daifly
Western Thunderer
Ratio made both as I recall. The problem was the lack of gauge-widening on our tight model curves. We used P4 bases on curves on our EM layout! The P4 bases are OK on straight track but that's about it.
Dave
P4 Questions and Hopefully, Answers!
- Thread starter WM183
- Start date
Dave
Lyndhurstman
Western Thunderer
Hi @daifly
Thanks for the clarification. I was retrieving from the further recesses of what passes for my mind.
Cheers
Jan
AJC
Western Thunderer
Ah, not quite, no. They are rather tight to gauge (as the EM ones are - those come in at 18mm, ish), but from experience, Yeovil Model Railway Group's 'South Junction' - a large EM tailchaser - has quite a lot of the P4 bases which are gauge widened somewhere in the region of 18.5-18.6 and a bit. Chris Pendlenton used them on North Shields and widened the gauge with pressure from a blunt chisel. Whether that's a particular problem, I couldn't say as I don't work in P4. EM, as should be obvious, is a bit more elastic!
Adam
MartinWales
Western Thunderer
I have some Ratio P4 track bases. I've just measured them and they seem to be about 18.80mm.
I've only ever used them for display and P4 wheels do fit but I would imagine curving the lengths at all would result in the gauge reducing quite a bit.
As Lyndhurstman says, they are best avoided for layout purposes.
Ratio also made EM track bases and many years ago a friend used them on a 2' radius spiral on his freelance EM layout.
The gauge tightened up so much that he had to resort to all sorts of bodges to get the stock to run well.
Rather wickedly I said that he should have used the P4 bases. I received a rather strange look........
Rodney
I've only ever used them for display and P4 wheels do fit but I would imagine curving the lengths at all would result in the gauge reducing quite a bit.
As Lyndhurstman says, they are best avoided for layout purposes.
Ratio also made EM track bases and many years ago a friend used them on a 2' radius spiral on his freelance EM layout.
The gauge tightened up so much that he had to resort to all sorts of bodges to get the stock to run well.
Rather wickedly I said that he should have used the P4 bases. I received a rather strange look........
Rodney
AJC
Western Thunderer
It's worked fine for nearly 40 years, or rather, when things do fall off, it's not down to the P4 track on the corners. The whole thing is a bit of a museum of finescale track systems having something of everything produced since about 1975 on it somewhere.
Adam
I'm impressed that Exactoscale offer correct pattern LSWR chairs in 4mm scale. If I were to set up a small P4 display track for my mantle piece, would there be any S4 Society members willing to buy the parts required on my behalf? I model in o gauge normally, so really don't want to join (yet another) society. Just a thought.
Kind regards
Jon
Kind regards
Jon