# Question about gargraves track



## Dansgscale (Jan 9, 2010)

Has anyone had any experience with G scale Gargraves 37" long flex track? If so how well does it work outdoors. I have seen it advertised now and then and it is supposed to have wood ties which I like as I am hand laying my own track on ceder ties with steel rail. I have not been able to find a good photo showing the rail ends to see if the profile matches the code 332 steel rail I already have.

Any information on this flex track would be helpfull.

Dan S.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

From their site, they sell stainless and "tinplated" track in #1 gauge flex track. 

Reading the "instructions" for track outside, they recommend the stainless rail. 

They give remarkably little information about the product. 

I would contact them directly to at least see what they say: 

Phone: (315) 483-6577 
Fax: (315) 483-2425 
Email: [email protected] 

Regards, Greg


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

It is NOT a standard rail profile It has a profiled ribbon effect with the lower part inserted into grooves in the wood ties. Sort of like the ribbon rail concept. I do have some someplace but no idea where right now to take a photo for you? Sorry. 

Chas


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

All the Gargraves track products [S /O / Std Ga / #1] use the same ties [of different lengths] and rail. I have used a lot of S and 3 rail O over the years for INDOOR layouts. Doug Patman in Canada used the Ga 1 in his basement in places where the track was not part of the sceniced layout. Operation was all live steam and not track powered. 

The rail above the ties is the equivalent of code 250 [ 0.25 inch] and is hollow [tubular] track. It has a very thin wall section and will be damaged if anything is dropped on it. The ties are very soft wood and would probably not survive well in damp ballast. 

It will not match up to any of your code 332 track without shimming and you will have to make your own joiners of some sort. The profile above the ties matches code 250 rail used by Atlas on their solid rail track as well as SVRR code 250. I damaged a piece of rail on one of my old O gauge modules and repaired it by cutting out the Gargraves rail and spiking a piece of SVRR nickel silver code 250 directly on the ties. Again, this was an indoor layout. 

I might use it for shelf display track inside, but I know from the experience of leaving some of the SS track in my storage building over the winter that it WILL rust. 

Regards


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Unless you have a raised layout do not use tubular track. When walked on--and it will be--it will collapse. 

Dave V


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim, 
With all due respect, The SS rails I have from Gargraves were NOT hollow. I'd agree though that the wood seemed pretty insubstantial even though it was stained or dyed I had to question whether it would hold up. I'd take photos but I've really no idea where the box of it is right now. I won it on Ebay years ago and thought of using it as storage tracks. 

Chas


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Chas 

I have never seen a Gargraves product with solid rail. There is no product on their web site with solid rail. I will send them an email to clarify. I HAVE been wrong before. They do have some products like switches that use flat bottomed rail.


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

I've been wrong before too....I wish I knew where the heck I put it to check and get photos. 

Chas


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

I had some on a 12x24 foot layout when I was into Lionel ,and had built a big layout for a friend in ss. 
it is very hard to bend and I don't think the ties would hold up outside. As far as I know they do not
make a G scale switch.


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## ConrailRay (Jan 2, 2008)

There some SS curved gargraves track up on ebay right now that looks like hollow stuff from the side profile pictures. 
There's also an auction for straight "flex track" curvable "tinplated" rail sections - although metal isn't specified - not sure it this means metal plating or hollow rail - but I don't see how hollow rails can flex, so maybe they made both?? 
-Ray


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

the tinplated was one of the 2 choices for flex track, the other was stainless steel... I would make a guess it is tinplated steel. 

The pictures on the site are difficult to see, small and low resolution... 










Also, the same picture is used for both the tinplated and stainless products. Notice the pins inserted into the ends of the track? Sure would argue for hollow/formed rail...

No helpful info on the site... someone needs to man up and call the mfg. 


Greg


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

I just had a look on their site www.gargraves.com and if you look in the diagrams and instructions section it has a word doc about using the track out side


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yep, but the document makes no specific mention of which track it is talking about. 

It does say don't step on it, and the plastic ties can be damaged in the sun from heat. 

They say they recommend item 202F or 202S, this is O gauge 3 rail track. 

Not much help, and definitely not specific advice for G scale, nor about the wood ties. 

Greg


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

AND the auction on Ebay, while listed in the Large SCale section and the title is G-gauge...the description says suitable for O & O-27....sigh...so which is it? 

Chas


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Our second portable track used Gargraves track. The G gauge/Gauge one track was hollow not solid flex track. I doubt that they have started to produce solid rail.












The track was easy to work with at a good price. That is it as to the positive aspects. We coated the ties to protect them from water and fire. If you do not coat them and they get wet then the stain will bleed out. The ties need all the protection from track fires. The down side is how easily the rail will dent with impact. The second area of concern is the ability to mate with switches. Finally, the ability to secure sections given the slide in rail junction strip works only on level surface and you cannot use rail clamps.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I would say after all the help and information presented here, the OP, Dan, should probably reconsider using this stuff outdoors. 

I think the question asked about "matching" the profile of his existing 332 rail has been answered, it will not, and worse, I cannot think of a good way to connect the two, rail clamps would not work alone. 

Regards, Greg


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I cannot for the life of me understand why they'd make hollow rails. is this a cost-saving step?


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

"I cannot for the life of me understand why they'd make hollow rails. is this a cost-saving step? " 

Dave; 

I think this is because the company started out making track for O and S gauge tinplate trains way back in the early 1950s. The manufacturers of that day used rails formed from tinplated sheet metal. (Except for the short-lived Lionel Super O track) GarGraves track was a big improvement over the track offered by the toy train manufacturers, but it was not meant to be robust. It was intended for layouts built on some kind of benchwork or platform. They never seem to have changed their method of construction. They have added #1 gauge and Standard Gauge track, but I have only seen their switches in O and S gauge. 

Just my $.02, 
David Meashey


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