# Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Pizza Pizza! Just arrived, hot off the delivery truck. 

At the BTS Lewis Polk told me that Aristocraft was going to sell a 20" dia. circle of track (thats 20 INCHES, not feet /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/shocked.gif ) for things like Christmas tree layouts or special display layouts to things like the Eggliner, I saw the circle on display at St Aubins booth, but I couldnt pick it up that weekend. When I recently decided to seek it out and having found nothing on St Aubins website I did a search and lo and behold found Wholesaletrains was offering it (and for less than I was quoted at the BTS to boot!) A quick order and... 

Yesteray I got home and found to my delight my order arrived early, the track looks great! the tieplates are cast to fit this ubertight curve, and it comes with Aristos new track clamps that are very good. Its not a simple one piece circle, its 4 seperate quarter circle sections that when put together form a circle, but this also means that by adding a few straight sections, or mixing with regular R1 curves and track, some very tight and twisty mining or logging lines can be inserted into existing layouts, -or- COMPLETE layouts may now be built in spaces never before considered possible!!! The Microlayout guys are going to freak! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif 

It Aristo part # ART11140 if your interested, Pics to follow as soon as I can /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

New clamps? These don't have the standard aristo two-screws-fish plates? Interesting. OK Vic, in addition to the pictures, how about some testing, like what will go around? LGB Stainz? LGB Porter / toytrain locos? This might be a good kids room addition. 

Later, 

Mark


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

Mark the clamps look like a cross between a Hillman clamp and a Sanval clamp, solid like a Hillman on the ouside, and with two vertical Phillips head screws on the inside, the screws press the rails against the back and align the track very well. 

The display had an Eggliner racing around on it, so I suspect all the above will work fine on it.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

Hartland has been offering the tight circle of track and hangers to go round your barrel for quite a while:


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

Pete, I have that track for my Christmas tree 

The Positive: it makes a circle that fits nicely on the 36" diameter finished wood tabletop I used for the base, with some felt on the underside to cut the noise a bit. 

The Negative, this track is completely useless with any other brand, it only snap connects to its own kind, and the rail is aluminum to a solid cast plastic base, no brass. 

The Aristo track will connect to any other Aristo, USA or LGB rail no problem as it uses the same code rail, so its far more versitale, and at 20" dia. some very interesting ideas can now be explored.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

Now you can make an even smaller layout!


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Tom...just noticed this, it wasn't there when I ordered my circle 

http://wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?ID=200509854 

A/C is also offering a 31" circle of track, for barrel installation, like the HLW setup. Hmmm yesss....things are looking up in the large scale microlayout world! I now have access to 48", 31" and 21" diameters, 

Oooh the mind reals from the ideas..now if I can just get Lewis to make matching turnouts in those diameters /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif


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## Dennis Paulson (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

Neato , you think maybe a Bachmann streetcar would go round these curves ? Or a AC Lil-Critter ? Or the new little Bachmann 4 wheel diesel ? 
Now LS sectional track on a 4x8 with no hangover . 
Nice addition for some people's interest , or space .


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

I'm thinking of one of my Aristo 0-4-0s.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

That's really tight--will an 0-4-0 really work on that radius? Interesting for the old christmas tree layout....


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

The sample on display at the BTS had an Eggliner racing around it so yes, I expect just about any other similar size 0-4-0 should work OK on it, couplers may be limited, I suspect hooks will work but nut knuckles, I use link and pins and can custom shape my links. I'm planning on using my HLW Mack engines and HLW minicars on this track. I have run alot of my stuff on even the 32" diameter portable track , be fun testing on this track next.


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## SandyR (Jan 6, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

Bet there'll be a lot of new G 'scale' layouts turning up on Carl Arendt's micro layout site! 
SandyR


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## Allan W. Miller (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

Keep us posted on how other small locomotives perform on this track. Sounds like something I may want to play with a bit. I have Hartland's track (36") and have used it on a whiskey cask layout for several years before Hartland ever offered their own whiskey cask rig (which I also have, but which is still boxed up aside from the Mack and cars).


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

One thing I found already, even the HLW minicars should have roller bearing wheels as there is a bit of drag due to the effects of the wheels on such short radius's, not a big deal with the engines as both axles push the engine along nicely. I'm considering if I use the track for a pizza layout to custom build stock to I can angle the wheels a tad to offset the effects of the short radius...of course if I was Chris I would just make a full lenth car that was curved to match the track. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gif


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Vic, 

Looking forward to your cheesy pepperoni train and cars....


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

OK Test videos 

Dancing Macks 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rgxds_saE2Q 

Casey Jr 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r3zG54EW1M 

Porter Pizza 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04Ewvak6nj4 

and the biggun' 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-yU8HQgpq4 

/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gif


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## Allan W. Miller (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

Thanks for the videos! Looks good! I may set up a circle in the office to give my Eggliner or one of the Macks a workout.


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## Dennis Paulson (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

Thanks for the videos , small circle really .


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## pacbelt (Jul 8, 2008)

Cool clips Vic! 

I'd love to see your Amtrak train around that! Talk about looking like Lionel!!! 

Ya just gotta love it! LS in the same space as N scale!


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## carpenter matt (Jan 3, 2008)

I will not be surprised by the next BTS, that Vic has Modular standards filed for this sort of thing with the NMRA /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blink.gif 

And a modular PIZZA PIZZA PIZZA Layout!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/shocked.gif


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## Allan W. Miller (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

I placed my order with Wholesale Trains for the circle of track and yet another Mack (I like those little workhorses). I'm a big fan of those micro-layouts inspired by Carl's superb website, and we even have a short feature on an On30 pizza layout--a true pizza box layout--coming up in our Oct. issue of _O Gauge Railroading_ magazine. I'll do something similar with the 20-inch Large Scale circle, and see if I can incorporate it in a detailed scene of some sort.


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## Great Western (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Vic. 
Interesting and amusing videos. Can't say I would have that small a circle however - I would get giddy watching it. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

There's a prototype for everything. 

About once a week I drive down North Avenue in Chicago, and there's a place where the El makes a 90 degree turn in about the space of a building lot. Maybe 75ft at the most.


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## Allan W. Miller (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

I see it as more of an attention-getting device that is easily transportable and which lends itself to some novel and creative scenic treatment (as is the case with most micro-layouts). I imagine the tight-radius track would even have applications on more "serious" layouts where one might want to add a trolley line or an on-site industrial operation of some type. 

Since I've had and used Hartland's 36" diameter track for a long time, I just have to see for myself what can be done with this 20" stuff. I would never have believed that you could run even short-wheelbase LS locomotives on a 20" diameter circle of track, but the videos here made me a believer.


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## Dennis Paulson (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

Well I am surprized , the HLW Interurban car like the 09232 goes around the ART 11140 20" circle like a breeze , as well as the 4 wheel LGB locos .  
And the LGB New Orleans streetcar 20380 , goes around the ART 11145 31" circle just fine and quiet like .  
Is there overhang , oh yes , but so did the real ones . 
So the one car train , a streetcar or interurbans car , going around small curves , makes a small layout possible , and beliveable ./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blink.gif


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## Guest (Jul 16, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

did anybody take measurements allready? 
i suspect, that these extreme curves might have more than 45mm gauge.


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## Allan W. Miller (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

My 20-inch track and yet another Mack is due to arrive at the office on Monday morning (shipped from Wholesale Trains on the 17th). I already have a "board" to place it on (an unfinished 24" or so round table-top) and will mount that table on an plastic, upside-down, imitation half of a whiskey cask (from Lowes). It will reside in my living room or perhaps even in my office after I decide how I want to scenic the thing.


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## Allan W. Miller (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

Got my little--very little--circle of track up and running today, and there's a Hartland 0-4-0 running chasing itself around at the present time. Runs very smoothly. Next up will be an Aristo "Eggliner" which will likely be the primary object to operate on this 20-inch circular layout. I have everything mounted on a 24-inch diameter tabletop board at the present time, but I found that the outside of the track ties is just about even with he edge of this board so I may see if I can find a similar 30-inch or 36-inch diameter board to give me a bit of space for scenery outside the track. 

I did manage to break the a tie on one section of the track while putting things together for the first time. I was putting the sections together one by one; tightening down the clamps with the rails tightly together; and then found that on the last of the four sections I ended-up with a fairly wide gap between the two outer rails. Impatient fellow that I am, I attempted to force the two sections together more tightly, and in the process ripped a tie off one section of the track. I later found that the best way to avoid any problem is to first join all four sections together without tightening down the screws. Then slide the sections around just a bit so there's a small gap between each section on the outside rails (the inner rails will fit tightly). The small gaps--and they are small--more evenly distribute the wider gap that results if you try to put everything together too snugly one section at a time. At least that is what worked in my experience. 

Since the only Eggliner I have available is the ACL version, I'm thinking of making this tiny layout into a kind of "beach resort" scene. I have a good number of sunbathing figures in Large Scale, and thought it might be kind of fun to do something with them. I believe they were gifts from friends some years ago when I lived in Hawaii because I know they're not something I would have bought. Now I just need to figure out how to make or buy a few Large Scale palm trees!


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

Cool Allan, I look forward to seeing your progress.


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## Ted_Roy (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Wheee!!! Its here, Aristo's new 20" circle of track!*

Thanks Vic for pointing me here. 

This is going to be great for my basement layout planning.... I agree Carl's micro-layout site is going to have a bonanza of new G-scale plans... 

Ted.


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