Loco Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Started laying out track with my friend. It is probably around 30 feet of track laid out in a shape on the ground. I want to include my sons in the final layout selection as I am hoping they will take an interest in it. Issues that have come to my attention: -Half of the track was exposed to the elements for some years so I need to figure out how to remove the oxidation from the LGB rail connectors. - It is an area which is partly shaded so I need to plan the plants a bit. - It is a mostly flat featureless area where I am laying out a first circle of track - I plan to expand from there. This little pond bounds the train area on the right. Toward the back of this picture, the area slopes downward a bit to the area where the track is laid out. Later it could expand into this area perhaps. In the center of this frame there is a dirt patch - that is where i eventually want a station to be - and an area for loading engines. Well - that is what i have so far. It will be used for running a couple of Bachman gear drive engines and PCC Trolley! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Loco Such a short memory? Your Question :-Half of the track was exposed to the elements for some years so I need to figure out how to remove the oxidation from the LGB rail connectors Ryman's Answer :One thing I made early on was a track cleaner which was a pole sander from the hardware store with scotch brite pads on the bottom. One thing Loco We try to keep it simple! Go and have some fun!! Sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieseldude Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Loco- While a pole sander and scotch-bright pad will work great on the rail heads, it pretty much cannot get in to the tight areas of the rail connectors. I've used some QD Contact Cleaner made by CRC (Home Depot sells it) to clean some of the smaller items like rail connectors. It's meant to clean oxidation off of electronic parts (copper/brass parts). Hope this helps. -Kevin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Hmmmmm I should read more carefully! LGB rail connectors Sorry Loco You could also use a small flat blade screw driver to scrape some off and then go with the QD Contact Cleaner . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry B44 Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Round wire brush tool on a Dremel does a good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benshell Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Looks like a great start! I use Noalox on my rail joiners, but honestly I have no idea if it does anything useful. The first track I put down in 2011 still works just fine without it. The only place I've ever had electrical problems is with switches. Just make sure to use similar metals (brass rail with brass joiners, stainless rail with stainless joiners). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markoles Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 On my first garden railroad, I used LGB track. The trouble is the joiners do loosen up over time and you lose the connections. I would recommend making a mechanical connection, rather than relying on the friction between the joiners and the rails, to maintain contact. Folks have soldered jumpers, others use clamps such as split jaw or hillmans. I have used the Aristocraft joiners, but they fail over time. The layout and gardens look good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Looking great! Yeah railclamps are a must Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 Thanks for the ideas! About 1/2 of the tracks are new and the other 1/2 are oxidized from laying out in the yard for some time. If i use some rail clamps, am I correct in assuming I must remove the LGB rail joiners somehow? or do they fit over it? Today i just found the SCARM layout program - now I can finally figure out why all the track I laid out in the yard doesn't fit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 If i use some rail clamps, am I correct in assuming I must remove the LGB rail joiners somehow? or do they fit over it? There's basically 2 designs of clamps, 1 type will fit over the existing rail joiners and when tightened basically squeezes them tighter. I use Split Jaw rail clamps that replace the old slide on rail joiners...by the time one messes around with over the joiner type clamp just might as well replace them with something nice & sturdy. And the Split Jaw type can be used as a power feed Using regular rail clamps is also nice if you need to re-bend some track to make a curve fit...but now you'll need a track bender for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Screwy Nick Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Loco, no matter what joiners you use, I have found that conductive grease is a big help in keeping water out and the juice flowing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Posted March 24, 2015 Author Share Posted March 24, 2015 My son and I finally completed layout design for the initial loop of our track - very excited! After discovering that closing the loop would much more difficult than we had initially interpreted, we spent the day in the garden and on the computer and were finally able to come up with a layout plan that hugs natural curves from walls and existing large trees represented on the layout by dark circles. I need to buy 2x 15 degree curves, a 6" straight piece, and a "short flex-track" --- can the flex track be shaped by hand or do I need some special tools or something? I am thinking that this layout will not work for larger engines because of the turn radii - is this likely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Posted March 24, 2015 Author Share Posted March 24, 2015 Conductive Grease - I know I need to put some on the Bachmann Shay wheels - I am also supposed to put this same type stuff on the tracks themselves? I am thinking I may do a combination of brass rail joiners where needed and using the regular stock slide on rail joiners for the new track pieces and other areas if I can get away with it - and then eventually replacing all of the slide on rail joiners. I have to figure out how to remove those slide on rail joiners - they seem on there pretty good! The track will not be subjected to snow or rain or ice or anything - just California sunshine in the partial shade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Boy Oh Boy.. LocoConductive Grease never never never goes on the wheels or track!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Conductive Grease goes inside the rail joiners (where bottom of track sits on the inside of the rail joiner)Do you have the tape/dvd of your engine???It will tell you how to lubricate your engine.Bachmann has a site www.bachmanntrains.com it has a load of info, or ask you questions there. Removing the rail joiners on lgb track in easy.. The side that has the joiner.. you have to turn it over and remove the screws holding the rain to the ties.You then can slide the rail enough to remove the joiner(it has a hook) This is why they stay put! Just replace the rain and screw and you are good to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Posted March 24, 2015 Author Share Posted March 24, 2015 Oh ok - thanks for that. That makes sense to put the grease there. Yet I must be confused - i lust saw the lube dvd that came with the engine a couple of days ago with my kid and i thought it showed him putting some of that conductive grease on the train wheels - i'll look at it again and see what they were talking about. I still have to buy the conductive grease - I have some Labelle 108 light oil, and 102 gear lubricant - but I do need other stuff. Glad it is easy to remove the joiners from this track - that will come in handy. I am trying to find the last couple of track pieces i need -but I can't seem to find any LGB Flex Track anywhere onlin - they only seem to sell plastic tie sections and brass rail lengths ---- man, I am starting to think that Flex Track means I have to bend it and attach the plastic ties to it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Posted March 24, 2015 Author Share Posted March 24, 2015 I tried to get onto that site you mention about 3 weeks ago - they never activated my account or anything - weird. Either it takes forever or they forgot about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I am starting to think that Flex Track means I have to bend it and attach the plastic ties to it myself. Your learning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Posted March 24, 2015 Author Share Posted March 24, 2015 I just looked at the manual - I was definitley confused about putting conductive grease on the wheels --- the manual says to put a single drop on each of the wheel teads of EZ Lube Conductive Contact Lubricant --- not grease, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Posted March 24, 2015 Author Share Posted March 24, 2015 Flex Rail -- wow, that opens up a whole new can of worms if I need to buy a rail bender to just bend ONE piece of rail to complete that layout, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 The only rail bender worth it's weight is from Train-li : http://www.trainli.com/rail-bender-c-295_54_36.html You can bend both rails at once.. you can even straighten your mistakes. They also sell rail clamps , out of all the ones i've tried, I think they are #1 !!! Forgot ... there track is german made.. very nice. The one stop shopping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 That Train-li does look great - kind of outa my budget at the moment though ----- although, if i could re-bend the 18 feet of curves I have left over perhaps I could do something useful with them and save money! I went out today and actually tried to follow the track layout we designed - it was incorrect at the facing side and I had to recalculate it to follow the inside countours of a small retaining wall more closely. Looks like I can almost get away with not bending the last rail as much as I had initially thought - probably still need a bender though. It is the rail on the bottom right area - 5th piece of track south of the turnout. Do you think I can get away without a bender? --- at least for now, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Loco This is were that rail bender excells!!! You can get nice sweeping curves and transitions . You put the track down, run the bender back and forth addjusting as you go to get what you want! Note: you can do it in place, great to tweek problem area's. So did you install all the track? Once inplace it will work a little better that on paper..try putting it all together..then you will see if you need one or if you can get by.. Good luck. Sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 Yes I built it following the layout design and discovered the problem of the angles not being correct - today I am going to do some measuring out there - and get some elevation readings since the yard slants a ways. I think the new design will work. *crossing fingers* Oh man - I checked outside ----- back to the drawing board! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 I have drastically re-imagined the AMR RR - I would like to incorporate height into this by using pvc to raise a figure 8 layout. Is there a tutorial or pictures of how to do the pvc layout method? UPDATE: Found an article about using HDPE (high density polyethylene) plastic lumber 2x4s and cutting them into two sides, stringers and posts - looks pretty doable and durable - Now if I can only find a source for this stuff in Los Angeles area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicancars Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 nick is correct in using the di-eletric grease. i used a small wire brush to clean up every joint before assembling my lgb track as some of my track was also verry carroded. this was after drilling out and threading about 50 pieces of section track. i decided to order fractional size stainless allen scews in 2-56 threads per inch from mc master - carr in dayton nj ( since LGB is what i had to work with. i also drilled through the lgb connectors since locally there was a sudden a shortage of aristrocraft connectors) then i used the "di-electric" conductive greese on EVERY joint. i assembled it all back in sept.- oct. of last year (2014) and after our harsh nj winter i ran trains last week with no problem. ( after cleaning the track LOL) i found i also needed to use some of the grease on the frog connections on my turnout . just where the rails touched when swiched, as sometimes the engines would stall at the turnout on the main line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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