Steve Featherkile said:
Bob McCown said:
My biggest error so far is going with AMS track. The ties are NOT UV-stable, and a lot of my ties are greying and brittle. I’m not real happy.
Paint the ties.
That’ll work for any new stuff I put down (which isnt going to be much) but existing track is crumbling and have to be re-tied. That’s a giant PITA.
Bob McCown said:
Steve Featherkile said:
Bob McCown said:
My biggest error so far is going with AMS track. The ties are NOT UV-stable, and a lot of my ties are greying and brittle. I’m not real happy.
Paint the ties.
That’ll work for any new stuff I put down (which isnt going to be much) but existing track is crumbling and have to be re-tied. That’s a giant PITA.
Have you tried complaining to Accucraft? Seems that might be worth a shot.
I’ve had a lot of them fade, but none of them are brittle.
Ken Brunt said:
I’ve had a lot of them fade, but none of them are brittle.
That’s right, I had forgotten. I wonder what the difference is? I haven’t seen any signs of fading on mine, but both you and Bob have; very strange.
Bruce, isn’t your layout primarily in the shade?
Steve Featherkile said:
Bruce, isn’t your layout primarily in the shade?
Well, I do have some big oaks over it, but a lot of it does get direct sun.
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
David,
That’s what happens when you scale 1:29 and then the 1:1 deluge moves in. But , the culvert sure looks the proper size.
Hans, that “deluge” disabled and caused major damage to a major 4 lane road here in Pittsburgh. In fact, witnesses said that the water rushing through the overfilled storm drains, blew the manhole covers up into the air. So, my puny little railroad suffered a few feet of washed out track, I think I got away lucky. But it illustrates the need to plan for proper drainage, and to maintain the drainage once its installed. I planned for it, but I didn’t maintain it. I still don’t know for sure where the original pipe ended up.
Bruce Chandler said:
Bob McCown said:
Steve Featherkile said:
Bob McCown said:
My biggest error so far is going with AMS track. The ties are NOT UV-stable, and a lot of my ties are greying and brittle. I’m not real happy.
Paint the ties.
That’ll work for any new stuff I put down (which isnt going to be much) but existing track is crumbling and have to be re-tied. That’s a giant PITA.
Have you tried complaining to Accucraft? Seems that might be worth a shot.
I sent them an email last year when I started noticing this, but never heard back. Once the snow clears off everything Im going to measure bad track, take pictures, and email them again. They’re supposed to have a lifetime warranty.
Most of my accucraft ties are ok but the odd one here and there went bad. My stuff is all 332 though. Again I wish I would have really started with 250.
Terry
My AMS ties are very brittle, with over 200 feet of track that has needed ties replacing or will be needed soon. At the moment I cut out some AMS ties, and place timber ties nailed to keep track width.
Is it easier to replace AMS ties with new AMS or use timber?
Andrew
Sandbar & Mudcrab Railway
“Timber ties”…what in heck are timber ties…?
I suppose you mean that you used some type of wood ties, but the type of wood you used can make a great difference in how long they last too. Basswood would not be a wise choice, while Western red Cedar would be better…’’’
A lot of the problems with all of the plastic ties could be avoided with more dependable roadbed. Even the real railroads have trouble with ties laid on poor roadbed.
I have been using all makes of plastic ties, since way back in the 80’s, and with temperature swings from + 100 to- 30, but with a firm roadbed of PT 2X lumber, and have had no problems…I guess I must be doing something wrong…please help me…
Wood is for burning. Timber is for crafting.
Andrew
Down here in Australia we used to use Red Gum for ties or “sleepers” as we call them.
Soft to work with when cut but hardens to the point of having to drill a hole to place a nail into.
Many timber workers dont like useing there tools on seasoned weathered red gum.
I will probably use treated pine cut from garden lattice work using the Sandstone & Termite Railway method for track work using existing brass rail.
http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/satr/track.htm
Andrew
Sandbar & Mudcrab Railway
Alas, Fr. Fred. We’ll pray for you.
Yesterday I started planning a redo of my one curve. I had a hand-laid switch that feeds that track back onto the main, and that switch can get a bit cranky sometimes. To fit an Aristo wide radius switch there, I need to open up the curve a bit. This also lets me replace the one section that was made up with odds and ends. Again that area can be troublesome sometimes. So I laid out a 5 foot radius arc on my driveway, in chalk, and bent up a few curves out of 5 foot straight track. They are a bit too wide for that area so I laid out a 4 foot radius arc, and the one piece of track I bent up looks like it will work just fine. I bent up another one to complete the curve, carried it to the backyard and discovered that I had made a right hand curve when I needed a left hand curve. 
So its time for a break. 
Turn it around!?!
Huh. I will have to see if that will work.
It would be easier then bending it the other way. Oh well, its dark out there now. Maybe tomorrow.
My biggest error in track at first was not having any.
Then the biggest error was having too many conflicting types but I have a collection all bought for a little more than a song compared to full price. I still have not decided what to use in ‘the grand plan’.
My latest acquisition is AMS but it sounds like I will need to paint the ties with UV inhibiting paint so they don’t crumble outside. Longevity concerns me.
Andrew
Two errors, building on the ground, here in Sunny Western Washington the State plant is Green Moss and it takes over everything! That is one, the other is being in a hurry and not setting the concrete forms level and on a gentle grade. I have two problem areas due to that error. I’d show you a picture but I have a hard time dealing with that operation!
Paul