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Correct sleeper spacing peco 00


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I am just wondering what the correct spacing is between the concrete sleepers of peco 00 streamline track, I know they come moulded together but they look a little close together? Also I will be doing a couple of joints over two baseboard sections just wondering what the best way of doing this is, I don't like the soldering to a screw head idea would be hard to disguise after I would have thought. Possible just going to use copper clad board cut to sleeper shape, does anybody have any links to show this being done? Is the copper board just glued to the cork below the rail and then soldiered to the rail itself, possible would need to sandwich to pieces of board together to make up the height to the underside of the rails, or can you buy copper clad thick enough?

 

Thanks

Phil

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This question needs breaking down into two parts.

 

Regarding baseboard joints, I'll let exhibitors comment and opine on that.

 

On the subject of sleeper spacing, Peco's track is made to a scale of 1:87 HO, so sleepers are a shade under 10% too close together for 1:76 OO.

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Guest Max Stafford

It doesn't address the sleeper width issue, but the PH jig seriously improves the look of PECO track as ably illustrated in our own MI e-mag. Well worth a look and the effect certainly flicks my switch!

 

Dave.

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Things can often look "wrong" on models because of the different viewing prespective in real life.How often do we see a loco at an angle of 30o above and from a distance of over 100 yards. That would mean being about 150 feet in the air.

 

Standard sleeper spacing on jointed track was 24 per 60ft length, slightly closer togther nearer the joint than in the middle of the panel, but an average of 2ft 6ins centres, 10ins wide and 1ft 8ins between sleepers, so 10mm, 3.33mm and 6.67mm respectively in 4mm scale. Given the track is 16.5mm gauge using these spacings may look wrong. For that gauge they would be approximately 8.75mm, 2.9mm and 5.85mm.

 

Peco Code 75 sleepers are, IIRC, are at about 7mm centres - 3mm wide and 4mm between sleepers, so would need opening out by about 2mm per sleeper in relation to the track gauge.

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I use copperclad sleeper panels that used to be made by JZ of this parish (he's left the PCB manufacturing company now to work on the railways) They were milled out of PCB material to Peco dimensions so fitted in perfectly. However, if you are respacing as well, then cut some PCB copperclad to the same dimensions as the sleepers.

 

The pic below shows the exit from the scenic board onto the sector plate on Summat Colliery under construction. You will see that I drilled the sleepers and pinned them as well as gluing down with UHU glue.

 

post-6717-0-38980400-1317981372.jpg

 

and this one the panels before track was soldered down - note drawing pins holding the panel in place where I cut the webs to get a slight curve ...

 

post-6717-0-59896800-1317982226.jpg

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Spacing depends on age and line speeds, amongst other things. Colin Craig has written 3 articles regarding modern permanent way on the Manchester Model Railway Society site. Colin also offers a set of useful templates for sale on his website along with finescale track and turnout kits for wooden style sleepers.

If you want to go with Finescale you can get concrete sleepers for code 82/83 rail. Exactoscale do them and I know Intercity Models used to. Check out P4 New Street, I do believe Jim used the Exactoscale stuff but don't quote me on that. These look a lot better than Peco but the issue remains when modelling OO guage track, it doesn't look quite right no matter how well you space the sleepers!

 

The usual disclaimers count, I have no connection with the above resellers, just a happy customer.

 

Adriano

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Pieces of card or thin balsa can be used to pack out the pcb sleepers. Alternatively brass shims under the rail soldered on to the PCB work well with bullhead as it equals the chair base. Are there baseplates on concrete track? Soldering to a brass screw betweeen two sleeprs is not hard to disguise a bit of black/grey paint and the ballast around it can do the job. I find the later no more intrusive than swapping from wood or plastic sleepers to pcb.

Don

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It doesn't address the sleeper width issue, but the PH jig seriously improves the look of PECO track as ably illustrated in our own MI e-mag. Well worth a look and the effect certainly flicks my switch!

 

Dave.

 

Do you have a link to this Dave?

 

phil

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