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Near Scale Spiking Journals/Blogs
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Regular poster 496 posts Greg Amer gregamer Regular poster 496 posts
Greg Amer gregamer

I’m using Proto:87 Stores Near HO Scale Spikes. These spikes are much smaller than even the Micro Engineering micro spikes with a head that is not so obtrusive. They are just short enough to not extend beyond the bottom of a full thickness tie, which makes it easy to spike the rails at the bench. And even though my track is actually glued down with barge cement, the spikes give a little extra hold and a big extra detail.

A standard fret has 250 spikes and I find it easiest to remove them from the fret as you spike each tie, as opposed to stripping the fret and picking the spikes from a pile. I use some Tamaya Mini Bending Pliers or some small forceps to start the spike into a tie plate, then usually drive it in with a small flat tip screw driver. The spikes are very rigid and do not bend easily. Proto:87 Stores lists them as stainless steel, but they are magnetic, so I’m not so sure. It’s pretty much essential to use an Optivisor or other magnification.

I spent about thirty minutes spiking one stock rail of a #10 turnout.

Reposted from my blog: The Industrial Lead

 
Greg Amer The Industrial Lead

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DKRickman Prolific poster 3,069 posts
DKRickman

Opportunity missed

Where are the foundry marks on the rail?  I mean, really, is that the best you can do?

I haven't got the patience, but I admire the work!  Beautiful track!!!

Ken Rickman

Danville & Western HO modeler and web historian

http://southern-railway.railfan.net/dw/
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alpha_1 New member 26 posts
alpha_1

Optivisor

I have an optivisor with multiple lenses.  I had ordered some of these spikes just to see them for real.  They're pretty neat, but at my age and with shaky hands and failing eyesight, my optivisor didn't help much when trying to work with them.

They and the tie plates are beautiful but to try and do even portions of a layout with takes a lot of time and patience.  Nice to look at once finished, though.

Ahhhh, if only......I were twenty years younger.
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proto87stores Frequent poster 806 posts
proto87stores

BTW - You also have the choice of easy Scale "Non-Spiking"

I would like to mention, the primary intention of the Proto:87 Stores model tie plates is to allow easy (and Skill-free), prototypically realistic hand-laid track, without any extra spiking (or soldering) needed.

There are dummy spike head patterns on the tie plates that form a "groove", that precisely align and hold the rails to  exact gauge, so that all you have to do is slot the rails into the grooves and fix them down perfectly in place with a little modern glue.

The same easy rail laying process as using a slotted turnout building fixture, but without needing PCB ties or any soldering.

The Scale spikes are there to give modelers the choice they prefer - Glue, Spikes or a mixture of both.

Andy
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Toniwryan Frequent poster 502 posts
Toniwryan

WOW

  I do have to say that is some lovely track!  As a model, very nice work.  Is it durable enough to run trains on?  Or clean with a track eraser?

  Since I am sticking to N scale I hope it will be quite awhile before the Proto:160 movement catches me!  

Toni

 

Toni
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Rene Gourley renegourley Prolific poster 1,069 posts
Rene Gourley renegourley

What a great idea

Maybe we could get Mr Archer on it!

Rene Gourley
Modelling Pembroke, Ontario in Proto:87

Read my MRH blog
Read my Wordpress blog
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Greg Amer gregamer Regular poster 496 posts
Greg Amer gregamer

Proto:87 has N scale products too.

Hi Toni, Check out the details Andy has for N-Scale. http://www.proto87.com/n-scale-track.html. When I get around to making another Freemo-N module, I'm going to be using this stuff. It's not hard to make this awesome looking track. Greg
 
Greg Amer The Industrial Lead

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Toniwryan Frequent poster 502 posts
Toniwryan

Agghhh - I clicked the link!

  I suppose that means I will eventually have to buy some and try it out!  I may go blind!

It looks very cool on the site.

Toni

 

Toni
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