Large Scale Central

WOW cost of brass track!

Track and Trestles
#21

Don,
Take it to Marty’s, I sold all the track i took down there last year.

#22
John Bouck said:
It's fine if you don't step on it. :) :) It moves (expands & contracts) more than any other track metal, But works great for Batt/RC layouts. If my layout was built up on benches like Richard of Port Orford, it would be aluminum tracked.
Even stainless doesn't stand up to deer, or, I suspect, absent minded wives.
#23

Jerry,

I took it down there last year. Some guy wanted to give me $35 for brand new 1600 switches.

Don

#24

Don,
That’s what they sold for when I got into the hobby back in the 90’s. Just sayin’…

Chas

#25

I paid $45.00 for Aristo “wide radius” (5 ft diameter) brass turnouts in 2002. I’m not sure what I paid for stainless # 6 Aristo switches when they came out, but I think it was within spittin’ distance of $100.00 each.

Now, I just roll my own.

#26

I guess that I really opened up a sore spot in the hobby with my original post. I also have noticed that none of the online suppliers run sales on the track. Trainlworld sends me ads almost every other day for all sorts of engines and rolling stock…never a sale on brass track! I asked them once and the reply was…I don’t know why we don’t offer sales on track?

Charles Ro Supply also doesn’t run sales on track…

#27

The price of track is a major reason (the econ being the biggest) why I suspect we have seen so few newbie threads on layout building in the last few years, the only ones doing it are guys that already had a stocked up supply and are reuseing it, the guys who are buying piecemeal a little at a time, or guys with Trust Funds. :wink:

#28

Yes, but even when the price of metal went down the cost of track stayed the same.

#29
Nico Corbo said:
Yes, but even when the price of metal went down the cost of track stayed the same.
Someone once said "Price increases are like herpes, once it happens, they never go away"

Sorry for that mental image and No, I never asked the sayer he was relating from personal experience…:open_mouth:

#30

Chas,

I have never seen the 1600 switch for $35.00, unless they are beat up junk.

Don

#31

Aristo has a yearly track sale, buy 4 boxes, get 5th one free, applies to any sale from any supplier.

Greg

#32
Greg Elmassian said:
Aristo has a yearly track sale, buy 4 boxes, get 5th one free, applies to any sale from any supplier.

Greg


This used to be a good way to stock up on track when you didn’t have to take out a loan to buy 4 boxes :smiley:

Fortunately I still have about a box left of track I bought 5 or more years ago, before the big increase started to hit.

#33

Don,
Way back when Large Scale was new, and the national LGB conention was in Buffalo NY they went for about that (manual , of course). I worked at Niagara Hobby back then.

Chas

#34

Chas,

I’m Pretty sure they never made the 1600 switch with a manual switch machine, just the 1200’s

Don

#35

I got “spoiled” when brass track was cheaper.

I’m buying aluminium track to replace my brass flex that I used in my train barn and on a storage shelf in the garage.

I need track for a siding for the mine processing mill and a second siding and I would have had to take out a second mortgage to pay for it! It’s time to recycle!

#36

A quick un-scientific comparison of track prices Stateside and here in the UK. I chose RLD for the American price as I know he is very competitively priced Stateside dealer. Likewise I chose a similarly very competitively priced UK dealer - in fact the one from whom I purchased most of my track some six years ago. The prices are for Aristo-Craft USA style brass track products but other makes, it seems, are broadly similar in price, though choice of manufacturer is more restricted in the UK and less readily available. Prices are based on todays on-line bank currency conversion chart.

ART 30195 60" straight - box of 6 USA $241.89 UK (dollar equivalent) $384.56

ART 30370/80 switch USA $55.89 UK (dollar equivalent) $ 97.49

#37

personally I’m not laying any more track ,but if I were i would think about making my own

#38
Greg Elmassian said:
Aristo has a yearly track sale, buy 4 boxes, get 5th one free, applies to any sale from any supplier.

Greg


Sadly, that generous offer does not apply to the UK, Aristocraft’s second largest market outside North America…

tac

#39
john papadonis said:
I visited Charles Ro Supply today in Malden, MA and purchased a total of about 45' of brass track and two manual aristocraft switches. The bill was a whopping $360+! I considered used on ebay, but people are getting top dollar for stuff that is worn.
Meh. You got it for nothing.

tac

#40

I visited Charles Ro Supply today in Malden, MA and purchased a total of about 45’ of brass track and two manual aristocraft switches. The bill was a whopping $360+! I considered used on ebay, but people are getting top dollar for stuff that is worn.

I live in Chatham, Ont. We can get brass AML flex track. A box has 12- 6' lengths = 72 feet for $400. The dealer loans out the dual rail bender for a week for free. Dealer is Pine St. Station, web is www.pineststation.com. You have to shop around to find the right price. Regards, Dennis.