Garden Railroad ?'s

I just picked up a Garden Railways mag Feb 2008!
I have seen lots of neat things could someone try to help with all my Q's

What is a good brand of track for outdoors?

With electricity will I have to run a track cleaner before I run trains so the wheels won't get dirty like N scale?

Cheap switches? :tb-confused:

I was thinking on a spectrum 040, 79.98 how will it pull?

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Also I was wondering what manufacturer makes an SW12 or a B30-7.

 

>What is a good brand of track for outdoors?<

I have used both Aristocraft and LGB indoors and out. Both are very good. Some say the the LGB track 'weathers' to a nice dull black faster than the Aristcraft product because of the metal content (it's true) but that never bothered me. I bought as little as possible 'new' and relied of sales of used track when and where I could. It's just about indestructible so that really didn't matter.

Aristo uses small screws to connect their track sections. They can be a pain but when your done it works every time. LGB uses a sliding 'clip' method just like some HO and N track sections. It works well and I never had a problem.

The two products are the same size so they mate well but you have to decide on a connection style for yourself. Expensive rail clamps are available. Some folks have them attached at every joint. Not necessary in my climate but I can't speak for others.

>With electricity will I have to run a track cleaner before I run trains so the wheels won't get dirty like N scale?<

Two important things:

1. Gravity works. Engines and cars will drive up and over leaves and other foreign material so they will surely bust through a coating of black goo that sometimes forms on top of the track. I used to clean my outside track with a pad made out of a kitchen spunge and a section of drywall sanding sheet about once a week. All the crud came from the plastic wheels on my cars.

2. Use metal wheels.

On the other hand, I've been running trains indoors for 7 years now. I have around 400 feet of track (Aristo and LGB) and I have never cleaned it. Works just fine.

Dave at Winter Valley Regional Railroad - Welcome!




Cheap switches?