I am thinking of buying some Tillig H0/H0e dual-gauge flexitrack to make a multi-gauge test track. Does anyone know the minimum radius it can be curved to and how to wire it (I assume the common rail is the positive feed)?
If you are using common return wiring on a DC controlled layout it will not mater if the common rail is + or - as long at is the common return.
What we did was to plan the layout so that the common rail was on the same side for each section of dual-gauge track and this then set the side for the common return rail for the entire layout.
If you are unsure about what common return wiring is then I can explain if needed. But basically it reduces the wiring by about half on a DC controlled layout and only single pole section switches are needed if you have more than one controler.
The curvature will be limited to what your 00 locos and stock can negotiate.
It also should be noted that some 00 stock will not run on the Tillig track as the rail profile is too small, or the flanges are too large. For us it just would not work with the wide range of H0 stock we wanted to run so the Tillig track was not used.
Instead on Westdorf the dual gauge track is made using Peco 00 track, the way it was done was to remove every other sleeper between the chairs to give space for a cut down sleeper to be placed in the gap for the centre rail. It is all mounted on
Is there any other dual-gauge track, apart from Tillig?
Also, I was thinking that you could wire (for DC operation) the rails which aren't common as the feeds, so that you could run 00 and 009 stock at the same time, or have I missed something?
I do not think that there is any other ready to run dual gauge track apart from that made by Tillig.
Using common return on the shared rail the 00 and the 009 can be controlled separately on the same section of dual gauge track at the same time.
(But finding a prototype for this may be a bit difficult!)
Points will require some working out though. Especially if you need the points to isolate the track when switched. (Like in a siding for example)
Brian Meldon
Danny
You talk about a multi guage test track,which conjures upto me just a straight piece of track.If so this is easy to build with pcb sleepers and rail yourself.Just lay the 16.5 track first and then the third rail inside for 9mm.
It is possible to have the 9mm turning off the 16.5 without moving parts but clearances are critical as 009 wheels are of course much smaller than 00,you also have to avoid short circuits with wheel backs.
Another way if code 80 is O K for your 00 stock is to use a 009 point and then lay a third rail outside the straight part of this to give you 00 on the straight.This way you have all the benefits of a commercially produced point without having to make it yourself.You may have to add a check rail on this third rail to ensure good running on the 00 track.
Alan
If you are making a test track for several gauges then using the cut 00 Peco track method as I described above not only do you get the 9mm, N gauge but the gap between the other outer rail and the centre rail works out at 6.5mm, so you get Z gauge as well!
It can also be used as the centre rail for 00 three rail as well and there is sufficient flange clearances for Hornby 00 three rail locos and stock.
Obviously this needs some switching but for a test track it can be done.
We gave up trying to make a conventional dual gauge point as we just could not get good slow running for the four wheel 009 (H0e) locos allowing enough flange gap for the 00 (H0) stock.
But others have done better. For example it can be done if you use fine scale flanges on all your 00 stock, in that case you can make the point using a standard Peco N gauge or 009 point frog. But as we wanted to use a wide range of 00 and H0 rolling stock and locos the flange gaps were just too large to get good slow running on the 009 so we went for the stub point method.
Brian Meldon