Tubular Track Tools and other Train Related Tools

Got a link Joe?

Steve

https://m.ebay.com/itm/PE-Desi...uge+track&_from=

I am also curious about people's experience using this fellow's tools.
He makes some wheel pullers and blocks for getting axles square.

Interesting.  Thanks for posting.  The track tie punch looks like a great idea.

-Dave

That may be Tinmans Track's toolmaker, he mentioned a company once and the PE seems familiar. My phone is having fits with blue text today so I'm not wkilling to touch many.   Predictive text is having fun with me too.  Repeating text from other threads... Some not even my typing.

I have these, and they are highly recommended.

Is this tool used for crimping the tubular rail back down into the track tie?

aussteve posted:

Is this tool used for crimping the tubular rail back down into the track tie?

If you mean the track tie punch, yes.  I'm not sure (haven't purchased one yet) you are crimping the rail actually so much as having a good mechanical method to re-bend the "flaps" in the tie itself that hold the rail in place.  If the surface of the tool that pushes the "flaps" down has any non-flat details machined into it, then I guess it crimps too.  If it's just flat, then it just re-bends them.

For outer rails, the outside "flap" is do-able with any set of pliers with a nose that is as narrow as the underside of the tie.  The inner one is not easy to do with standard tools.  (same for either "flap" for the center rail)

This tool seems to address this problem nicely.

-Dave

I use a piece of scrap metal to back up the tie, another scrap as a punch to flatten the flap, and a 1/4 cold chisel to recrimp.

Hobby Horse made an anvil and punch (HH-1063) to do both sides at once (flatten only). Catalog says it is good for "O", "027", and "S".

I have a set, but have rarely used it.

C W Burfle posted:

I use a piece of scrap metal to back up the tie, another scrap as a punch to flatten the flap, and a 1/4 cold chisel to recrimp.

Hobby Horse made an anvil and punch (HH-1063) to do both sides at once (flatten only). Catalog says it is good for "O", "027", and "S".

I have a set, but have rarely used it.

If I had metal scraps just sitting around that are the correct width, I'd probably do that too.

Since I don't (and I also don't have a set of chisels actually), I thought the cost for an O Gauge tool to do this was possibly a good deal (for me at least).

It's not like I've done this a lot, but I did struggle without a proper tool the one time I did disassemble some O31 curves for a project.  I think I resorted to just pressing the inner tab back in place with either the nose of a pair of pliers, or maybe using a larger flat head screwdriver and careful pressure. 

I was only running small motor equipment on the result (handcars and speeders), so as long as it didn't move or fall apart under that limited weight, I was OK.  I'd want to do something more proper if I was doing a piece of track I would run heavier trains on.

-Dave

Since I don't (and I also don't have a set of chisels actually), I thought the cost for an O Gauge tool to do this was possibly a good deal (for me at least).

I've seen the track tool offered on EBay. It may very well be a good deal.
As for pieces of scrap metal: I've been accumulating that sort of stuff for years.
I still cannot pass up an inexpensive "V" block when I see it for sale.

My best track tool is a pair of Small Nipper Pliers shown below.  Mine are from a cheap Chinese pliers set (Harbor Freight now days) and are small, about 4" long. 

I use these to tighten up the rail pins inside the rails. and to tightly wrap the piece of shim or flashing stock around the pin in the gap.  I usually cut a strip of flashing about 3/8" wide and a few inches long.  Then I use a small tin snips to cut a piece about the width of the gap and it will be 3/8" long.  I cut it too wide and then keep trimming it down until it fits in the gap.  I then wrap it around the pin in the gap with my fingers and squeeze it tight with the nipper pliers.  If 3/8 " is to long I just let it hang down.  It should take only a minute or two do each gap.

This will not work with the gap from the tooth picks I use mostly used for insulated center rail gaps.  (I know Lionel makes plastic pins for this use but I did not have them years ago.) Note the picture above has a Lionel plastic pin in the center rail.  I have lots of insulated center rails as my whole layout is blocked into 5 or so foot sections.

I cut a gap sized of plastic insulation from some solid electrical wire to fill the gap.  I split the little do nut of insulation with a X-acto knife and slip it on.

Another useful homemade tool is a Track Cutting Jig.

Track Cutting Jig

Early on I made a Track Cutting Jig to help cut short sections of straight 027 track.

It is made from a scrap of 3/4" wood, size 2" x 2 1/4 " with a same size 3/8" plywood glued on the bottom.  Three slots were sawed, with a band saw, 1/4" deep and 1/8" wide at the spacing of the three rails of 027 track.  A 1/16" wide slot was cut at 90 degrees to the track slots to accommodate a hack saw blade.

A piece of 1/2" plywood was made to act as a Track Hold Down.  Shown at the top of picture.  Groove was cut to go over the track tie if necessary

Picture of clamp holding Track Cutting Jig, track to be cut with hack saw and Track Hold Down.  The Track Cutting Jig is held in vise.

I use a fine tooth hack saw blade and find the Track Cutting Jig makes cutting shorter pieces of track an easy, neat job.

Both of these track tools were reported in my layout building post, in post 53 b, linked below:

https://ogrforum.com/...08#79142442664029608

Charlie

 Here are 2 of mine, I have bigger, but basically the same thing.  I can rock them parallel to the rails, or get a small screwdriver or drill bit, etc. along the web (vertical) between the rail tube and tool to pry down without backing the weak type ties. On the heavy ties I just push down. The craftsmen are cutters so need more care when used, and really aren't as good, but may be easier to find fast. They would be better dulled but make sure the stops allow it. Many cutters will have a jaw gap upon dulling if there is a set stop. The first place to look for a stop is the where the spring is seen on the green pair. You need a gap there, and the thinned side thrust area where the pliar halves mate limits some too early as well.