It's Proto:87 Stores.
http://www.proto87stores.com/ For direct access to the page with the spikes. http://www.proto87.com/turnout-ties-and-bases.html I have been using the 150% HO spikes and have used them with Code 83, 70, and 55 rails. I've never tried them with larger rail, since anything larger would be oversize for my use. I normally use the long spikes, which will go through a tie into the roadbed. The long ones also include a few extra long spikes. I normally use them at the ends of rail or what I may view as a higher stress situation. I use the short spikes on bridge decks, etc. where I don't want them to go through the bridge ties (usually scale 8"X8"). I can use the Micro-Mark spiking pliers with the grooves for the head with the longer ones, but I normally use a plain pliers for the short ones. They are only a little oversize for S and yes, I use my Optivisor when spiking them. I no longer use the ME spikes. Because they are small, some people may think that may not hold that well. Jamie Bothwell did a test on some of my dual gauge Code 83 track and thought it was stiff. He told me about it after he did the test. I also spike every tie and if I was really worried about it, I could add a drop of CA at the rail/tie joint. BTW, I haven't been using rail joiners, except at point hinges. I've been placing the rail joints on a tie and spiking both rails to the tie (four spikes in that tie). After the track has been operated on, I place a joint bar casting at each side of the joint, but only glue it to one of the rails. So far this has worked for track that's been in place for over a year. Dave Heine Easton, PA From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of JGG KahnSr Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2012 12:34 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: {S-Scale List} Spikes Depending on how heavy a rail one uses, anyone interested might check out Andy Reichert's fine-scale spikes, which come etched in a strip. His website is something like proto87. Jace Kahn General Manager Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. I don't know what happened to ME, but their current spikes are nowhere near as good as they were 25 years ago, and that was verified recently when I scrapped out a piece of hand lay track from the old SLE&P. The Walthers spikes are even better than the old ME spikes, though. I had a couple of places (over under-track magnets, trestles) where I thought I could use the ME micro spikes, but I don't have a tool that can reliably hold them. I shoot more of them off into space than into the ties... They make an interesting bit of scenery if left piled near some track supplies, even if they are just a tad too large for true scale. I am not sure that one could even see truly scale spikes as more than just a bit of fine wire fuzz. And speaking of such things, I salvage the ties from the scrapped track as much as possible. They have very realistic looking marks left over from the rails -- and spike holes, of course -- more scenery items for around the track maintenance area (rails, frogs, spikes, tie plates and ties)... And I actually do reuse some of the old ties now and then. Have fun! Bill Winans ---------------------------------
