Re: light gauge railway

["Rod" <comtrain@mpx.com.au>]

Steve <Steve.Fry@xtra.co.nz> wrote in message
83qd3i$68ci$1@titan.xtra.co.nz">news:83qd3i$68ci$1@titan.xtra.co.nz...
> Hi all
>
> We are looking to build a light gauge railway in NZ but can't find any
light
> gauge rail ..
>
> Any ideas of where we can get some??
>
> Thanks
Good Luck!
In Australia we have similar problems.
We used 7 lb Rail at Diamond Valley Railway, and we recovered second hand
rail from mines, timber yards and Quarries. We find it all but impossible to
get now. Most went to Japan as scrap.
2 ft gauge Cane Trains used to run on 7 lb and 14 lb rail and it was welded
up like Triang set track and placed through each paddock, just before
harvest and moved as the cane was cut. This is no longer done, and I guess
that they would use much heavier rail now.
I have heard that parts of Indonesia, and other third world cane producing
Countries have surplus equipment including Engines and rail for sale, but
again my information is dated a few years now.
BHP about 5 years ago were able to make any size rail you wanted, but small
quantities meant a huge surcharge for the set-up, and nobody had that sort
of money.
Several large Steam Railway Clubs in America got together and had Aluminium
Rail produced, and after mucking around with the alloy mix etc, came up with
a working grade and it is available. You will have to search the net though
and it was a Californian Club I once visited on the net that had details.
Rod