C&L Finescale Timber Tracks

[Brinkly]

Hi Chaps,

Does anyone have any experience in using the new Timber Tracks from C&L? I'd be interested to hear what anyone thinks about them, before I make a firm decision whether to go down the Timber Tracks route or plastic sleepers with GWR Chairs. I've built ply and rivet track work, but I feel it takes far too long, but like the wood finish of the Timber Tracks over plastic.

Regards,

Nick

 

[28ten]

I looked at them closely at a recent show - I have no experience with them - but they certainly seem like a good idea, and I will be looking at using something like that, and if you are using Templot you can get a whole formations precut. I also agree that ply looks more realistic than plastic as it takes paint better and distresses nicely.
Overall I prefer ply and rivet in terms of adjustment so its probably best to do a small test piece, I have a feeling Dan was looking at sleepers as well.

 

[Brinkly]

I looked at them closely at a recent show - I have no experience with them - but they certainly seem like a good idea, and I will be looking at using something like that, and if you are using Templot you can get a whole formations precut. I also agree that ply looks more realistic than plastic as it takes paint better and distresses nicely.
Overall I prefer ply and rivet in terms of adjustment so its probably best to do a small test piece, I have a feeling Dan was looking at sleepers as well.

Cheers Guv,

I've thought about it quite a lot of late, and have very nearly purchased some bits, but now I'm even more convinced to go down that route.

Cheers,

Nick

 

[Dan Randall]

Overall I prefer ply and rivet in terms of adjustment so its probably best to do a small test piece, I have a feeling Dan was looking at sleepers as well.

I pretty much decided on C & L plastic sleepers with Exactoscale chairs some time ago. I used ply sleepers in my P4 days, but was never happy seeing the exposed sides or ends of the sleepers (as sometimes happens in lightly ballasted areas, such as sidings), due to the alternating layers being visible. I also found them difficult to distress convincingly, but have had far better results with ABS sleepers. Here's a picture of some plastic C & L sleepers and Exactoscale chairs (7mm scale), I put together and distressed some time ago (I even removed some of the keys from the chairs!) ....

[attachment=0:flscu5vo]

The sleepers were distressed with the aid of a sharp scalpel blade, by scoring (quite deeply), in the same spot several times and gouging bits out as required. The action of scoring in the direction of the grain means there is always the impression that you're looking at a solid piece of wood, but if any areas you gouge out appear too smooth, just dig the blade in a few more times!

There were shiny areas around the chairs where the solvent had been sloshed around, but this soon disappears after a visit from the glass fibre stick. I keep meaning to make a diorama similar to the one Martyn Welch uses to photograph his models and a few more of these distressed sleepers, a lick of paint, some ballast and a few weeds ought to look reasonably good.

Getting back to the timber tracks though, I was thinking they might look a bit odd for points, as the grain on some of the diverging route sleepers (in the area beyond the crossing vee), might be running kind of diagonally, as opposed to parallel to the sleeper edges, if you see what I mean?


Regards

Dan

 

[28ten]

So are they plastic sleepers? :shock:

 

[Dan Randall]

So are they plastic sleepers? :shock:

Yes they are. Sorry, I didn't make it that clear in my post. I'll pop back in and edit it.

Regards

Dan

 

[28ten]

[quote=""28ten"":2mfe0ovf]So are they plastic sleepers? :shock:

Yes they are. Sorry, I didn't make it that clear in my post. I'll pop back in and edit it.

Regards

Dan[/quote:2mfe0ovf]
Im impressed

 

[Dan Randall]

Im impressed

Thanks Cynric - I find distressing sleepers quite relaxing, but at the same time, quite bizarre - you're basically trashing a pristine product, but the more you damage it, the better it can look. :lol:

Each sleeper probably took somewhere between 5 or 10 minutes to do and is the sort of thing you could do sat in front of the TV, or on one of those occasions when you don't fancy tackling something more demanding. I've had a few of those moments I can tell you, but always seem to forget there are sleepers to be distressed. Perhaps now I've mentioned it on here, I'll remember to do some more in the future?

Removing some of the keys from the chairs is a tricky procedure involving a very sharp scalpel blade, but in my travels, I've seen lots of sidings, where keys have dropped out here and there and I think it's something worth modelling (in moderation!).


Regards

Dan

 

[28ten]

Im trashing pristine products every time i open a kit!! So how did you paint them?

 

[Dan Randall]

Im trashing pristine products every time i open a kit!! So how did you paint them?

They're unpainted at the moment - the dusty grey finish is just a by-product of the glass fibre stick, though I do think sleepers need to be a silvery/grey colour (in sidings especially). Freshly creosoted sleepers may be a very dark brown, but they don't stay like it for long!

Here's the sort of effect I'm aiming for with some of my sidings (and notice how much of the sleepers are actually exposed)....


I'll probably waft a little primer over them when the time comes and then paint each sleeper and chair individually, varying the colours as I go. There will definitely be no Humbrol "Rust" on the rail sides...


With apologies to Nick, for the thread hijack.


Regards

Dan

 

[lancer1027]

I too have thought about building my own track. I do like the idea and the chairs look exellent. However i was talking to my mate about it and he said that he had thought about it but opted not to. His reason behind it was the cost of making the points (about double of a peco ). So i'm not so sure what to do.My project of Penzance has quite a few points, so would be very expensive for me. I will be watching this thread with interest.

 

[Jordan or Plymouth Mad]

I thought those were the timber tracks of the thread title, until I read further on..!!

More :shock: :shock: :shock: and more from me...

 

[28ten]

I thought those were the timber tracks of the thread title, until I read further on..!!

More :shock: :shock: :shock: and more from me...

I was convinced they were timber as well :shock: it's given me food for thought...

 

[Dikitriki]

I too have thought about building my own track. I do like the idea and the chairs look exellent. However i was talking to my mate about it and he said that he had thought about it but opted not to. His reason behind it was the cost of making the points (about double of a peco ). So i'm not so sure what to do.My project of Penzance has quite a few points, so would be very expensive for me. I will be watching this thread with interest.

Hi

This simply isn't true.

Or rather, if you are making one turnout, and using the 'turnout in a bag' cost from C&L it may be, but if you are doing, say, a dozen or more turnouts, and buying the components in separate packets, then the cost per point is pretty much on a par with PECO. One caveat, make your own Vees, rather than buying C&L's Vee and wing rail units. That would then push it over the cost of a PECO pont, but not by much.

If you are not aware of it, I did turnout construction in some detail here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=88&t=45544
Ignore the fact it says 3-throw point, that was a later follow-up.

It's far more satisfying, better looking, and better running to build your own.

Richard

 

[28ten]

I do think handbuilt track will look more like Penzance than peco track! and as Dikitriki suggests it will run better (as you can close up the crossing gaps) if you haven't already got it, Norman Solomans Dvd explains track building very clearly using C&L components

 

[Dan Randall]

. One caveat, make your own Vees, rather than buying C&L's

It's far more satisfying, better looking, and better running to build your own.

I would endorse making your own vees too - I've done them in 4mm scale (P4), and it's dead easy. You might need a couple of heftier files in 7mm, but the process is still the same. (Funnily enough, I need to build a crossover for my S7 test track, so I'd better order some track gauges from the S7 stores soon). There are jigs on the market that make the filing and assembly very easy and given that a ready made vee is about ?12, you'll save a lot of money that would be better spent on a loco kit. :lol:

Here's another couple of close-ups of my plastic sleepers....









Regards

Dan

 

[28ten]

We will all be digging out plastic sleepers and a scalpel tonight :laugh: I still cant believe that's not painted

 

[Pint of Adnams]

(Funnily enough, I need to build a crossover for my S7 test track, so I'd better order some track gauges from the S7 stores soon). There are jigs on the market that make the filing and assembly very easy and given that a ready made vee is about ?12, you'll save a lot of money that would be better spent on a loco kit. :lol:

Hi Dan,

Be cautious as to the type of track gauge that you buy/use. On the West Mersea layout the roller type gauges have (for obvious manufacturing reasons) perpendicular slots for the rails. In reality and when using the proper chairs a 1 in 20 inwards inclination is required (you know this but not everybody might). The roller type gauges tend to force the rail upright, which springs back when the gauge is removed and immediately results in under-gauge trackwork. The problem is not so obvious or serious in the smaller scales.

I understood that the S7G 'boffins' were considering the re-design of track gauges with a view to improvements, but I haven't heard of any progress. If by any chance you are at the Brightwell-cum-Sotwell event on the 17th April, you could make enquiries. You could also raise the subject with Peter Hunt of Perfect Miniatures, if you had the time to spare...

 

[28ten]

That's a very good point! And obvious now you mention it, it's not impossible to turn a roller gauge with the correct inclination, but it is a more complicated procedure involving seperate parts.

 

[Dan Randall]

We will all be digging out plastic sleepers and a scalpel tonight :laugh: I still cant believe that's not painted

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Regards

Dan