Hello all,
I am trying to make an HO scale roller coaster, and subsequently will have some relatively extreme rail bends and stresses. The rail I bought from the local hobby store came with plastic ties, but these didn't hold up to the small bend radius i needed on the turns, peaks and troughs of the track and eventually broke. What I need is a HO scale tie that will hold up to more stress than is probably typical in model railroads.
I purchased a rail bender from hand laid tracks and am able to achieve the curves I need in what looks like a precise and repeatable fashion. The ties I've found on the same site (
http://www.handlaidtrack.com/ho-scale-p ... p-3782.php) look like they may be able to hold up to my application. So, I guess my questions are as follows:
1) Does anyone know if the ties (
http://www.handlaidtrack.com/ho-scale-p ... p-3782.php) would be strong enough to handle the stress of tight turns and add a significant amount of support to the overall track?
2) It looks like those ties are soldered to the rail, which reassures me that the bond is strong and will be able to hold up. Is this the case?
3) Does anyone have any experience doing something of this nature? If so, any advice is appreciated. Also, if this has been discussed before, if you could post a link to the thread I would be grateful.
4) Finally, are there any other products that I need beside the ties and rail to make this that as a newcomer I would not be aware of?
Any help is appreciated!
Regards,
Loren