# TrainLi bender--wow!



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I just got one today, after reading about them here. The price was a real stumbling block, but I went ahead an ordered it. It came today--what  a remarkable tool

First off it's larger than it looks and it's quite heavy--extremely well made.  But I'm so impressed with how it works. My layout is built on a ladder trackbed, and I had some spots on my track where straight and curved section didn't quite line up--places where one section of LGB 1600 curve was too tight,and so there was a big gap at one rail joint and not another.  Ugly looking and ugly running. Well I just took the trainli out and started messng around, and in 5 minutes those spots were fixed--smooth, even curves. It was completely painless and easy

I can't wait to lay some track


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## Guest (Jan 9, 2008)

I got 1 for my Bday this past Dec, haven't used it yet....weather and sick /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sick.gif kids...but I deff have some work to do!

cale


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## imrnjr (Jan 2, 2008)

I've had one during all of my railway construction efforts (my first) and they are great tools.  Matter of fact if I'd had the experience I now have with it I would not have purchased any sectional track at all!! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/wow.gif  It has allowed me to mate some rail that otherwise would have been very difficult and probably dysfunctional at best.

As you can tell I have nothing but praise for the T-L, and they are pretty tough too! I do almost all my bending on the road bed (concrete board), and the bearings have gotten covered in dirt and fines several times.  I just spray it down with a penetrating oil and then a good dose of light machine or gun oil.

Mark


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

I have useed mine and wondered how I did my curves without one!

Soo much smoother curves then manually bending them!

Bubba


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

You should think about joining a club, then you could have borrowed one from a club member. 

-Brian


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## Tom Daly (Jan 3, 2008)

A good friend of mine has one and he has demo'ed it for me and it works just great.
He created a curve effortlessly and then proceeded to remove the curve and he had a perfectly straight (with no kinks) track w\o any signs of having been a curved section.
It is an expensive "tool" but it does what it says it can do.
Last I heard, our club was purchasing one for members to borrow when they needed it.  I am looking forward to using it when the time comes.

Tom


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## digger (Jan 2, 2008)

Our club just purchased one, for use by our members. Can't wait for my turn! Actually, I need to get about 12" of snow melted off of my trouble spots, first.


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## llynrice (Jan 2, 2008)

The price was somewhat intimidating; but, I've been very well pleased with mine.

Llyn


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## Marauderer (Jan 5, 2008)

I have had my Train-Li for about a year and yes the initial price isn't inexpensive but, I do not buy any curved track anymore only 5 ft straight and make all of my own curves. I know guys that have to lay their road bed to fit their preformed curved track and are frustrated they can't just make the roadbed and fit the track to it. The Train-Li takes all the hassle out of it and makes the track fit the roadbed. YES!!


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

I have never seen a price for this unit, I know the SVRR one is around $85 or so, how are the two different? 

Thanks


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

$265 for the unit, not counting the clamp to hold rails from moving (a good idea). The best dual bender around and the most expensive. It's a quite a cut above the SVRR one. 

Regards, Greg


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

What sold me on it was that I have a whole bunch of LGB 1100  curves which are pretty much useless for the Am. Mainline stuff I want to run. With the bender I can turn that trrack into whatever I need, and it will pay for itself in the cost of new track.

Also MLS members get a discount


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I have heard nothing but good stuff on this bender, and will be purchasing it in the future, since I'm making a helix in a tight space, i.e. have to rebend the rail. I have played with one at a show, and it works great, and it also bends SS rail, which I use. 

Regards, Greg


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## Guest (Feb 28, 2008)

It is SWEET! 

used it some this past weekend! Get You One,-no regrets! 

cale


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 02/28/2008 2:26 PM
It's a quite a cut above the SVRR one. 

Regards, Greg





In what capacity? The only difference I am seeing is the ability to do two rails at once, which I guess would make things a bit faster?


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

I have both the SVRR and the TrainLi. They each have their place. The SVRR is good for bending single rails before installing the ties. The TrainLi will bend both rails while attached to the ties. The TrainLi really shines when aligning track in place on the ground which is impossible with the SVRR. If I could only have one I would get the TrainLi.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Garrett, it is much heavier duty, in my opinion, heavier bearings, heavier frame. I do not the think SVRR bender would handle SS also. That may be of no importance to you, of course. 

Just comparing the two. If you are driving to the store, you can do it in a toyota or a ferrari, does not make much difference, if you are in a race, there is a difference. 

Likewise, it's whatever you need from a bender. 

Bending the rails in place, without removing them from the ties is a big plus. Being able to "tweak" track that is already assembled is handy. 

Regards, Greg


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## Marauderer (Jan 5, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 02/28/2008 9:27 PM

Bending the rails in place, without removing them from the ties is a big plus. Being able to "tweak" track that is already assembled is handy. 

The tweak factor is priceless.,  It makes all your bends and connections look like they are perfect.


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 02/28/2008 9:27 PM
Garrett, it is much heavier duty, in my opinion, heavier bearings, heavier frame. I do not the think SVRR bender would handle SS also. That may be of no importance to you, of course. 

Just comparing the two. If you are driving to the store, you can do it in a toyota or a ferrari, does not make much difference, if you are in a race, there is a difference. 

Likewise, it's whatever you need from a bender. 

Bending the rails in place, without removing them from the ties is a big plus. Being able to "tweak" track that is already assembled is handy. 

Regards, Greg




Does the TrainLi bender do both 32 and 45mm gauge tho?  I ask as the track that I will be laying will be SM32, the rest is all LGB/Aristo 45mm gauge.


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## jebouck (Jan 2, 2008)

Just 45mm.
But you can order code 250 or 332 rollers for it.

j


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## Guest (Mar 1, 2008)

Used it again this afternoon to remove some 'kinks'...wow what an amazing piece of work! I have now fixed all the belly bends in org loop! it looks/runs much better! 

cale


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## fsfazekas (Feb 19, 2008)

Posted By lownote on 02/28/2008 2:55 PM
What sold me on it was that I have a whole bunch of LGB 1100  curves which are pretty much useless for the Am. Mainline stuff I want to run. With the bender I can turn that trrack into whatever I need, and it will pay for itself in the cost of new track.

Also MLS members get a discount


Can anyone tell me about the discount?


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Just call them and tell them you learned of the bender on MLS.com. I think it's %10


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## barnmichael (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By lownote on 02/28/2008 2:55 PM
What sold me on it was that I have a whole bunch of LGB 1100  curves which are pretty much useless for the Am. Mainline stuff I want to run. With the bender I can turn that trrack into whatever I need, and it will pay for itself in the cost of new track.

Also MLS members get a discount




Where do MLS members get a discount?  Which store?

Thanks

Michael


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## Guest (Mar 6, 2008)

Train-Li Bender -web site
Call: Joane Tillmann-Buy Direct!
at
*508-529-9166*
or email at
[email protected]


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Silly question...

How do you pronounce "TrainLi"?

Train Lee

Train Lie

Train 51 ("LI" being Roman numerals?)

Train El Eye (the "LI" as individual letters)

It is one thing to recommend it in a typewritten missive, but how do you speak the name to someone?/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blush.gif


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## emartin187 (Jan 19, 2008)

I recently finished building the Maple Rock Railway with 530 feet of track using the TrainLi track bender. I used Llagas Creek code 215 aluminum rail, all in assembled 6 foot sections. It took about a month of track laying time. All the comments above about the TrainLi were true for me, but I have to add one problem. The two plastic slide pieces on the underside became worn from sliding the bender. The wear was perhaps 1/32 inch deep, such that I had to remove and reverse them. Continued use caused about the same wear on the reversed sides. 

Don't take me wrong. If I had not used the TrainLi track laying time would have been quite a bit longer.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

If I remeber right, when I ordered my Train Li bender there was a offer for extra guides. So I think they do offer replacemtns for worn guides.


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## Axel Tillmann (Jan 10, 2008)

The gliders have 4 lives in them








1. as mounted
2. rotate 180 degrees
3. flip 180 degrees
4. and now rotate 180 degrees again

The gliders need to be soft, otherwise the gliding effect is not so good







. But you can prolong the live by applying leas downwards pressure and more or only forwards pressure. So instead of the hand balm covering the top of the knob, let the balm enbalm the side oft the knob.









I still use after 800 feet of stainless steel my first set of gliders. 

But with all of that said - we stock the replacement gliders.


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

*That about the best binder I have ever used... Guess every one is trying to make curves out of straight track but mine was the other way around.. I need lots of straight tracks the hard way. 
It took some time to learn how to work it with short LGB curve track. I made about 60 feet of it to straight track out of curves .. 
Only thing is that I have found out with LGB track is to do a little bend at a time and back and forth until it kind of warms up.... Then will go in to straighting.. I do two sections at a time with Hillman clamps in difference directions so the end of the two will match up even again for straight tracks.. On USA and Aristo track for some reason it bends a lot easer making straights or curves.. Its a great binder and can be use on 250 or 332 by just change out the washers on the rollers. *


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## Mark Scrivener (Jan 7, 2008)

Question - having never seen one of these in person....does it have 5 rollers or 6? Looking at the photo on their web site it appears there are 4 rollers that move along the inside of the rails, and a 5th roller that rides outside the rail on the "inside" of the curve. Is there a similar roller to bend the "outside" rail, or does it depend on the ties to pull the other rail into position? Hope this makes sense. 

Thanks, 
Mark


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Mark, There 6 rollers, 2 on one side and one on the other side of each rail.


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## stumpycc (Jan 2, 2008)

How would you make 6.5 ' curves with it?

Cliff


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## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

Posted By Spule 4 on 02/29/2008 3:58 PM
Posted By Greg Elmassian on 02/28/2008 9:27 PM
Garrett, it is much heavier duty, in my opinion, heavier bearings, heavier frame. I do not the think SVRR bender would handle SS also. That may be of no importance to you, of course. 

Just comparing the two. If you are driving to the store, you can do it in a toyota or a ferrari, does not make much difference, if you are in a race, there is a difference. 

Likewise, it's whatever you need from a bender. 

Bending the rails in place, without removing them from the ties is a big plus. Being able to "tweak" track that is already assembled is handy. 

Regards, Greg




Does the TrainLi bender do both 32 and 45mm gauge tho? I ask as the track that I will be laying will be SM32, the rest is all LGB/Aristo 45mm gauge.





I am not sure you will need a bender for sm 32 as it is only .200 tall and the bottom web is small .... I would think you could just hand bend it 


I am also doing both 32 mm and 45 mm track with sm32 and aristo though I am still waiting on track for the sm32


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