Code 332 rail for 3/4 scale?

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RCRR
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2013 11:53 am
Location: New Hampshire

Code 332 rail for 3/4 scale?

Post by RCRR »

Hi all,
Has anyone ever tried using garden railway code 332 (.332in) stainless steel rail for 3.5in gauge? Normally, I think one would use .625in aluminum rail, but I have plans to build this track along side existing G1 tracks and may even consider dual gauge.

I have little doubt that the rail would work great for the trains themselves, but would adding passengers be far too much?

My concern is bending deflection (in the same direction as the force due to gravity) and spreading or rolling of the rails due to insufficient rail base width.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts,
Jeff
Cary Stewart
Posts: 542
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 5:54 pm

Re: Code 332 rail for 3/4 scale?

Post by Cary Stewart »

To use this rail for 3/4" scale (3 1/2" gage) you should know that rail height and your flange depth. This will also affect travel through switches. Is the rail height the same as that for standard G/No.1 gage rail? An interesting thought though.
Cary
DennisC
Posts: 30
Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2003 1:53 pm
Location: Cypress, Texas

Re: Code 332 rail for 3/4 scale?

Post by DennisC »

Take G gauge flex track, rip it down the middle, nail it to a board with the rails at 3 1/2", add ballast. Makes a quick display track for 3/4" equipment.
RCRR
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2013 11:53 am
Location: New Hampshire

Re: Code 332 rail for 3/4 scale?

Post by RCRR »

Hi Cary,
Lgb G1 code 332 rail is literally 0.332in tall. Likewise the finescale rail code 250 is 0.25in tall.

I'm guessing the G scale toy trains probably have a bigger flange than a 3/4 scale model, but maybe I'm wrong?
Pontiacguy1
Posts: 1566
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:15 am
Location: Tennessee, USA

Re: Code 332 rail for 3/4 scale?

Post by Pontiacguy1 »

I believe that they made that brass code 332 rail so that it would be sturdy enough to not get destroyed if someone stepped on it. I personally think it would work fine if it was properly supported. Easy way to find out would be to screw a couple of pieces to some plywood and then set a car on it and sit down on it. If you could roll it back and forth, and nothing happened, you'd probably be OK. Code 332 rail is approximately 140-150 lb/yard rail in 1/2" scale (gauge 3), so it's waaay oversize for the LGB (gauge 1) stuff. It would probably be somewhere around 90-100 lb/yard rail in 3/4" scale. Interestingly, I bought a box of steel rail that is very close in size to the code 332 rail, being only a few thousandths shorter. I would like to build a dual gauge (2 1/2"- 3 1/2") using that someday.
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