# What Type Of Track Should I Use?



## Katz (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi everyone, I'm new here and I want to start a garden railroad in my back yard, but it's going to be pretty simple. I go to the Chicago Botanical Garden's railroad every time I visit there, which is a lot, so I have a few ideas for what I want to do, but I never really paid attention to the kind of track they use. I had a subscription to Garden Railways for quite a few years, so I know a bit about garden railroads, but I keep seeing so many people using different track materials, I can't figure out what kind I should buy for my RR. I've seen people using brass and stainless steel, and there's European and American style track too so it's really confusing. What I want to do is just to have my train run around the edge of an existing garden that's in the shape of a slightly farther open L, or actually like the shape of Florida.  I want the train to go around the peninsula and come back against the back edge of the garden, against the house and then out to the edge against the grass and back into the oval around the peninsula. I may just have to buy enough to make the long oval around the peninsula for now, if the track is too expensive, and buy the other pieces later. I just want to put the train on the track, turn it on, sit back, and let it run- simple. There probably won't be any switches in the track, well at least not yet, and I want to use track power, because the loco I have already is set up for track power, and I just really don't like batteries at all.  I'm pretty sure the turn radius I want to use will be a 5-foot, because the set I have came with 4-foot radius track, and the peninsula garden will fit the 5' nicely, so the train should run fine on the bigger radius track. I just want this to be as simple and as inexpensive as possible, so if I have to clean the track every so often, that's fine, there's really nothing else I that needs to be taken care of in the railroad, so cleaning time won't be that big of a problem. I was even considering getting one of Aristo's track cleaning cars if I need one, which should take care of cleaning for me. I also have heard people say that you need rail clamps, but I think the Chicago Botanical Gardens is running track power, and I don't recall seeing any clamps, although they do use jumpers between track sections which may be in place of the clamps, I don't know, but maybe someone can confirm this. So basically, what I want is an inexpensive track type that does NOT have to be totally maintenence-free, and acceptable for track power.

Thanks!


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

WELCOME ABOARD! Three things!! 1. I would NOT go any smaller than a 10ft radius curve. When I got in this hobby in the late 90's a retailer told me the very thing i'm telling you if you go smaller you will have problems running bigger engines like a Mallet, or Dash 9's You can pretty much cover the gamit and be prepared for if your ideas change from smaller engines to bigger ones. 2. I would go with Brass code 332 or 250 i use brass 332, and stainless is double the price! You can sometimes find bargains in track on Evil Bay, and I would go with 5ft straights to lessen joints they make 3ft also but then on a large layout you have more joints. 3 I would use railclamps I have not yet but know if you can afford them they work best for conductivity. I would not rule out battery and or Remote Control! I have had track down for over 2 years outside here in Nebraska, and I run or can run track power and also battery/rc. On trackpower I can use my QSI/G-wire combination, or with battery either one. I also have 2 complete TE Aristo setups with the ultima 10 power pack!! And in my office where my two test tracks which are approx. 18ft. long each I use a MRC Sound & Power 7000 transformer! I like the QSI/G-wire for ease of installation in Aristo engines, they are just plug n play and take less than 45mins to install and the sound and control with either the Airwire T-9000 and or the NCE procab for same are great!! That system is especially great if you are electronically and or wiring challenged!! Which I am! Nothing in this hobby is cheap or inexpensive anymore, but I would recommend getting exactly what you want, and try to get the best bang for your buck and not try to do too many things on the cheap as you will be disappointed in the end. If I can be of further help to you, contact me through this site. I also have a "live" show that is on "livestream" every Friday, we just started going on every week again! On my show, Noel from California is on with me and also has a site along with 6others of us with live sites. Noel does amazing animations, and wiring and electronic segments, and we also have a live chat window, if you care to join us! I'm sure others will chime in here and also extend their hands to you also. So welcome aboard this is a great site to learn, and help each other in this great hobby of ours!! The Regal

Live Site for Friday Nite "live" show!! 
Crazy Train Guy's Garden Railroad Channel - Mogulus Live Broadcast

Noel's site

Santa fe & Butthead Cove. R.R. - Mogulus Live Broadcast

p.s. There are 6 others who are members of our little "live train group" Greg E. from California, TJ Lee of California, founding father Bob Grosch of Florida, Dual Railtrail of Ohio, Geoff Geroge of Missouri, J.C. Carter of Witchita KS. and we welcome anybody else who would like to get a "live" channel and join us and broadcast from their homes or layouts too!!

 

You can find the links to the other channels below!
Rio Gram Hedge Apple Falls Rail Road - Mogulus Live Broadcas

GregsTrains- live streaming video powered by Livestream 

Turtle Creek Garden Railroad - Mogulus Live Broadcast 
the ALLY - Mogulus Live Broadcast
geoff's garden railroad and Christmas lights - Mogulus Live Broadcast
DualRailTrail - Mogulus Live Broadcast


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## Katz (Feb 12, 2010)

Thanks for the info! I'm really sorry though, I forgot to specify that this is going to have to be confined to a corner of the backyard and that the peninsula is only about 12 feet long and about 6 feet wide, and the length against the house is probably shorter, but maybe a bit wider. I would have provided a picture, but there's a foot of snow over it, so that will have to wait until the snow melts. The train I have is a Bachmann Big Haulers Durango and Silverton Freight which came with the 4-foot curves, and since the layout is confined to the small garden, I don't think I will be able to put in anything else over the 5' radius track. I looked at the Mallet, and I really don't have any desire, nor do I have the money for one. The Dash 9 I like, but the price is more than I can afford, and the track size required for one won't fit into the garden. The only other loco I want to buy is the LGB Stainz, I believe they're called, the really cool little green one with the red and blue passenger cars, and they look ever smaller than the 4-6-0 that I have, so they should run fine on the track, shouldn't they? (Do they even make that set still? Because I know that LGB went out of buisness, but I thought that Marklin is still making some of their products...) I used the word inexpensive instead of cheap because I do want to buy good quality things, but I don't want to spend a fortune on something with a million features that I'll never use. The layout probably can't get any bigger than what I have planned, because there's a deck on the left, a foot or two to the right is the property line, and there's a small pond in the corner across from the "Florida garden", so unless we move (very unlikely) I don't think this can get any bigger. :/ I just want to have a train running through some flowers in the garden, like I said, nothing too fancy. I still think the track power thing is probably my best bet, because I want to go out in the morning, bring out the train, turn it on and have it running for the most of the day while I'm outside, and batteries would probably be dead before I'm done with it for the day. Radio controll is probably not going to do me any good either, because there's not much to controll in a big loop. My other hobby is over the top Halloween and Christmas decorating, which also takes a lot of money, (Bad hobby combination here, don't you think? lol) and I put more effort into the decorations than I probably will into the train, because once the layout is done, it can't get any bigger, unless I start adding buildings or people, which has nothing to do with the track, so that's another day. But thanks for the info on the brass, I will go with that instead of stainless steel, so that's good.  Is there a certian brand that's cheaper, or that you would reccomend for that? Thanks again for all the information, I really appreciate it!  I'm sorry about not being clear on the size of this though, that's totally my fault. However, feel free to keep adding ideas, I'm open to any suggestions! Thanks!


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

It's always a good idea to use the widest curves possible, but your Bachmann set will run just fine on five foot curves. 


Generally stainless steel track takes the least cleaning. But it kind of depends on local conditions. I have about half brass and half stainless on my layout, and the stainless is slightly better than the brass. But lots of people report a really huge difference between stainless and brass, in terms of how often they have to clean it. Either way, cleaning is not that big a deal--I just run a track cleaning car around. 


The best way to do it is to buy the longest sections of straight track possible, and use a track bender to make the curves. The curves are more natural that way, and you end up with less joints. Track benders are pricey, but there might be a club near you that can lend you a track bender. 

The price difference between brass and stainless is not all that great right now--I'd say go for the stainless. It doesn't really have a downside, except for the color. But brass track is fine. Just invest in a track cleaning car, like the Aristo track cleaning caboose or better, the bridgemasters track cleaner car, and either run it all the time or run it now and then during a daily session. It's a good idea to use clamps at the joints, but if you buy the aristo track with the little screw joiners you can run really well for a long time with no clamps. When you join the track together, use some anti-corrosion paste, which you can find at auto parts stores. Just smear a little on the track clips before you join it. 


Clamps make everything more reliable. The Split-Jaw clamps are great, but pricey. Train-li makes some good less expensive clamps: I've had good luck with the inexpensive clamps aristo makes. Or you can solder jumper wires. I've never been able to solder track--I end up melting the ties.If you're good with a soldering iron, it's the cheapest way to go. 


I have a railway with 8 foot curves, and I find myself downsizing a lot of equipment, because smaller stuff looks better on narrow curves. Here's my favorite example of a garden railway that makes the most of small spaces


Daisy Beach RR


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

You might give some thought to code 250 rail, it is smaller and makes your trains look more realistic. SVRR has it in SS, NS, Brass and Aluminum. I've had mine(NS) for over 15 years now. I'd get a piece and compare it to the code 332 that LGB, Aristo and USA are. 
http://www.svrronline.com/index.htm


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