Ok Ive been out of the tack market for a while and seems like all my old suppliers are gone…l…anyone know where i can get Code 250 AL rail and tie strips reliably these days?
Also consider Micro engineering. but be aware that the rail base between there’s and Llagas are different sizes and are not compatible. so you need to pick one and stick with it. Sunset valley is another.
Al P.
Llagas is back in the running. New owner is awesome and gets stuff out fast. I have been pleased so far.
Bought both 250 rail and tie strips from Llagas, great results.
Robbie also has a good deal
My two sense if Micro Engineering tie strips are still being considered.
I bought some Micro Engineering code 250 nickel silver rail with flexible tie strips back in the 90’s. I put together many 3 ft. sections with 8’ radius sectional curves. Painted the sides of the rails a dark rust color and it looks beautiful. I set up this track in my living and dining rooms on carpet a couple of times a year. Unfortunately, ME didn’t (and still don’t) make switches to match their tie strips. Micro Engineering tie strips are very realistic looking, but unfortunately, after rail is inserted into them, the track is not robust. When stepped on, even by small children, the plastic spike heads will break and the ties will separate from the rail. I don’t think the tie strips, especially with aluminum rail attached, would hold up well outdoors. If a person or large animal inadvertently steps on the track, either the soft aluminum rails would bend easily and separate from the ties and/or the ties would just break away. No telling how the ties would hold up under UV and hot temperatures outdoors. If Micro Engineering track is used indoors with a solid sub-roadbed foundation, I believe it would hold up adequately. But if the track is slightly floating or laying on the ground unsecured and there’s give or gaps underneath the track and it’s subjected to excessive weight or force (like falling dirt or large rocks or being stepped on) it will break easily. I think ME had to keep the molded spike head profiles small to stay in scale and for clearance of wheel flanges.
When I get my permanent layout going, I will go with Llagas Creek track and switches. I have a few samples, but others here could answer to their assembled track’s ruggedness in an outdoor layout. I know code 250 rail fits VERY snugly into their ties strips. While Sunset Valley tie strips look good (visually very close to ME’s tie strips) I see that there are less ‘spike heads’ per tie than the Llagas and ME tie strips have. I also like the realistic tie plates in the Llagas track. But…I don’t think anything out there can hold up to the strength of good ol’ LGB code 332 track!
Here’s a good track discussion, complete with pictures of the ME and Llagas Creek track:
http://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/22951/track-spiking-laying-question
The Llagas ties are nice, but if you’re going with the “1:20” ties, you may want to consider buying the pre-assembled track. I used their stuff on my previous railroad in upstate NY. The tie strips are a VERY tight fit on the rails; so tight that I was stringing them on 2 ties at a time, with lots of soapy water to assist. They used to sell a “tie slider” which would help with assembly, but that only worked marginally well, and only when assembling the sections on a table. It didn’t work at all when laying track in place on the railroad.
Beyond that, I loved their track. The ties withstood upstate NY winters without any breakage, and even with the occasional hose catching the floating track and pulling it out of the ground, the ties didn’t pop off the rails. Good stuff.
Later,
K
Thanks Kevin,
Thats good advice to know.
Well I still have some AMS tiestrips left…and whats down right now is on AMS i Also still have a Mix of Llagas and 3-4 other manufactuers rail in play that i bought over the years so i figger there will be some cussin and fussin that goes along with it, but I’m no stranger to doing things the hard way!
Might could oughter help to grind smooth ‘dog ears’ on the rails to help them open the gaps that and a ‘plastic safe’ shot of silicon lube to ease the way.
John
I have what maybe a stupid question but I have to ask in case I am missing something. What would be the reason, if there is one, besides the modest cost savings for buying the components instead of per-assembled track. Llagas advertises its code 250 aluminum assembled track for 21.50 per 6ft section, two rails and enough tie strips to do a 6 foot section is 17.80 a savings of 3.70 per section. That’s 60 bucks per hundred feet which unless your budget is real tight doesn’t seem awful expensive compared to the time and hassle to assemble it. Don’t get me wrong I am on a tight budget as most of us are and if this is a difference maker for someone then I get it and there is nothing wrong with saving money by applying elbow grease.
Now with that said I can see an issue if one does not have access to a double bender. Is that the main issue? Or am I missing something else all together as to why a person would prefer unassembled track. Obviously I am ruling out those not using tie strips and hand laying that’s a different fruit.
Shipping cost weighs into it, too. Rail can be shipped cheaply in a tube, and the ties in a smaller box. Assembled track takes up much more space than the component parts.
That makes sense. And that would certainly also effect the price per section. Good point.
Or they do like I do, buy tie strips from one outfit and the rail from another.
When you’re assembling your own track, you can stagger your rail joints. This arguably makes for stronger joints since only one rail is broken and the other is solid opposite it. When I built my line in upstate NY, that’s how I went about building it. If your track is just floating in the ballast, it definitely adds strength if you catch the rail somehow and pull the track out of the ballast. (In theory, at least. I never tested that…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif) ) It’s definitely a bit more work since you’re stringing the ties on one rail, then string the other rail on the ties, then back and forth again. (Hence why I was doing it 2 ties at a time.)
I’m using AMS pre-assembled track on my current line. (It was cheaper, and I wanted the brass rail so it would weather naturally and I wouldn’t have to paint it.) For that, I laid each section one after another with no staggering of the joints except on the curves as the inside rail would extend out as you went around. The maximum offset was probably around 6" or so, though, due to the placement of switches, etc. My track here is screwed down to a subroadbed, so I can’t say if there’s any difference in strength at the joints or not. I also find myself using rail clamps in more places to combat expansion and contraction. With the slip-on joints, the rail contracts, gravel gets into the joint, then when the rail expands, it doesn’t close the gap and the track works outwards. I’ve got a few curves which are problematic.
Later,
K
And the clamps from someplace else?
Split-Jaw. I’ve picked them up 2nd-hand here and there, and am replacing the slip-on joiners as routine maintenance dictates.
Later,
K
All good info thanks guys.
Kevin Strong said:
Split-Jaw. I’ve picked them up 2nd-hand here and there, and am replacing the slip-on joiners as routine maintenance dictates.
Later,
K
Kevin, yes I am doing the same. I started with Hillman’s, but they too are failing. The Split Jaw’s are the clamps I use now.
Kevin Strong said:
“When you’re assembling your own track, you can stagger your rail joints. This arguably makes for stronger joints since only one rail is broken and the other is solid opposite it”.
Later,
K
No argument there. It’s also more realistic, like the real railroads do it. Kinda hard to do with sectional track, but if you’re doing it with separate ties and rail, that’s the way to go. Kevin, not sure you do this, but when it comes to switches, I think most people just fit the whole switch assembly in place as a piece of sectional track. Have you ever seen (particularly with a hand-laid switch) someone install one long 3ft. or 6ft. solid rail through the ‘common’ non-turnout side of the switch? Your tie strips of course will remain sectional, but I think the more realistic approach is to have the track, particularly the rail, look as continuous as possible. Does that make sense?