The Home Machinist!

A few of our members are thinking about moving us over to steel rails from the aluminum rails that have been installed for around 20 + years and are in serious need of replacement.

Of concern is the wear to our wheels. How bad is steel vs aluminum when it comes to wear. I have heard some people say that aluminum actually is worse then steel as it tends to pit and hold grit in it where steel just polishes up. In looking at our aluminum track this seems to be the case.

Also we are thinking of setting the gauge on our curves at 7 5/8". Some of the curves are around 60' radius, would this be adequate for some of the larger locomotives like the RMI Sweetcreek? What would you set the gauge at in the straight sections.

Thanks,

Phil

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"I used to be a rocket scientist, now i am just a space cadet"

http://www.SouthernCaliforniaLiveSteamers.com

RMI 3.75" scale Prairie 2-6-2 under construction.
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One side note on this, some of our members have aluminum wheels on their equipment. It would also be nice to hear from anybody who has ran aluminum wheels on steel track and if they encountered any premature wear.

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We've had steel rail (bar stock) for 75 years. None of the rail has ever worn out. You may see some wear on cast iron wheels after 30 years or so.

The traction is great and as a side benefit is the sound of steel wheels on steel rail.

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Best regards,
Jim Leggett

Montreal Live Steamers
www.montreallivesteamers.com

Toad Swamp & Punk Hollow Railroad
The Juvenile Traction Company
White Mountain Central RR

Besides, it is a LOT easier to replace worn-out wheels then worn-out rails!

_________________
"One cannot learn to swim without getting his feet wet." - Benjamin Maggi
- Building: 7.25" gauge "Sweet Pea" named "Catherine"

I don't know about you, but I would rather replace some track instead of tearing a locomotive apart and have to make new drivers.

Talking about steam locomotives, not diesel or electric.


Phil

_________________
"I used to be a rocket scientist, now i am just a space cadet"

http://www.SouthernCaliforniaLiveSteamers.com

RMI 3.75" scale Prairie 2-6-2 under construction.
View Progress
http://www.southerncalifornialivesteame ... nstruction

I don't find 30 years or more on CI (cast iron) wheels and even longer on steel tires too short a lifetime. I've heard of clubs getting only 10 years of service from aluminium rail.

I've built lots of track and I'd rather reprofile my drivers on a weekend maybe once in my active lifetime.

If you run trains you're wearing something out. Bushings, guides, rings, boilers, tires... they are all consumables.

_________________
Best regards,
Jim Leggett

Montreal Live Steamers
www.montreallivesteamers.com

Toad Swamp & Punk Hollow Railroad
The Juvenile Traction Company
White Mountain Central RR

Assuming we're talking 7.5" gauge.


1. Disconnect eccentrics/eccentric rods. Take off main and side rods. Remove pedestal binders. Drop drivers from frame.

2. Machine tire area off driver (If drivers don't have tires to begin with). Machine tires and shrink them onto driver center.

3. Then reverse procedure no.1 above to re-install the drivers.

4. Re-time the valve motion.


VS.


1. Cut new ties (If/as needed). Drill pilot holes for track screws. Screw rails onto ties.

2.Unbolt rails/rail joiners. Lift out track panels. Remove old ballast and clean up roadbed.

3. Install new track panels on roadbed. Bolt panels together. Level track. Re-ballast.

Track to be replaced could vary from the tens to hundreds, to even thousands of feet. A good bit of the track work on knees, stooping, bending, etc. Work hot and sweaty depending upon time of year. Cost of new track panel materials vs. cost of driver tire material or new driver casting and labor time on loco.


Lemme see here......

I think I'd rather rework my drivers. But then, with my capabilities, and experience as a machinist, it would take me a lot LESS time to do the rework of the drivers than the usual hobby machinist/builder.


All that said....

For club use, where the track will be in use for a considerable number of years, where hauling of the public is a requirement in addition to heavy use/traffic (both individual and/or public hauling)

Go with steel rail.


EDITED.... 04/06/2010 @ 1056 hrs CDT

LL

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Sorry Phil,
Im with Jim and LL on this one.
You should be shopping your engine one a year anyways
how else are you going to find lose bolts, broken or worn parts

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Steve,

I have seen rust on steel rails chew up aluminum wheels.

Someone with aluminum wheels needs to let other people with iron or steel wheels go around the track a couple of times first to get the rust off before going out.

I also saw a track installation using cold-rolled bar stock for rail, and the installer didn't round off the corners of the bar stock. The sharp corners made for a nice shear edge and shaved down flanges on some aluminum wheels. Little strings of aluminum along the outside rail at every curve.

If there's no rust on the rails, and nice rounded corners on the rail, I know people who had gotten 10+ years of running out of Aluminum wheels here in California. And just as an FYI, when those wheels did wear out they all replaced their wheels with cast iron or steel.


Cheers,

Curtis F.

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16 Years of SolidWorks experience...now I feel old.

As the others have said and which I implied from my post, it is my opinion that it is easier to re-machine wheels as opposed to relay track. Aside from the time requirement, some other reasons include:

1. You can machine indoors, but you MUST relay track outdoors in the heat, cold, buggy, weather.

2. You can machine parts while comfortably standing, but must relay track while bending over or lying on the ground.

3. The cost for new wheel castings or metal stock is probably less then the cost for new rail, once shipping is included.

4. The assumption that drives this is that your train wheels will wear down before the rail does at an even rate. Rail will wear down from multiple trains being run on it, and yet your train might not be the only one running. If that is the case, then your wheels will wear down at one rate while the rail getting heavy use from trains will wear down even more.

_________________
"One cannot learn to swim without getting his feet wet." - Benjamin Maggi
- Building: 7.25" gauge "Sweet Pea" named "Catherine"

I cannot imagine using aluminum for wheels on 7-1/2" gauge equipment. Were these commercial products?

I have a batch of aluminum, actually Zermac?, 7 1/2" gauge car wheels, sold by one of the major suppliers a number of years ago. Currently assigned to MOW cars.