Here is the link Mark:
I too waited for Aristo to come out with stainless. At the time, I didn’t know anyone else had stainless. I am glad I did, a quick wipe with a damp rag on the pole sander and the track is ready for another session. As for joints, I over-killed the railroad by running bus wires alongside the tracks, and connecting a feeder to each rail. I also used 5 foot long rails. 12 years later and I still don’t have any electrical problems, even though some joints are still held together with them El-Cheepo rail-joiners.
I agree, start with what you have and start having fun. You can expand as money and acquisitions allow.
Just another 2 cents from someone else in Da Burgh.
If I felt like taking the time and trouble to change out all my track I could probably double the amount of track I have by selling off my stainless in favor of aluminum. I was originally track power (with only a few electrical connection points and mostly just the Aristo joiners) and as David said, it works great with very little help. I’ve since pulled the plug and gone 100% battery or live steam so I really no longer need the expensive track.
Do trolleys and man-cars come in battery?
Nothing “comes” in battery, need conversion. Battery has advantages and disadvantages. Research carefully before making a decision.
If the advice you get is all pro or con, get some different advice.
Greg
Greg Elmassian said:
Nothing “comes” in battery, need conversion. Battery has advantages and disadvantages. Research carefully before making a decision.
If the advice you get is all pro or con, get some different advice.
Greg
Amen to that Greg. It’s not all one sided - there are pros and cons to anything you pick.
To add to Greg’s tip, I would suggest talking to somebody in person about their choice - people talking are a lot more candid about the cons than they are in a post.
Mark Demyan said:
So for places to purchase I now have:
Reindeer Pass RailroadOther Recommendations:
G Scale Junction - Anyone deal with them?
Don’t forget Robby. http://www.rldhobbies.com
He has excellent prices too.
There is a battery set available, LGB is marketing one.
Then there is the Lionel Polar express
And Playmobil made several ones in the past.
Also, there are cheapo sets at toy stores.
When Greg stated no battery locos are made, he was not referring to these toylike trains but more realistic ones.
Even Erector made a kit Hudson found at places like toys R us.
Thanks for the correction Dan, yes I did mean “non toy” stuff, but I should have qualified it.
I am not familiar with the LGB battery set though, do you have a picture? Wondering what loco is used.
Thanks, Greg
Here you go with the LGB battery set
It’s part of the revamped Toy Train line. Complete with plastic track and and and
Wow, yeah not really prototype huh 
The jump has been made!
I was at H&R Trains in Pinellas Park, FL yesterday and I made some decisions and some purchases.
I decided to go with brass track using track power and DCC.
I bought enough 10’ flex track to do the whole layout to minimize the number joints and to be able to navigate around the landscaping better.
I will be using Split Jaws connectors in place of the standard slip on connectors. I got a tube of conductive paste to apply to each connector.
For power I am going with the LGB MTS 55106 Type III, I like having the wiring permanently in place to the power pack inside and using the remote outside to control the trains. I didn’t want to have to keep taking the power pack in and out every time I wanted to run the train and connect and unconnect the wiring each time.
My wife Teresa also picked out a few cars too.
Everything will be shipped to Pittsburgh late next week. In the mean time I will have to go buy the gravel and composite board to mount the track on then start the process of digging filling cutting and laying… let the fun begin!!!
Randy Lehrian Jr. said:
Mark D, When you settle on what track you want I have a good rail bender you can borrow to shape it. You'll have too much sticker shock from the rail purchase to want to invest in a bender too.
Thanks Randy I will be taking you up on this offer as I committed to flex track yesterday. I will be looking for guidance from anyone who has advice on bending flex track.
Mark, looks like you are purchasing almost exactly the set up I have had and used successfully for about 12 years - except for one thing: Do NOT use the conductive paste! You don’t need it. The Split Jaws will give you quite adequate conductivity. The paste will only work its way from the joints to the track, gum it up, and give you irritating track cleaning problems.
If you have a problem with a Split Jaw connection now and then, just take a file to it and the track ends and clean them up.
Ditto what Art said. When I ran track power, using Hillmans, I never had an electrical conductivity problem. I did drop 18g feeder wires every six connections, though. That is connections, not feet. No paste, ever. Messy.
Congrats on the leap! Can’t wait to see it go together. Don’t worry about the bending process. Super easy tighten the knob and roll it back and fourth a bit. Repeat until it’s the diameter you want.
The conductive paste is not really conductive, it’s most likely lithium grease with graphite.
But, that does indeed help keep moisture and dirt out, split jaw clamps are great, but I have experimented with greasing some of them, and the connections hold up better, even with SS rail and SS clamps, over the years, like over 5 years.
So go ahead and grease away, just a little bit in the “grooves” where the rail base goes, where the conductivity is. It’s a little extra insurance, and easy to do at assembly time.
No reason to use lots, but it will make a good setup a bit better.
Greg
Respectfully, Greg, I did the same experiment, and did not notice any improvement in condutitivity I did notice an increase in the attraction of dirt and rocks to the joint. Grease applied sparingly.
Hmm, I agree with a little attraction of grit and dirt to any grease that is exposed, but I figure it’s better that it’s on the surface of the grease rather than working down into the clamp and rail.
I’ve looked at this carefully, and it’s like ice splitting rocks by getting into crevices, but it’s rocks getting into the crevice between the rail and the joiner.
I have very few issues with conductivity, but I’ve had a few here and there, and cannot explain them, so I put a bit of “NoAlox” in some joints 5 years ago. I also put it on the threads.
One thing is that I don’t have issues with SS screws galling or seizing in the SS joiner, and when I pull the joint apart and wipe the grease off, it is really clean and shiny. Some of the non-treated joints have some blackening or discoloration.
So, there’s the experience I have in pretty long term usage. Now, figuring that brass is more sensitive to oxidation, I figure it at least could not hurt.
Maybe it’s also dependent on heating and cooling cycles, contaminants in the air, etc.
There’s all I know first hand on my RR. Grease in joiners down here helps on regular joiners too from my inspection of other layouts.
Regards, Greg
Excuse me for answering the question asked, and not all the answers to questions not asked. The BEST place to find a good price on track is your local Garden Railroad Club. Ours has been selling used code 332 brass rail for $2/foot as is.
It goes fast that way. In fact, I just sold over 170 feet to the Portland Rose Garden RR Society.
I’ve also got about 100 feet of code 332 aluminum rails (no ties), that I could part with for $1.50 per foot plus shipping.
Showing how smart we are is not the same as answering a simple question.
Sorry, back to your games.