Re: Gargraves and Ross Custom Switches track

[Scott A Smiley <sc.smiley@juno.com>]

This is a good description of your trials.  Transition pins have a
tendency to break at the thin to think transition so they are not much
better.

Now for Track diameter.  I have always thought that Lionel track was made
to complete a circle in the diameter given but to the outside of the
ties, (or maybe the outside rail).  This way a train can turn around in
27" or 72" or ...

Now to make matters worse, compare Lionel to Kline.  they both sell 042,
054 and 072 track but the length of the segments are all different.  If
you make a transition from tracks 4 to 5 with one brand, you have to cut
the 072 tracks but the other fits fine without a cut.  Go figure.  I
think the same thing happens on the other tracks too.  They are not quite
the same.

I do not think that they had CAD systems when they were laying out the
track templates.  Good Luck.

Scott

On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 14:38:14 -0500 "Ira Schneider"
<ira_schneider@Iname.com> writes:
> I am glad the model train manufacturers are not responsible for 
> building REAL railroads.  They all seem to
> use warped tape measures.
> 
> I just bought some Gargraves and Ross Custom Switches track for use 
> at home.  I already knew that Lionel
> track wasn't the correct size, but I thought that Gargraves and RCS 
> were.  Boy was I wrong!
> 
> Here are the measurements I got (measuring center rail to center 
> rail):
> 
>      Lionel O-31:                                28-7/8" diameter
>      Gargraves O-32:                        32-15/16" diameter 
> (their specification says 32.80")
>      Ross Custom Switches O-42:  40-13/16" diameter
> 
> For the Gargraves and Ross Custom Switches track, I put 8 sections 
> together to make a circle and measured
> across the circle at each track junction.  I adjusted the tracks 
> until all 8 measurements were within 1/16" and
> recorded the average measurement.  For the Lionel tracks (since they 
> are fastened down to my layout),
> I just measured across the existing semi-circles.  This measurement 
> is probably less accurate since I may
> have deformed the circles when I layed the track out.  However, I 
> measured 5 semicircles, and 4 of the measurements
> were approximately the same (within 1/8").
> 
> How is anyone supposed to plan a layout given that you don't know 
> the actual diameter of the tracks you
> are using until after you buy them?  I originally believed that the 
> Lionel O-31 tracks made a 31" diameter
> circle.  No wonder the tracks didn't look right when I laid them out 
> on the roadbed.  Now I know enough 
> to measure the tracks BEFORE I lay out the roadbed.
> 
> I am also disapponted in the Gargraves-style track pins.  They seem 
> rather flimsy.  My first attempt at
> putting two pieces of Gargraves tracks together failed miserably.  
> The pins not only didn't want to go into
> the rail, they eventually bent!  I finally figured out that I had to 
> try to put the track together, pull them apart again
> (with the track pins now sticking out of the rail that started 
> without track pins), tap the track pins into the
> rail, then join the tracks.  This is OK once you know about it.
> 
> With my limited experience using Gargraves-style track, I don't 
> think it is reasonable to consider building any
> modules for TTAT using this type of track at the module boundary.  
> The pins are just too flimsy to be repeatedly
> assembled and disassembled.  I don't know about the Gargraves-Lionel 
> transition pins, but I would be
> concerned about the Gargraves end of the pins.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ira
> 
> 
> 
> ------
> TTAT members reflector.
> 
> 

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