Making a small circle model railway with flexi track?

[AlexC1981]

Hi All,

I have a Christmas tree that sits on a 52cm diameter round table. If I buy a couple of flexi tracks like those on the link below, would I be able to cut them down and shape them to form a 52cm diameter circle?

Do the tracks bend into shape and stay to that shape or do they need to be fixed down? It's only going to be out for Christmas, so I don't want to make anything extensive.

https://uk.hornby.com/products/flexible-track-970m...

I have a pre-digital Hornby OO set in the loft that I would use with it.

Thanks.

[dr_gn]

The Peco stuff I've got springs back and needs pinning to a board. I'd imagine it would be impossible to join two bits to be a true circle due to the ends wanting to spring straight. Couldn't you just use standard curved track?

[98elise]

dr_gn said:

The Peco stuff I've got springs back and needs pinning to a board. I'd imagine it would be impossible to join two bits to be a true circle due to the ends wanting to spring straight. Couldn't you just use standard curved track?

Most flex track would resist being bent into a circle. As you say standard curves are far better for a circle.

[AlexC1981]

Thanks. I have been looking at curved track, but struggling to find any the right size.

I have been reading online, 52cm diameter would be 10" radius also known as 0 radius. However it does not seem possible to buy any for OO gauge, at least not in the UK.

[98elise]

AlexC1981 said:

Thanks. I have been looking at curved track, but struggling to find any the right size.

I have been reading online, 52cm diameter would be 10" radius also known as 0 radius. However it does not seem possible to buy any for OO gauge, at least not in the UK.

10 inch radius is tiny for OO gauge (I missed that on the original post). What sort of train were you hoping to run on it. Long locos might struggle.

Why not make a circular MDF base for the track to be nailed to?

[InitialDave]

98elise said:

Why not make a circular MDF base for the track to be nailed to?

This what I'd do.

[meb90]

You could definately make a circle that tight with flexi-track. You'd need to fix it to something though.

It would be quite a tight curve - are you sure that your stock will go around it? Hopefully it is all 4 wheeled

[miniman]

First radius (tightest fixed curve track) would give you a 742mm diameter circle with 00 gauge. Very few locos run nicely on first radius so going any tighter I think would give you serious issues actually running anything.

However N gauge first radius would give you 456mm diameter and second radius would be 527mm so you might well be able to achieve something workable.

[InitialDave]

Maybe OO9 would be the optimal solution? Lets you have the OO size models but the N gauge track.

[AlexC1981]

Some good advice All, thank you. I think I would like to make use of what I have, rather than get a smaller gauge set as this is only to go around my 3ft tall table top Christmas tree.

I've had a poke round my loft and found a Lima transformer and enough Lima 360mm radius track to form a pretty tight circle. This is from my childhood set so it must be 1980s.

I think you guys are right and this is the tightest circle I should go. The easiest way to do this, I think, would be to cut a circle out of MDF and place it on top of the table with a disposable Christmas tablecloth and fix the track on top of that.

I have a little saddle tank engine that came with a Hornby set I bought from Modelzone on a whim as it was on sale. It's only ever been set up once!

I have managed to get it running on one piece of track after cleaning the track with vinegar. Do you think a soak in vinegar would be the best way to clean the rest of the track? It looks like it will be difficult to clean up the inside of the fishplates.

[bristolracer]

It’s probably not worth the bother of mucking about with old dirty track, if it’s the old Lima stuff it’s probably rusty and even cleaned up won’t perform very well.
If you can spare £35 then this will work reliably


https://railsofsheffield.com/products/peco-st-221-...

You will need 8 to make a circle

You may want one of these to connect the power unless you can solder

https://railsofsheffield.com/products/peco-st-273-...

[AlexC1981]

I'm already pickling the track

Thank you. If it doesn't work I'll get new. It won't be played with as such, just running slowly round the tree with a few trucks. After it has been soaked, it shouldn't take long to go over with a scotch pad and a toothbrush, so nothing much lost by trying.

[spitfire-ian]

This is what Hornby sell as their Christmas set sort of designed to run around the base of a tree.

https://uk.hornby.com/products/santas-express-trai...

1st radius curves with two small straights, presumably to allow for one of them being the power track.

I bought one a few years back

[MiniMan64]

8 x shiny R1 newish nickel curve should be easy enough to get for pennies on FB of the like, don’t faff around with old crap track!

[AlexC1981]

The old track is working ok now. I gave it a light rub with a scotch pad and used the electric toothbrush on the fishplates with some salt and vinegar paste. I pinched the fishplates tighter to get a better connection. Bit of a faff, but it didn't take long to clean 8 small pieces.

Annoyingly I can't find the transformer plug for the Hornby power unit. The Lima transformer is sending the little Hornby tank from circa 2013 round far too quickly. I tested an engine of similar age to the Lima transformer and it worked ok. Bit odd.

[miniman]

You need one of these.

[AlexC1981]

Here we go. Work in progress, but it's up and running. I went a bit retro with the tree this year.

Going to swap the plastic tablecloth for a white cotton one and get some figurines and a station building I reckon with some cotton wool on the station roof and the tree base, it wouldn't be too hard to make a fun little snow scene.

I found the power supply for the Hornby controller and it's working better than the old Lima one. Thanks everyone for the advice.

[bristolracer]

Well done
Have you got the bug for a bigger one?
You know, couple of locos, a station, freight train running one way, big express going the other line, some sidings, a signal box

Go on you know you do

[AlexC1981]

Steady on, it's taken me all day just to make a round tabletop I can definitely see the appeal. One day....when I'm retired probably.

[98elise]

AlexC1981 said:

Steady on, it's taken me all day just to make a round tabletop I can definitely see the appeal. One day....when I'm retired probably.

That's what I said when I retired. I bought a 009 scale loco and rolling stock, plus a bunch of flex track. 009 is HO scale trains running on N scale track for building a narrow gauge railway.

That was 5 years ago and all I've done is build some test track trying to see how tight I can run the curves! Really must get back to it.