I got a section of the new Bachmann track to try out. I model in 1:20.3 and the ties are about 7" wide, 6 1/2 ft long with a 22" spacing which is right on for Narrow gauge ties. The ties themselves have good wood grain detail and spike detail.
All in all great looking track.
Stan Ames
Stan Ames said:
I got a section of the new Bachmann track to try out. I model in 1:20.3 and the ties are about 7" wide, 6 1/2 ft long with a 22" spacing which is right on for Narrow gauge ties. The ties themselves have good wood grain detail and spike detail.All in all great looking track.
Stan Ames
Stan,
Do the spikes look like they will stand up to repetitive assembly and dis-assembly? I am thinking possibly for clubs that build layouts on site at shows. Are the joiners ‘Aristo’ style??
Bob C.
Bachmann track should be a good price in the UK as presumably they will buy direct from their factory and not have to import, as they do from American companies.
I look forward to the reply by Stan to Bob’s question about the track joiners. I must admit I like the Aristo track joiners with screws, even if they can be a pain from time to time. I have found that electrical continuity has never been an issue to me in over six years that my Aristo track has been laid. I have never had to apply some of the ‘grease’ type products, or soldered wire. that I often see recommended on various fora to ensure conductivity.
Since the earlier part of this post I have looked at the Bachmann UK web site. The UK prices are a fair bit less than the imported brass track - even if it is MRSP which many good dealers sell for less. I haven’t looked into USA price comparisons.
It is based on Euro tie spacing, had similar joiners to Aristo even to the hex screw which can be purchased separately. On reflection it may be Bachmanns attempt, given the high costs of track which after all is a basic necessity whatever scale of models you choose to run, to give some impetus to the large scale hobby.
On the bachmann board, there is a link to pictures but there are no dimensions listed. Based on what I normally see (track about 3.75" wide), the new track ties look wider, but I didn’t think they were twice as wide! Stan, photos, please.
Just looked at the Bachmann site. After checking the bag of stainless steel screws and the bag of rail joiners, I’m beginning to wonder whether this track is an “Aristo clone.” Those parts sure look close the Aristo Craft parts.
I suppose we will have to wait for an actual sample to confirm that.
Yours,
David Meashey
Mark Oles said:Reading comprehension test: The dimensions Stan gave are in prototype feet and inches, assuming 1:20 scale.
On the bachmann board, there is a link to pictures but there are no dimensions listed. Based on what I normally see (track about 3.75" wide), the new track ties look wider, but I didn't think they were twice as wide! Stan, photos, please.
His 7" WIDE (as in cross section, NOT length) prototype ties scale out to ~0.34 actual inches.
The LENGTH of the tie is given as 6-1/2’ on the prototype, or ~3.84 actual inches.
Those dimensions are very close to many prototype NG railroads and to Llagas Creek Railways narrow gauge ties.
As to the constant doom and gloom statements concerning track pricing, I just looked at Clem’s Warrior Run website and found the following track offered:
Code 250 Aluminum with NG ties: 6’ for $20.40, or about $3.40 / foot.
Couple that track with one of Del Tapparo’s G Scale Graphics’ controller for under $100, a less than $50 twin stick controller, some batteries and wiring, and you have a pretty affordable solution.
BTW, Clem’s Warrior Run Site invites you to contact them for the “best prices,” implying that he will deal some on pricing.
–AND–
Llagas Creek rail is made in the U.S.A.!!
Happy RRing,
Jerry
You can also get AMS code 250 brass flex track, about $190.00 per case of 12 pieces @ 5 foot long. For less than $ 3.20 per foot.
Randy:
Thanks for the AMS information. That is a great price, and solves a problem for folks that want to stay with track power.
Happy RRing,
Jerry
BTW that’s a Stateside price, but even up here north of the 49 I get it for $225. Still a helluva lot cheaper than any brass 332. I could not be building a RR if I had to pay 5 - 10 bucks a foot for track.
I think AMS 250 is the best buy out there. The only bad thing I have found with it is that you need a solid foundation
for it. If you are using it on the ground, I would recommend using concrete roadbed. Where my RR is all elevated I don’t have to worry about anybody or animals walking on it. After being outside a year or so, the rail weathers very good also.
I would agree with you Rodney as to a solid foundation. I have installed mine on VERY well supported in-ground ladder roadbed and all seems well. I don’t have critter problems though. And because where my layout is there is no reason for people to be walking on the track other than me, but I am careful not to.
Oh but the grandson decided to ‘walk the line’ when he was here for a visit. I ‘educated’ hime not to walk on the tracks and after checking for damage I found none.
P.S. I think we de-railed HJ’s thread somehow though. 
The Bachmann track is definitely not a copy of any other track on the market although there are similarities. For our railroad we use Stainless Steel as it holds up better over a long time as the track floats on gravel and is frequently stepped on. While I plan to put a few sections of the Bachmann track on my layout to see how it holds up, I am much more interested in the ties which hopefully in time they will offer as a separate product. I like the ties a great deal. The color of the ties is more of a dark brown than black. The joiners are similar but the holes are slightly different. You can use Aristo joiners on Bachmann track but the adjustable hole is very close to the inside end. The attachment screws for the joiners look to be the same. The bottom of the Bachmann joiners have small ridges that I believed are designed to hold on to the ties better when no screws are used. One nice aspect is that when you put two track pieces together the distance between the ties at the connection point is the same as between any two other ties. We operate in the winter and have found that some tie strips are very brittle in the cold. I put the Bachmann track in a freezer for a day and then hit it with a hammer. Took several very hard blows but I could eventually break off a piece. With other ties in the market a slight hit with a hammer will shatter the ties. Following are two pictures of the track. The first is a close up of the track showing the ties, the second is a photo showing a tie strip in comparison with an Aristo US tie and European tie. At the top I placed a short portion Bachmann ties next to Aristo ties to show that the Bachmann are longer. Hope that helps. Stan
(http://www.tttrains.com/largescale/images/bachmanntrack.jpg)
(http://www.tttrains.com/largescale/images/bachmannties.jpg)
Randy McDonald said:Nah, the thread got re-railed to the essentials i.e. one more go around for Elephant-proof track. And one more instance where there is [b]no progress [/b] to go with some of the progress aka 1:20.3
I would agree with you Rodney as to a solid foundation. I have installed mine on VERY well supported in-ground ladder roadbed and all seems well. I don't have critter problems though. And because where my layout is there is no reason for people to be walking on the track other than me, but I am careful not to. Oh but the grandson decided to 'walk the line' when he was here for a visit. I 'educated' hime not to walk on the tracks and after checking for damage I found none. P.S. I think we de-railed HJ's thread somehow though. :)
Progress would have been Code250 stainless steel track on a sturdy tie strip with an expanding selection of track components starting with roundy-round stuff to put in the starter sets.
Ohhhhh which starter sets?
These discussions are good since they illustrate so nicely the lack of progress - from the mfgs side - in the LS hobby. 
Would Bob Spring’s layout be in GMR if he would have built it with Code332 track?
Like many of us, I need track that can hold up to being stepped on, at least occasionally. I would love to have something that’s at least a little closer to scale though, but I don’t know how it could be done short of putting concrete roadbed under it.
Ray Dunakin said:Ray,
Like many of us, I need track that can hold up to being stepped on, at least occasionally. I would love to have something that's at least a little closer to scale though, but I don't know how it could be done short of putting concrete roadbed under it.
I use Llagas Code215 rail and their tie strips mounted on TREX ladder road bed and yes, I walk on the track where I need to. No problem (so far :O) Why Code 215? Because it is a very close scale match to what the RhB used in the era I model. BTW the Llagas nickel silver track is as tough as blazes, a real bear for any of the stuff that needs filing. That’s where my milling machine comes in as super-handy!
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:If they thought your idea of progress would translate into profits, I'm sure they'd jump on it. The only way to prove them wrong, is to step up, produce & distribute your own products ;) Ralph
they illustrate so nicely the lack of progress - from the mfgs side - in the LS hobby. ;) :)
I have not used code 250 rail and cannot speak about it, but I use code 332 brass flex-track. I would like to know how much code 250 moves with thermal expansion. Code 332 can move 1/4" in each direction off center and still be pretty much cross level. But since there is less metal to hold the track level, how much out of level does code 250 get after thermal expansion from noon day, over night and the next noon day?
Ron
As a rule, as far as I know, the thermal factors usually differ according to the materials.
Thanks for the pictures Stan. Much more detail than in the on-line catalog.
