Polishing the brass rails for the first time.

[Bolendo]

Hullo Bob,

on my original layout, I used fish-plates, copper grease and the LGB 'dog bone' joiners that clip into the sleeper ends on the curves.

When I moved to Cambridge, I had room for a much longer run of trackage, and I brought some second hand track that was fitted with clamps.

So I opted to fit the new line with rail-clamps. I've used a mixture of Massoth, Hillman and other types, and some of the sidings still use fish-plates, dog bones and copper grease! My track floats on the ballast and is not fixed, but I would do so in your case.

I've mainly used LGB track, but I have some Train-line R2 points, as well as some Piko and ART, so the clamps help with joining these makes which although Code 332, do have slight differences in the profile. Due to space constraints at the bottom of the garden, I have a return loop which is double track R1/R2, but the rest of the Main Line is R3. Most of my Rolling Stock is thus medium size, so 2-6-2 steam locos, Bo-Bo diesels and shorter bogie wagons/coaches look best to my eyes, alongside shorter 0-4-0, 0-6-0 and 2 axle vehicles.

I see that there are lots of good tried and tested tips posted on your thread, like the Coca-Cola and brown sauce ideas since I last read this thread, and I commend these to you....

View attachment 281714

Great to see and hear what others do. I'm still exploring the site and its posts. Still to look through the "gallery". Love the stock here - much more stylish than anything produced recently in my opinion. I am trying to see if I can work in a double slip somewhere in my set-up, just to say I have one!

 

[Gizzy]

Thanks for all the positive tips. Much appreciated. I took delivery of the German class 64 today. To my relief, it negotiated the R1 curves without a problem, but I suspect it will be more of a cabinet trophy, to be taken out on high days and holidays, rather than a regular runner. I am happy just to run it up and down the straight section for now. My macaw graced the new arrival with an appropriate flypast.

Nice loco Bob!

As Piko R1 is the same radius as LGB R1, I didn't think you would have any issues, but it is a larger Standard gauge engine compared to my smaller metre Gauge Ballerina.

Most of my rolling stock is LGB narrow gauge German/Austrain/Swiss, but some of my more recent purchases have been Piko Standard gauge, the VT98 railbus and the VT5 TEE set.

But they look fine together, despite being different scales....

 

[Bolendo]

You will find that Clamps nicely lock you track together sorting out any dead spots. Massoth ones have a screw and tightening that is enough to clean some crud off the base of dirty rails. These days I do not bother to clean the rail base ends for this reason.

As for holding your track in place, as I think you are in a secure location it would be just fine to use either blocks of thin wood or plastic. Cut to fit between 2 sleepers and the in between width they will keep the track in place when either pinned or screwed to the baseboard. The depth needs to be sufficient to catch the webb below the rail. This pic shows a roughly pinned bit of rocket stick to show the concept. If you allow a few mm all round the block you get a bit of flexibility if required. Probably only needed every 2 feet or so.
View attachment 281702

Great idea. Interesting that some flexibility is a preferred option. Just like the real thing. I worked in BR's Civil Engineers on PWay, and also on the metre gauge tramway in Sintra, Portugal. I have bent a few rails in my time. Nice to be able to do stuff in miniature that doesn't break your back.

 

[Gizzy]

I am trying to see if I can work in a double slip somewhere in my set-up, just to say I have one!

The LGB DS is R3 (although some say R2) with an arc of 22.5 degrees, so you will need short 7.5 degree curves to use it with R1 30 degree track.

I had one on my line, but it caused derailments, so I locked up the blades using screws. I eventually replaced it with a diamond crossing.

A friend in Suffolk also had issues with his....

 

[Bolendo]

Nice loco Bob!

As Piko R1 is the same radius as LGB R1, I didn't think you would have any issues, but it is a larger Standard gauge engine compared to my smaller metre Gauge Ballerina.

Most of my rolling stock is LGB narrow gauge German/Austrain/Swiss, but some of my more recent purchases have been Piko Standard gauge, the VT98 railbus and the VT5 TEE set.

But they look fine together, despite being different scales....

I am amazed at how much variety there is in LGB, so true to life in both standard gauge and narrow gauge. I just wished I had thought about it earlier. Long story. I did all the DDR narrow gauge back in the 1980s. Beautiful little machines, and always so well-maintained. They were obviously proud of what they had. It is also a testimony to their love for their little railways that so much has survived and seems to thrive in an ever-competitive profit-orientated world. Anyway I guess we should stick to chatting about models.

 

[Bolendo]

Have a look through this thread that shows plenty of modified and scratch built trams.

Trams made in Wuppertal / G scale

Last Wednesday, July 22nd, 2020 we defied Corona and met three friends in BreckerfeldWe were happy to do this. In return, we brought new models for testing.. Kurt had invited us to test his new tracks in the garden. We were happy to do this. In return, we brought new models for testing. Here...

www.gscalecentral.net

Thanks for that.

 

[Gizzy]

I am amazed at how much variety there is in LGB, so true to life in both standard gauge and narrow gauge. I just wished I had thought about it earlier. Long story. I did all the DDR narrow gauge back in the 1980s. Beautiful little machines, and always so well-maintained. They were obviously proud of what they had. It is also a testimony to their love for their little railways that so much has survived and seems to thrive in an ever-competitive profit-orientated world. Anyway I guess we should stick to chatting about models.

No, chat about the real railways is fine.

And also about your work on the PW too?

Very few of us on this site have ever worked on the railways. I can only think of a handful....

 

[dunnyrail]

I am amazed at how much variety there is in LGB, so true to life in both standard gauge and narrow gauge. I just wished I had thought about it earlier. Long story. I did all the DDR narrow gauge back in the 1980s. Beautiful little machines, and always so well-maintained. They were obviously proud of what they had. It is also a testimony to their love for their little railways that so much has survived and seems to thrive in an ever-competitive profit-orientated world. Anyway I guess we should stick to chatting about models.

Oh did you do the Selktalbahn and have you any pictures to post of that line? Always interested in a ything from the 80’s for that line particularly anything that shows mixed trains.

 

[Bolendo]

Oh did you do the Selktalbahn and have you any pictures to post of that line?

Yes I went there a few times, and walked a good part of the lower route. I didn't take many photos as I was concentrating on Super 8mm sound cine. I got some nice lineside images. Although I have it all digitalised now, my editing software is out of date, PC technology advancing fast, and obliging expensive updates. I had a channel on Youtube with some films posted, but deleted the channel following a lot of my films turning up edited, stripped of my name and appearing under other author's credit. I need to update my software, do some work, and perhaps post again on here. I don't know if this site accepts links to films?

 

[dunnyrail]

Yes I went there a few times, and walked a good part of the lower route. I didn't take many photos as I was concentrating on Super 8mm sound cine. I got some nice lineside images. Although I have it all digitalised now, my editing software is out of date, PC technology advancing fast, and obliging expensive updates. I had a channel on Youtube with some films posted, but deleted the channel following a lot of my films turning up edited, stripped of my name and appearing under other author's credit. I need to update my software, do some work, and perhaps post again on here. I don't know if this site accepts links to films?

Yes links via YT work as you can see in my link below. Not sure what you have software wise but the ability to watermark across a YT vid may help. Sadly there are people that will copy your content. Be happy to see whatever you gave done on the Selkt, just for my own use.

 

[dunnyrail]

Going back to my post 18 where I suggested that cleaning rail ends was unnecessary I have some proof here where I have taken out some clamps to remove a bridge for some plant cutting. Note the shiny bits where the screws have bitten into the rail. I bit of LgB Glug on the clamps when new and you are good to go with dirty track ends and new squeeky clean clamps.

 

[Bolendo]

A quick look at the view before it is spoiled by the overhead wires going up.

 

[dunnyrail]

A quick look at the view before it is spoiled by the overhead wires going up.

Nice to be able to have a background for pics that are not almost entirely a wooden fence, that view cannot be spoilt even if you string up the washing line as I call overhead.

 

[Paul M]

A quick look at the view before it is spoiled by the overhead wires going up.

Marvellous