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Exactoscale concrete sleepers


Dungrange

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In his book “An Approach to Building Finescale Track in 4 mm”, Iain Rice refers to the Peco Individulay Concrete sleepers as representing the F40 sleeper. The Manchester Model Railway Society website (http://www.mmrs.org.uk/technical/track3.html) states that the F40 was introduced in 1983 and was the standard sleeper until superseded by the longer G44 in 1999.

 

Does anyone know which sleeper type the Concrete sleepers produced by Exactoscale are meant to represent? It is not a major point, but I am looking to explain my track renewals history, so that I can justify a mix of bullhead and flat bottom rail and timber and concrete sleepers.

 

Regards

 

David

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Guest oldlugger

Yes, Richard is correct; C and L make a Dow Mac concrete sleeper suitable for bullhead rail with chairs and is typical of that found on the GWR in later years (for example). It can also be used with flat bottom rail.

 

Simon

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Simon / Richard,

 

Thanks for highlighting the fact that I omitted to mention that C&L also produce a concrete sleeper in 4mm scale. The link in my original post to the Manchester Model Railway Society website indicates that the C&L version represents an E1/4: the first pre-stressed design for use with bullhead rail with conventional 2 bolt chairs. These were manufactured from 1944 to 1954.

 

I had actually discounted the C&L product because of a coment in Iain Rice's book, "It is quite possible to use these components for 00 track, though only the timber-sleeper version, as the concrete sleepers will have the chair 'lands' in the wrong place". The same comment wasn't made in relation to the Peco F40, although since I think Peco only produce one length of sleeper I would assume that the same comment should apply to this product.

 

Thanks Miss Prism for confirming that the Exactoscale version is intended to represent the F27.

 

That therefore means that the choice we have in 4mm scale is:

  • C&L - representing the E1/4 - manufactured 1944 - 1954
  • Exactoscale - representing the F27 - manufactured 1969 - 2003
  • Peco - representing the F40 - manufactured 1983 - 1999

Since my proposed layout is intended to represent 2007/08, it looks like I may have to assume that the sleepers in my track renewals work are being recycled from mainline use, although depending on the length of the Peco product it may be permissible to assume it is a later variant. It would appear that the F41 is identical to the F40 and the G44 also seems to have an identical profile, but a longer sleeper length. It therefore looks as though I will need to buy some of the Peco product to ascertain the sleeper length and possibly take another look at the C&L product to see whether either could be shortened to match the length of the Exactoscale product.

 

Regards

 

David

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