Arizona Gandy Dancers

Discuss park gauge trains and large scale miniature railways having track gauges from 8" to 24" gauge and designed at scales of 2" to the foot or greater - whether modeled for personal use, or purpose built for amusement park operation or private railroading.

Moderators: Glenn Brooks, Harold_V

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Topics may include: antique park gauge train restoration, preservation, and history; building new grand scale equipment from scratch; large scale miniature railway construction, maintenance, and safe operation; fallen flags; track, gauge, and equipment standards; grand scale vendor offerings; and, compiling an on-line motive power roster.
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LIALLEGHENY
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Re: Arizona Gandy Dancers

Post by LIALLEGHENY »

What size rail are you laying 12lb? and what alloy steel is the rail? I can't imagine a 100 amp Mig welding 12lb rail ( it may look like it is welded but in actuality you have a cold joint that will eventually fail. 100 amps is good for 3/16 sheet metal, maybe 1/4" if you are pushing it. You are going to need a little more Amps 135-150 to get a proper weld. Last thing you want is for a weld to fail and put your locomotive in the dirt, they are a lot heavier than the 7.5 gauge stuff.

I think Bill is on to something...thermite! πŸ˜‰

Nyle
Glenn Brooks
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Re: Arizona Gandy Dancers

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Andrew,

Interesting question... Short answer, everything we looked at (for 12# rail) cost 2-3x more than what we chose. We’ve made a serious effort to reduce our actual construction costs with four foundational strategies:

1) cut track materials cost by 50% thru use of recycled materials (mainly ties, gravel ballast, used RR spikes, etc)
2) negotiate wholesale price purchases and donated goods.
3) start small, build discreet, well defined phases. generate ride income at end of initial Phase 1 track construction to help fund Phase 2 and 3
4) emphasize membership and corporate sponsorship.

So far, we are meeting the first three goals. Our membership is are not well developed yet, due to some external permit and sponsoring organizational issues. However we have a really supberb Core group of 15” ga enthusiasts who turn out several to every day of the week - hence our unofficial Arizona Gandy Dancers name... lots of fun with these folk!

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
Glenn Brooks
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Re: Arizona Gandy Dancers

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Hi Nyle,

The 100amp is for the 7.5” gauge stuff…

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
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Bill Shields
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Re: Arizona Gandy Dancers

Post by Bill Shields »

Thermite is how the railroads originally welded rails...so it is not original with me...just dredged up from my engineering school memories of half a century past.
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
LIALLEGHENY
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Re: Arizona Gandy Dancers

Post by LIALLEGHENY »

Bill,

I have seen thermite welding done on the LIRR , amazing process, and fast. I think Glenn might have a problem getting his hands on any though. πŸ˜€

Nyle
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Harold_V
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Re: Arizona Gandy Dancers

Post by Harold_V »

LIALLEGHENY wrote: ↑Thu Mar 03, 2022 4:07 pm I think Glenn might have a problem getting his hands on any though. πŸ˜€
Might not be a problem. Thermite is used in the electrical field, so electrical supply houses may be a source.
An old friend, now deceased, used to work for Bonneville Electric, where Thermite was used in construction.

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Arizona Gandy Dancers

Post by Bill Shields »

East enough to make...we did in engineering school..
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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Steggy
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Re: Arizona Gandy Dancers

Post by Steggy »

Just don't confuse Thermite with Tannerite. :D
β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”
Music isn’t at all difficult.Β  All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!Β  :D
LIALLEGHENY
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Re: Arizona Gandy Dancers

Post by LIALLEGHENY »

You could use Tannerite to perform explosive testing of the weld joints. πŸ˜€
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Harold_V
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Re: Arizona Gandy Dancers

Post by Harold_V »

Bill Shields wrote: ↑Thu Mar 03, 2022 5:39 pm East enough to make...we did in engineering school..
I've done it on odd occasions with my belt sander. Fortunately, just miniature reactions. Aluminum powder and rust. That's all it is. The rust gives up its oxygen so the aluminum can burn and burn it does (when it's finely divided).

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
LIALLEGHENY
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Re: Arizona Gandy Dancers

Post by LIALLEGHENY »

I was amazed at how many places sell thermite, and how inexpensive it is.....being that it is only iron oxide and aluminum I guess that makes sense on the cost. Considering it burns at around 4000 degrees, what do you encase it with that won't melt, such as when they weld rail? or does the casing not melt because it's not mixed in with the powder?

Nyle
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Harold_V
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Re: Arizona Gandy Dancers

Post by Harold_V »

I suspect that refractory dams are used to contain the reaction. Can't speak from the position of one with experience, however.

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
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