DANiel's PROTOTYPE Lionel O gauge tube track

Dan,

What you have done looks good!  As to your question, I think it would look even better with at least one extra tie in between each pair of ties; (twice as many ties per section of track).  Yes, I think they would look better if they were a little wider also, more like the GarGraves track you have pictured.  Yours are a close match for the FasTrack, but I don't think you need them that close together.  (Just one guy's opinion) 

Heres a quick set up using wider ones its this or the first post .. MOre less  I'm going to paint the foam next to get a better look...DANiel

R

It certainly looks good, However I might be concerned  if foam  could be a fire issue. Use water base paint (spray?) else the paint may eat away at the foam.

My $.02.

I would use the same spacing as the two metal ties where the track mates up. Paint the sides of the metal ties to match your ballast so the top of the ties are all the same width.

The downside of nylon is it won't take paint, at least for long.

One other thought, I would bet you could get stained wood ties from Gargraves for not much more.

This from a guy who cut all his ties from 2x4s using a back saw when he was kid.

Pete

heres a last post of picturs till I paint and balast it.. The space is equal from the orginal LIONEL black metal tiess... I do like the wider ties becuase of the height of teh Lionel O guage.. but I do like the the skinner ones (ties but hard to center becuase of teh orgianl O guage ties.....DANiel

Here is a better picture of the ties (LARGE/ SMALL) Do you like it with larger ties or smaller the smaller ones ..Smaller ones will have to be cut on  the orgianl ties of the track...DAniel

I'll suggest a third option.  I like the larger ties, but I would space them a little closer together.  There always has to be one in every crowd.  

Just like on TV this one is for you!..DANiel

Seems to me that the larger ties look better proportionately with respect to the rails.  I like your idea.

This is a very neat project!   I, too, like the larger ties, closer together as in your last photos.

Nice work!

Dan,

   Good project for sure, IMO the bigger ties look better, maybe just a little different spacing is required.  

Have fun with your track project.

PCRR/Dave

Came up with a Plan B  this will make it easier to balast on the road bed Plus might be able to use the Lionel O guage track  insteaaaad of the 027 (don't like the 1122 switches ...Forgot to mention its very easy this way just cut teh plastic ties and use GE silicone and dap a spot behind the track and install thats it..!

Intrested in our thoughts of  the O guage vs 027 looks  (new version)Thanks DANiel

Johnson Road bed has not been available for years and it still is in  high demand. Something similar that would improve the looks of regular tubular track would be a succesful.

Why not just go to the RMT Snap Track.  All plastics ties, originally  called K-line Super Snap track.

My motivation for using tubular track is simple:  It is cheap and I have a lot of it and I can easily cut it to any length and it is somewhat flexible so I don't have to have perfect alignment.  Did I mention it is very cheap.  At least used track is cheap, typically about 50 cents to $1 a section.  

I buy used track, and have a simple way of cleaning any rust off of it.  I set up a loop of track and run the train.  I often have to start with the loco in forward only until the track is clean enough to keep the E unit from tripping.  Forget cleaning the track by hand.  Too much like work.  I splay two of the rails where the pins are to make a tight connection between the pins and the adjoining track section.  If the pins are rusty and/or the open end of the rail is rusty, it can be a tedious job to clean out the open ends of the rails.  I use a small rat tail file and an electric drill to do this.  

I have a method of measuring the resistance between adjoining sections that will measure the resistance down to 100 micro-ohms.  Plenty good enough.