Posting track

[Stephen Rainsbury]

I have just bought some Peco track in a private sale, what is the best way to post it please?

Dundas cuts it in half for postage but I would rather not, or is this a standard practice?

[Graeme Dunbar]

Is it worth considering a Courier? I've only sent something once using Hermes but received a number of items. The nearest "Hermes Shop" for sending was a local supermarket. I see they have a rate for mailing tubes up to 1.2 m.

[Retiarius]

I have just bought some Peco track in a private sale, what is the best way to post it please?

Dundas cuts it in half for postage but I would rather not, or is this a standard practice?

I have never had any track come cut in half. They just arrive in a cardboard poster tube. Dundas are selling H0m track in 36 inch lengths, why are they selling 009 track in 18 inch lengths? I won't be buying track from Dundas.

[Stephen Rainsbury]

I have never had any track come cut in half. They just arrive in a cardboard poster tube. Dundas are selling H0m track in 36 inch lengths, why are they selling 009 track in 18 inch lengths? I won't be buying track from Dundas.

https://dundasmodels.co.uk/webstore/index.php/hikashop-menu-for-module-108/product/5298-1-yard-flexible-mainline-009-track-code-80-cut-into-2-x-18-inch-lengths-minimum-5-x-36-lengths

[Hobby]

Should get free packet of rail joiners with each batch!! Strange idea, the ones I got from Gaugemaster and Hattons both came in full 36" lengths. I'd also go to one of those rather than Dundas I'm afraid! No need to at the moment, though, I got lucky and got a box cheap off John Sutton a while ago.

[Stephen Rainsbury]

Seven lengths for £20 from somebody going back to 00 gauge as he found 009 too fiddly. He has a cardboard tube and will be positing it tomorrow.
It crazytrack, and I was going for Mainline, but I have half a dozen ideas for micro-layouts in my head at the moment so no reason not to start now.

[JulienW]

I have just bought some Peco track in a private sale, what is the best way to post it please?

Dundas cuts it in half for postage but I would rather not, or is this a standard practice?

I have never had any track come cut in half. They just arrive in a cardboard poster tube. Dundas are selling H0m track in 36 inch lengths, why are they selling 009 track in 18 inch lengths? I won't be buying track from Dundas.

It does reduce postage as Royal Mail charge a lot to send a meter long package through the post, and I note that Dundas will sell you a box 25 three feet lengths of track and sent that through the post without cutting it up.
https://dundasmodels.co.uk/webstore/index.php/hikashop-menu-for-module-108/product/5294-25-yards-flexible-irregular-009-track-code-80-25-x-36-inch-lengths-in-box-out-of-stock

Edit - they do the same with HOm track.

Ideally if you wanted a single length then it's better to buy it from the stand at a show...

[Stephen Rainsbury]

Ideally if you wanted a single length then it's better to buy it from the stand at a show...

It was something I had already bought on line and the seller hadn't decided how t post it, but all sorted now thanks.

[JulienW]

Ideally if you wanted a single length then it's better to buy it from the stand at a show...

It was something I had already bought on line and the seller hadn't decided how t post it, but all sorted now thanks.

My comment about buying track at shows was a general one, Stephen, and an attempt to clear up that Dundas will send out full boxes of 009 track in full 3' length form. I suspect that other suppliers send track out in the same way as Dundas (i.e. less than a certain number of lengths are cut in half) due to the (excessive?) postage costs involved, and not just 009 buy all the scale/gauge combinations.

Sorry if you felt it was in any way directed at you.

[Hobby]

Hattons don't mention cutting track if you order a single length, Julien. I suspect they have some sort of deal with whoever they use as couriers that allows for strange shape/length stuff and it's all done that way. I did wonder why some old track I had was in 18" lengths, though, that could explain it!

[MickT]

I did wonder why some old track I had was in 18" lengths, though, that could explain it!

Not really important, but for info if your old track is "really old" that is how it used to come from Peco back in the days of the much missed original live frog 9" radius crazy track points, the flexi track was produced in 18" lengths.
Mick

[Stephen Rainsbury]

Sorry if you felt it was in any way directed at you.

It never occurred to me that it was  ;D  I am very used now to the way that on Railway forums a post drifts away from the original and comments rarely apply to the original poster.

If this had been a music forum by now it would have degenerated into somebody hurling naughty words and telling me that I used the wrong guitar strings and I should donate my gear to somebody younger who is struggling to be heard rather than "blocking" slots at local gigs.  I am a keyboards player who hasn't played live for 20 years but that doesn't stop them.

PS keyboard stands are excellent for arranging micro layouts (The angle of each layer is adjustable)



Damn, now I am drifting off too.. yes back to exhibitions.. I have two kids getting married within 9 weeks of each other so exhibitions the home office was never going to approve a visit, especially as Swanley was the same day my Son got married. She has however approved a trip to Bexleyheath next weekend, but I can't see any suppliers that I know stock 009.

Mind you if the deal from the first post goes through I would be very surprised if anybody could match that. More details when it arrives, I don't want to jinx it into being a scam  :)

Stephen

[B.Meldon]

I did wonder why some old track I had was in 18" lengths, though, that could explain it!

Not really important, but for info if your old track is "really old" that is how it used to come from Peco back in the days of the much missed original live frog 9" radius crazy track points, the flexi track was produced in 18" lengths.
Mick

Mick is correct the Peco 009 track used to be sold in 18-inch lengths. This continued after the 9-inch electrofrog points went out of production in 1980, I do not know the exact date they changed but it was probably in the 80's or early 90's. The actual plastic sleeper web moulding is only 9 inches long, they use four of these for a 36-inch-long section.

Dundas used to charge £3 more for postage on orders of track less than one box full, I guess cutting it in half will enable them to offer the same postage charge?

Brian Meldon

[Stephen Rainsbury]

Dundas used to charge £3 more for postage on orders of track less than one box full, I guess cutting it in half will enable them to offer the same postage charge?

The stuff I bought was £10 P&P, which was more than I was expecting, because the seller only had a robust cardboard tube and was paying domestic rates at the post office. So that's 7 new full sized lengths for £20, it would have been double that from Peco or Dundas, so I will put that as a tick in the win column, assuming it turns up and isn't a scam.  :-\

[Stephen Rainsbury]

The track turned up just fine and it is genuinely 7 yards of new track for £30 including P&P, plus a few other bits, like sone set track straights, track connectorsm a pai of bogies and an unsued  Kato 103 chassis.
I was getting worried it was a scam, but couldn't be happier with that lot.