For T Gauge Tinkerers only...

[DKS]

As a proof-of-concept exercise, I have handlaid properly-scaled 1:450 track. The "rail" (steel wire) scales out to 6.5 inches high, which is well within the range of real rail. While the ties on the test track are crude, overall they average out close to the mark; with better precision, they'd be right on the money. Wheels roll just fine; flanges are ~.010 and the rail is .015.

A comparison with the commercial roadbed track:



More photos and a complete description of the process are here:

http://1-450.blogspot.com/2008/08/handlaid-t-gauge-track.html

[Dave V]

Here's David interviewing with the model press on plans to handlay a basement empire in T gauge...

[Chris333]

You even peeled back the copper  

Somewhere there is a guy making straight jackets and you are keeping him in business!!!   ;D

[Chris333]

LOL I was making my post at the same time as Dave. 

Guess I was right on the mark  :-*

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Yeah, David, you are a maniac.

It's awesome and inspiring.

[Sokramiketes]

Very nice proof of concept.  I'd be leery of spending that much time to lay music wire though, as I've found the stuff rusts rather quickly.  Paint on the sides of the "rail" helps, and regular cleaning may prevent it forming on top.  I just have bad experiences with music wire rusting in a carrier tube for turnout controls.

I suspect the Eishindo rail is a lead alloy steel, like the 2mm society stuff.  So it shouldn't have problems with rust.

Another option, and one that I note your buddies over at Radcliffe Wire offer, is Nickel.  Magnetic, corrosion resistant, and could be special ordered as flat rail again. 

I'm tempted to order some at .015"x.050" or so, and embed it in slots in styrene ties to leave about .020" high rail exposed.  Like the old Carlisle & Finch strap rail and slotted wood ties from the turn of the previous century. 



Loop and pin couplers and strap rail... T gauge is taking us back to our pre-Lionel roots!

[DKS]

Yeah, I was wondering about the rusting problem as well. Not sure if I want to invest in another spool of nickel wire, though. Minimum order of $300-400 for probably around 10,000-12,000 feet... I'd be sure to order full hard if I did; half-hard is way too soft. That's one nice aspect of the steel: it can take a lot more abuse during assembly.

As for slotted ties, the slots would need to be .010-.015, which does not sound very easy to accomplish with anything but a CNC machine. The .025 slots needed to make ties were bad enough.

Anyway, I'm on to my next project: a 40' boxcar in T.

BTW, love that image, Dave. Probably not too far off the mark...

[Mark5]

Shouldn't that be "T Scale"? 

Looks very good!

[tom mann]

I bet that there is a guy somewhere (maybe in CA, but who knows?) who has access to a laser and can cut ties prenotched for the flatwire/rail.

 

[Sokramiketes]

Yeah, I was wondering about the rusting problem as well. Not sure if I want to invest in another spool of nickel wire, though. Minimum order of $300-400 for probably around 10,000-12,000 feet... I'd be sure to order full hard if I did; half-hard is way too soft. That's one nice aspect of the steel: it can take a lot more abuse during assembly.

As for slotted ties, the slots would need to be .010-.015, which does not sound very easy to accomplish with anything but a CNC machine. The .025 slots needed to make ties were bad enough.

Anyway, I'm on to my next project: a 40' boxcar in T.

BTW, love that image, Dave. Probably not too far off the mark...

I was thinking separate ties, rather than fabricating a sheet.  Maybe rig up a chopper of sorts, with a razor blade to knock the ties off strip stock, while mounting two ~.014" kerf spinning blades to notch for the rail and set the gauge at the same time you chop it to size. 

I might be overestimating the ability of friction to hold the rail in place, hop[ing it could be used as flex track of sorts...  But worst case you use one rail to glue the ties in place, then insert the other rail and tack it with thin CA.

Or just laser flexible tie strips and be done with it like The Mann says.

[Sokramiketes]

Yeah, I was wondering about the rusting problem as well. Not sure if I want to invest in another spool of nickel wire, though. Minimum order of $300-400 for probably around 10,000-12,000 feet... I'd be sure to order full hard if I did; half-hard is way too soft. That's one nice aspect of the steel: it can take a lot more abuse during assembly.

Well, and you'd need two spools... one with extra depth for the slotted ties, and another to take care of switch points which can't be full depth.

I'll have to think about that carefully, and try mass producing the ties first.

[DKS]

I'll have to think about that carefully, and try mass producing the ties first.

Good luck. Based on experience handlaying Z scale track, I would not even bother trying to fabricate separate T scale ties. Just handling them would be a small nightmare. And forking over $700-800 for two spools of wire, of which one might expect to use way less than 1% in a lifetime, even if everyone interested in it bought some? No way. I'll risk rusty rail first.

[DKS]

Or just laser flexible tie strips and be done with it like The Mann says.

Here's my thought on this: the ties are so tiny (wait until you make some to see) they'd be very delicate, likely unable to withstand much handling, especially considering that the grain would ideally run with the ties, leaving incredibly weak joints between them. Would probably have to glue it down to subroadbed before doing anything else with it. But if Robert would like to run some tests, he'll be the one best to inform us. He'd still need some flat wire, though. And I'm betting it would need to be glued into the slots. A notch for the rail of just a couple thou deep doesn't provide much friction, especially in wood (versus PC board)...

As for the rest of us mere mortals with no lasers... I'm thinking about making a custom notching tool of some sort to mass-produce continuous tie strips.

[Sokramiketes]

Or just laser flexible tie strips and be done with it like The Mann says.

Here's my thought on this: the ties are so tiny (wait until you make some to see) they'd be very delicate, likely unable to withstand much handling, especially considering that the grain would ideally run with the ties, leaving incredibly weak joints between them. Would probably have to glue it down to subroadbed before doing anything else with it. But if Robert would like to run some tests, he'll be the one best to inform us. He'd still need some flat wire, though. And I'm betting it would need to be glued into the slots. A notch for the rail of just a couple thou deep doesn't provide much friction, especially in wood (versus PC board)...

As for the rest of us mere mortals with no lasers... I'm thinking about making a custom notching tool of some sort to mass-produce continuous tie strips.

Micro-ply solves the issue of grain, and has been made into more delicate parts than T gauge ties in lots of instances.  Though I was thinking plastic.  For laser, that means some form of acrylic. 

[Ztrains]

How about pressure casting in resin? You could take all the time you needed to get each section just right prior to making the mold.

John
www.ztrains.com