hold the ties parallel, otherwise they twist and snag the rail as you insert it, Hans looks to have the best one! Mine (for the old black ties) looked like this:

I painted the rail first - otherwise you can’t avoid painting the ties the same color. which looks wrong (I think.)

I did not use much lubricant. Soap works, so does 3-in-1 oil, but I found that with the jig I didn’t need any lubricant.

I did curve the rails as needed before insertion with a single rail bender.