Pieter, I have often wished for just such a product! Or 2 piece plates with spike holes cast in that you could slide up to the rail and spike. Cast in dark rust brown as Bob suggests.
Roger Nulton From: Pieter Roos Sent: Friday, February 01, 2013 8:22 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} Tie plates Another option might be thin, two piece plates with notches that you put in after spiking. The fact that it isn't really a full plate shouldn't matter, and this would allow for any fussy adjusting and gauging BEFORE worring about the plates. I know I need something like that for my turnoouts that are already in place without details. Pieter E. Roos --- On Fri, 2/1/13, Bob Werre <[email protected]> wrote: From: Bob Werre <[email protected]> Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} Tie plates To: [email protected] Date: Friday, February 1, 2013, 11:09 AM Since I'm mostly a flex guy I'm not bothered by the short handlaid sections without plates. I have used the Grandt plates in a few places with good results. It would seem the solution would be to have tie plates made both with holes pre-drilled and with fake spike heads for cosmetic purposes. I'm also not a urethane expert but I see no reason why a dark brown resin couldn't be used in the first place. Bob Werre PhotoTraxx On 2/1/13 9:49 AM, Michael Eldridge wrote: My experience so far with tie plates: 1. Tomalco parts are a resin that I can't get paint to stick to. I've even tried high adhesion primer from an auto paint supplier. The ties plates get handled a lot during track laying, and the paint comes off in sheets. 2. After they are installed (and repainted) the tie plates only make a difference if you really look closely. 3. I tried thin styrene, and have decided that if you do not pre-drill a hole for the spike it creates more of a slit than a hole when you insert the spike - it's very unsightly. 4. Someone (Dick K?) suggested after the rail was spiked he ran a paintbrush along the rail, painting the rail, spike, and a swath on the ties that represented the tie plates. That looks surprisingly good. 5. Using the Tomalco plates, the ridge that meets the base of the rail is impossible for me to see without a magnifying lens. 6. It is difficult to hold the tie plates while spiking. I usually spike every fourth tie, test the track for a while, and come back and fill in a spike in every tie. Inserting the plates under the partially spiked rail is very difficult. So, my current plan is to try pre-painted .005 x .125 styrene, tack glue the plates to the ties, then lay the rail drilling each spike hole before putting in the spike. Fortunately, I'm not in any hurry, and I enjoy doing this part of this weird hobby. -Michael Eldridge --- In [email protected], "ctxmf74" wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], "pickycat95" wrote: > > > > I've been thinking about using styrene strips for tie plates. Possibly laminating a wider and two thin strips to create the recessed > > platform the rail rests on. I haven't tried it yet to see if this is an insane thing to attempt. > > > > Lots of modeling falls under the insane category but we still persevere. > When I get back to working on my S layout I plan to try adding ties plates to the switches too. I'm going to experiment with those cardboard paint color samples they have a the paint store, the rust colored cardboard looks about right when cut up into small tie plates. I'm not too worried about the raised edge as it is so small that it probably won't be apparent, my main concern is how to get them aligned properly without spending a lot of time and then if my Kadee spiker can drive thru them without splitting the cardboard too much? > As for track i'll definitely use tomalco or shinohara flextrack for the bulk of the layout and just hand lay a few short stretches of track around the handlaid switches. Track and switches are two separate stories when it comes to the supply, the cost, and the ease of building your own. ....DaveBranum >
