How are model railway rails made? Explanation of 'Codes'?

[ClikC]

Exactly what it says on the tin, but specifically, how are 2mm/4mm/7mm scale model railway rails made? Rolled(Hot/Cold)? Ground? Shaped? And where do the 'Codes' fit into their size?

 

P.s. I'd love to know any engineering firms that actually make the stuff.

 

Regards

 

[009 micro modeller]

Codes are rail height in thousandths of an inch I think. I’m not sure how rail profile is indicated though (e.g. Peco 00 code 75 FB rail is lower height than 009 code 80 FB, but the foot of the rail is wider on code 75).

Edited May 1, 2023 by 009 micro modeller

[kevinlms]

Peco used to provide all the dimensions on their website, but no more it seems.

[ClikC]

3 hours ago, 009 micro modeller said:

Codes are rail height in thousandths of an inch I think. I’m not sure how rail profile is indicated though (e.g. Peco 00 code 75 FB rail is lower height than 009 code 80 FB, but the foot of the rail is wider on code 75).

 

Ahh-ha, thank you for that useful tipbit.

 

31 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

Peco used to provide all the dimensions on their website, but no more it seems.

 

Indeed, Peco used to do Code 82 Flat Bottom rail as part of it's Individulay range (IL-115), but was dropped a few years back, and now you can only get Code 83.

 

Alas, according to one expert on modeling FB rail, dimensionally the Peco Code 82 was by far the best on the market and other offerings have severe short comings in the head or foot dimensions.

[009 micro modeller]

2 hours ago, kevinlms said:

Peco used to provide all the dimensions on their website, but no more it seems.

But I suppose what I really meant is that there’s no standardised easy way to state the other dimensions (e.g. rail foot width) whereas there is for rail height, via the code number.

[Wheatley]

They are cold drawn wire, just drawn through a fancier-shaped die than (for example) piano wire. 

 

I believe a lot of UK production comes from here - https://wintwire.co.uk/model-rail-3/

 

If you fancy commissioning some be aware that the minimum order might be in the order of real kilometres ...

[ClikC]

5 minutes ago, Wheatley said:

They are cold drawn wire, just drawn through a fancier-shaped die than (for example) piano wire. 

 

I believe a lot of UK production comes from here - https://wintwire.co.uk/model-rail-3/

 

If you fancy commissioning some be aware that the minimum order might be in the order of real kilometres ...

 

Hi Wheatley, thank you very much. That's exactly what I'm looking for!

 

As with everything manufacturing, it's all about economy of scale, so I'd already guessed I won't be able to get a few meters.

 

Regards

 

Matt

[kevinlms]

9 hours ago, 009 micro modeller said:

But I suppose what I really meant is that there’s no standardised easy way to state the other dimensions (e.g. rail foot width) whereas there is for rail height, via the code number.

IIRC Peco did used to give most dimensions, not just the obvious height. 

[Beechnut]

The code reference is the the height in thousands of an inch, code 75 = .075” and so on.

 

Brendan

[Krusty]

The term "code" was originally used in the sense of an engineering code.  It goes back to the early days of the NMRA when it defined, IIRC, four standard profiles, which their great and good decreed would provide all the options any N, HO or O modeller's heart could desire while minimising tooling costs for manufacturers.

 

Each code was referenced by the rail height in thousandths of an inch of that particular specification. But it turned out that most modellers didn't have the attention span to cope with anything beyond the height, one or two radicals wanted to actually model accurate track or model rail sizes other than those decreed from on high and most manufacturers just carried on doing whatever suited them.

 

So, in common usage "code" came to just mean rail height. Even the NMRA eventually gave in, went with the flow, and dropped the detailed rail codes from their published standards. Nowadays code just means height in thou and doesn't have all that much to do with arcane concepts like accuracy – given the helicopter views from which most layouts are viewed at exhibitions and the practicalities of turnout construction, things like head and base width are more important, but "code" tells you nothing about them.

[Mike Bellamy]

11 hours ago, Wheatley said:

They are cold drawn wire, just drawn through a fancier-shaped die than (for example) piano wire. 

I believe a lot of UK production comes from here - https://wintwire.co.uk/model-rail-3/

 

 

A friend of mine runs EDM Models, a specialist narrow gauge supplier and he imports On30 (16.5mm) track in Code 70, 83 & 100) from MicroEngineering in USA. At one time a few years ago there was a shortage of track and when he enquired about when stock was expected they told him they were waiting for the rail to be delivered from Sheffield. As he lives in York he couldn't believe that the rail goes half way around the world to come back to Yorkshire !

.

[kevinlms]

But there must be historical records around - you can't remove stuff that exists in peoples libraries. Only web pages etc, can do that!

Judging by what is available on NMRA's website in relation to fine scale track and wheel standards, in far more detail than most people are interested in, it seems an odd conclusion to remove the mention of rail dimensions such as the foot details.

[RobinofLoxley]

I imagine that there might be quite a few metres of product going to waste/recovery when the process starts up.

[Il Grifone]

Records of the old standards must still exist, but, if they have been withdrawn, it is unlikely that modern products will comply, especially since non-compliance appears to be the reason for withdrawal.

Edited May 4, 2023 by Il Grifone
spelling/finger trouble

[BR60103]

I have a copy of NMRA Recommended Practices from the early 1970s.

RP15.1 Rail was revised Aug 1961. (I don't know if there was anything subsequent.)

This specified:

Height

Base (width)

Head Width

Base Depth (at the edge of the base)

Base Flange (along the 15 degree slope of the base)

Head Depth

Head Radius (also along the top edge of the base)

 

for code 100 these are  .102/.098  .092/.088  .047/.043  .017/.013  .036/Min.  .020  .006  (all inches)

 

The next page lists common (and uncommon) rail weight and their heights.

The heaviest is PRR 155 lbs/yard which is 8" high. This translate to .105" in OO and .092 in HO.

 

[DCB]

On 01/05/2023 at 20:57, Wheatley said:

They are cold drawn wire, just drawn through a fancier-shaped die than (for example) piano wire. 

 

I believe a lot of UK production comes from here - https://wintwire.co.uk/model-rail-3/

 

If you fancy commissioning some be aware that the minimum order might be in the order of real kilometres ...

 

"WintWire can offer its model train track in coils, spools and cut to your exact length"   Just thinking of soldering or  threading sleepers onto a 25 foot length of rail cut from a 1 km spool,  that way I could save all those rail joiners  and droppers on the stretch of track down the garden

[Hroth]

11 minutes ago, DCB said:

 

"WintWire can offer its model train track in coils, spools and cut to your exact length"   Just thinking of soldering or  threading sleepers onto a 25 foot length of rail cut from a 1 km spool,  that way I could save all those rail joiners  and droppers on the stretch of track down the garden

 

You might save on rail joiners but as the internal resistance in n/s is greater than in copper, you might need extra feeds along your 25ft to compensate for voltage drop.  Then there's track buckling in hot weather, just like real railways you'd have to provide adequate compensation...

 

[newbryford]

On 01/05/2023 at 14:55, kevinlms said:

Peco used to provide all the dimensions on their website, but no more it seems.

 

Not Peco, but I can't remember where  I found this.

 

 

 

[dasatcopthorne]

On 01/05/2023 at 12:18, ClikC said:

Exactly what it says on the tin, but specifically, how are 2mm/4mm/7mm scale model railway rails made? Rolled(Hot/Cold)? Ground? Shaped? And where do the 'Codes' fit into their size?

 

P.s. I'd love to know any engineering firms that actually make the stuff.

 

Regards

 

 

ClickC.

 

It looks as though you might live in Sheffield but if you have a friend or someone who can attend ExpoEM in Bracknell Berks, they sell differing types of rail in yard lengths at the show. It's coming up very soon.

 

Dave.

 

[andyman7]

On 03/05/2023 at 11:36, Hroth said:

 

You might save on rail joiners but as the internal resistance in n/s is greater than in copper, you might need extra feeds along your 25ft to compensate for voltage drop.  Then there's track buckling in hot weather, just like real railways you'd have to provide adequate compensation...

 

I can see it now. A deep ballast bed with the rails pre-stressed to reflect median temperature and securely fixed to the anchored sleeper base. I'm not sure that will scale down....

[BR60103]

I just checked the NMRA web site.  The RP15 has been revised since my copy -- in 1990.

 

NMRA RP15

 

[kevinlms]

33 minutes ago, BR60103 said:

I just checked the NMRA web site.  The RP15 has been revised since my copy -- in 1990.

 

NMRA RP15

 

Which in itself says that your copy (which by the way dates from 24/4/2000).

 

RP-15.1 Rail (4/24/2000) p 2
Transcriber's Note: the following two tables had become separated from this RP over the last few years and were just recovered and have now been restored.

 

So it has a reputation for being tampered with previously. What the tables confirm, is how big Code 100 scales up to in prototype form, only the largest type 1 railroads, used it.