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Post by CurtisHustace on May 16, 2005 17:55:20 GMT -5
Ok, I need to pick your brains.
I am planning a new house. Around this house will run a 1500' to 2000' railroad. Now I am trying to figure out the best solution for ties for the least amount of money. I have looked at plastic ties, treated 2x4's cut to 14" lengths, 2x2's cut to 14" lengths.
I am looking for alternate solutions. Has anyone tried landscaping ties? Concrete? If concrete, how did you make them? Any experience with Groovey track? Is bar stock cheaper than rail?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Curtis Hustace
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mike
Gandy Dancer
Posts: 1
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Post by mike on May 18, 2005 12:38:14 GMT -5
Hi, I'm in the same boat as you. So far I think that I'm going with the groovy track the steel is available to me in town and it would be easier to locate; second hand stuff as well. As for the wood I have a friend that owns a lumber mill and I think that I'll go with pressure treated 2x4, but I'm still looking for cheaper materials. Keep me posted as to your progress.
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Post by CurtisHustace on May 18, 2005 21:53:24 GMT -5
Hi, I'm in the same boat as you. So far I think that I'm going with the groovy track the steel is available to me in town and it would be easier to locate; second hand stuff as well. As for the wood I have a friend that owns a lumber mill and I think that I'll go with pressure treated 2x4, but I'm still looking for cheaper materials. Keep me posted as to your progress. Mike: Thx for the response. I have been looking at all types of lumber, 2x2's, 2x4's, 4x4's, 4x4's cut into 2x2's (the cheapest.) Plastic ties I can get as cheaply as .99 cents for a 2x2 14" tie. I can make a tie out of treated 2x4x8 cut to 13.5" ties (giving you 7 ties/8' section) for around .52cents/tie. I also figured if I use a 2x2, I can get treated ballisters (used in hand rails) for .32 cents per 14" tie. Some of those aren't treated all that well though and although they are a cheaper solution, they are not ideal. I think I might go the cheap route to get things built and running. I figure they will last a few years if I keep them out of the water and drainage is good. As they rott, I will replace them with plastic ties over time. I considered groovy track, but the price Im getting for bar stock is far more expensive than the simple aluminum rail. I prefer steel as the expansion rate is 1/10 of aluminum and adhesion is better, but Aluminum would be easy to handle and I am able to replace those ties easier than pounding them off if they were pressed into the tie. Just some thoughts. Thx. Curtis
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Post by Cement Ties on May 22, 2005 5:29:07 GMT -5
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Post by Khyron6 on May 22, 2005 5:36:40 GMT -5
Opps forgot to log in. Keep us informed of your progress please.
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Post by BOB LA COSTE on May 24, 2005 20:54:48 GMT -5
HI GUYS I DEAL WITH A SMALL LUMBER YARD LOCALY AND HE WAS ABLE TO GET ME 500 2X2 BY 8' FOR A $1.00 EACH. THEY WERE ALL TREATED BUT THEY WERE REJECTS BECOUSE THEY WERE ALL TWISTED. WHEN CUT TO 13.5" THE TWIST DID NOT MATTER. CHECKING LOWES AND HOME DEPOE I BELEIVE YOU CAN FIND THE SAME DEAL. I FOUND I CAN BUY 1"#10 WASHER HEAD SCREWS FOR ABOUT $4.00 PER HUNDRED, IT TAKES ABOUT 140 SCREWS PER 12' TRACK SECTION. ANYBODY HAVE A BETTER WAYTO SCREW DOWN THE RAIL. THE 500 2X2 WILL MAKE 3500 TIES. THE 3500 TIES WILL NEED 14000 SCREWS, MAN THATS A LOT OF SCREWING. I USE 35 TIES PER 12' TRACK SECTION
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Post by DavidT on May 31, 2005 0:13:01 GMT -5
Old groovy track ties do not have to be pounded off! They will be loose enought to almost fall off. From track repair experiance at PNLS.
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Post by GoldenSpike53 on Jun 3, 2005 9:09:31 GMT -5
As to concrete ties...
...our club track put in a section coming up to our girder bridge using concrete ties. I asked the club VP about it, and he said they were not entirely satisfied with them and planned to replace them. He didn't really illucidate. If I get a chance, I'll ask him about specifics. They had bolts installed as they were set up, then a nut put on to hold the rail down. I've seen similar things in a couple of places with full size railroad, but it doesn't seem to have caught on that much. Hmmm, maybe there's a reason for that?
Dale Dennis
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Post by pockets on Sept 9, 2005 12:45:32 GMT -5
If I remember correctly, the late Bill Fitt's railroad used concrete ties. I don't have the issues, but, there was some "how to" data in Live Steam. I believe it was the late 70's or early 80's.
Wish I had the information, because I find myself in a similar situation.
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Post by Sorepaws on Sept 26, 2009 8:36:38 GMT -5
Guday everyone I live in sunny Queensland (Australia) on the Central Coast. I am planning to lay over 2000 feet of 5" gauge track in the near future on our 26 acre block. I will be building "Groovy Track" as this appears to have all the requirements I am looking for. The sleepers (ties) will be cut from 3 x 2 timber, grooved out with a specially designed and built saw and then soaked in creosote for 3 or 4 days. The "rail" will be 10mm x 20mm (3/8" x 3/4") hot rolled mild steel. The rails will be sunk into the timber to a depth of 1/2". The two slots (grooves) will be cut in one single pass. The rail is laid out on a bed of stone dust (aka. cracker dust) about 5" or 6" thick. It is very easy to lay and the curves are smooth and accurate as only one rail is laid down to begin and form the track. I would like to use a steel called "Austen 50" but its too expensive. This steel is very resistant to corrosion and is used for truck bodies. OK, its not scale rail but I dont care about looks. It is very practical and easy to assemble. If I ever need to reform the small radius on the inside edge of the rail, I can do this with a set of grinding wheels as seen on full size rail maintenance wagons. As I am building the track on my own, the track needs to be easy to build, easy to maintain and be very practical and efficient. Only the hardest purist will notice that the rail is not scale but all those who enjoy riding on the train wouldn't know or even care. The creosote is needed as our bushland is home to the dreaded white ant. These can be seen on many of the trees that grow on the block. It will be a long time befire a loco can run on the track but I will eventally post all the photos for you. The loco I am building is a 5" gauge Simplex but my heart is set on building a K1 Garrat 0-4-0 0-4-0. This was the very first Garrat ever built and it ran in Tasmania. A 5" K1 will be over 5' long, its a big loco. Sorepaws
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Post by gvdobler on Jan 10, 2012 22:14:25 GMT -5
How much per foot does it work out to go 1st class vs. the cheap and dirty route?
Mind you I have no idea what 1st class would be. I assume plastic ties with good rails.
It would seem that the treated wood would become untreated as soon as you make a cut, then you would have to reseal the ends. And as soon as you drill the holes for screws... and so on.
Nobody wants to spend money on track so they can have money for equipment. I get that, but I never get a good deal when trying to scrimp on the bucks. Always have to go back and redo stuff.
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Post by wingtip on Feb 11, 2012 19:03:40 GMT -5
I have been researching a bit as well as a complete newb to this hobby and a local private layout has this page with everything you need to know about making your own concrete ties. www.newrr.com/Concrete_Ties.htmlpersonally i think its to much work but do like the idea of placing better ties once rather than replacing rotten ties occasionally... im leaning towards plastic ties from here www.epstores.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=16 or using composite lumber (if i ever hit the powerball that is).... but i have yet to find any club site or park that has used these with some info on how theyve liked or disliked them... if anyone has any info it would be greatly appreciated..
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Post by raymbo on Apr 26, 2012 18:46:09 GMT -5
I am brand new to large scale railroading and right now all I have been doing is building some rolling stock.
I spoke with several modelers who have tracks around their property and several other who do not have track but know others who do, and they all say the same thing. The treated wood you get at Lowe's and Home Depot, etc, has a process and a material in the treated wood that eats aluminum and the fasteners holding it down. We have not started laying track, in fact we are traveling to OH in the morning to pick up our rail, and I will find out what they are using at that layout. I thought about using TREX or what ever it is called, but it turns out that plastic ties are cheaper in the long run than using that stuff.
I may get some rough cut oak and saw my own and not worry about treatment and see what happens.
Years ago, back in the mid 1960s, I built a 1" scale layout around the yard using redwood ties but that stuff is very hard to find now. I sold all that before I found out whether the ties would rot out from under the rail or not.
Well tomorrow is going to be a big day for us and getting the rail is a real step forward.
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Post by rdouglas9 on May 7, 2012 0:13:54 GMT -5
Maricopa Live Steamers has 16 miles of track installed in the last 15 years. Our experience has shown that a 2x4x14 inch ground treated wood tie is the cheapest choice. The ties are spaced at 3 per foot.
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Post by raymbo on Jun 1, 2012 16:40:08 GMT -5
Right on regarding the treated wood ties. I ended up buying some specially treated 2X6 directly from the treatment plant. We are sawing them 16 inches long and get three from each cut. I am spacing them 3 to the foot as well.
Bombing on......
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