I have a paid a layout designer to draw a plan for me. It consists of concentric ovals, starting with 18", 22", 24" and 28 3/4". It is the roadbed/track system from Kato, Atlas, Bachmann. Have already purchased all of the circular track. A fair expense. The Kato/Atlas is Code 80, and I think Bachmann is 100 (I can make the transitions). I began buying older steam - Mant/brass/older IHC/Bowser, etc. It SUDDENLY OCCURRED TO ME THAT THIS STUFF WILL PROBABLY NOT RUN ON C 80. The ovals are for display running, very few swithces. Please give me your observations/solutions for deeper flanges (I can't change drivers on 100 locos. THANKS
Petey, the long flanges on older rolling stock will roll on some brands of 080" rail, but will bump over the cast mounting lugs on Shinnohara. (HO) I broke two short sections of hacksaw blade (18 teeth to the inch) and made a track clearence tool this way: (use new blade) You can sharpen the blades with a small three cornered file if you file slowly and carefully only cutting on the face of the blade. Using two old brass wheeled axels and a block of wood. I cut a block 2" long, and sawed a groove 1/8" from each end that would allow the axel to slip into the bottom just deep enough so the wood could barely slide on the rail top on both rails. Now I had a wooden cart. Break the blades so they will fit between the two axels. Then using another hacksaw, I slit the block so one broken saw piece would just slip along inside one rail and another saw along the inside the other rail. Cut these two slots just deep enough so the teeth of the saw hang below the top of the rail as far as the longest flange does, (when the block is sitting on the pair of wheels on the rails). Then I stapled over the two axels to hold the wheels in place, and mixed five minute epoxy, used a tooth pick to smear some on one saw blade slit, and slipped a saw blade in the slit to the bottom, so the teeth were sticking out of course. Then I did the same for the other saw slit, and made certain the teeth were facing to cut the same direction on both blade pieces. After this setup over night, I then gently rolled this contraption back and forth along the straight track, and curves, even switches, (turnouts) until the blades didn't cut anymore. Then I vacuumed the whole track area, and tried the engine with the longest flanges. No more bumps. There was just enough plastic lug left to keep the rails in place. After that, all rail I have bought has been .100". I later made another block so the front cutting edge of the blades would just rest on the plastic lugs, and the rear end of the blades were at the flange depth. This cut much better for starting out, since it cut little by little like a screw thread tap does, and I only used the first cart for final cleanup. No problems at all after this. I don't like the long toy flanges either, but that was all that was available for N and HO for many years, now it costs too much to turn flanges down or replace wheels.
