Dog Star
Western Thunderer
Material for sleepers and timbers is available from many suppliers and in many forms, those who are considering what to use often start by asking "what is available?". My knowledge is restricted to the products which I use and so I have indicated where others may be able to add to the body of information available to WTers.
Just to set the scene, sleepers are used with plain line track whilst timbers are used with turnouts, crossings and catch/trap points. A special case of timbering is that used on bridge decks, in depots and under water troughs - the demands of those cases probably fall outside of this topic.... until some one adds in the details!
Here is what I think is available:-
PCB sleepers from Marcway. 4mm and 7mm.
Sleeper / timber strip in different widths, 1.6mm thick.
Plastic, (ABS?), from C&L Finescale, 4mm and 7mm.
Individual sleepers (8'6" and 9'0" lengths), timber pack for turnouts.
Thickness not known, website implies 3mm for 7mm items.
Ply, from Exactoscale, 4mm and 7mm.
Individual sleepers (8'6" and 9'0" lengths), timber strips (10", 12", 14" widths).
7mm items are 1.6mm thick.
Ply, from C&L Finescale, 4mm and 7mm.
Individual sleepers (8'6" and 9'0" lengths), timber strips (10", 12", 14" widths).
4mm item - thickness not shown.
7mm items are available in 1.6mm and 3mm thick.
Ply, from Slater's Plastikard, 7mm.
Individual sleepers (8'6" and 9'0" lengths), timber strips (12", 14" widths). Sleepers available punched for rivets.
Thickness not known.
Lime, from Perfect Miniatures, 7mm.
Individual sleepers, timber strips. Material is 3mm thick.
Walnut, from S7 Group stores, 7mm.
Individual sleepers and timber strips (10", 12", 14" widths). Material is 2.5mm thick.
Worth observing that ply sleepers at 1.6mm thick require less "ballast" than sleepers at 3mm thick. The ply sleepers give a "cleaner", "newer", appearance than either Walnut or Lime. The Walnut sleepers give a "harder", "more precise", appearance than the Lime sleepers, my impression is that the Lime sleepers can be more easily "distressed" than Walnut for the older and / or decaying track.
regards, Graham
Just to set the scene, sleepers are used with plain line track whilst timbers are used with turnouts, crossings and catch/trap points. A special case of timbering is that used on bridge decks, in depots and under water troughs - the demands of those cases probably fall outside of this topic.... until some one adds in the details!
Here is what I think is available:-
PCB sleepers from Marcway. 4mm and 7mm.
Sleeper / timber strip in different widths, 1.6mm thick.
Plastic, (ABS?), from C&L Finescale, 4mm and 7mm.
Individual sleepers (8'6" and 9'0" lengths), timber pack for turnouts.
Thickness not known, website implies 3mm for 7mm items.
Ply, from Exactoscale, 4mm and 7mm.
Individual sleepers (8'6" and 9'0" lengths), timber strips (10", 12", 14" widths).
7mm items are 1.6mm thick.
Ply, from C&L Finescale, 4mm and 7mm.
Individual sleepers (8'6" and 9'0" lengths), timber strips (10", 12", 14" widths).
4mm item - thickness not shown.
7mm items are available in 1.6mm and 3mm thick.
Ply, from Slater's Plastikard, 7mm.
Individual sleepers (8'6" and 9'0" lengths), timber strips (12", 14" widths). Sleepers available punched for rivets.
Thickness not known.
Lime, from Perfect Miniatures, 7mm.
Individual sleepers, timber strips. Material is 3mm thick.
Walnut, from S7 Group stores, 7mm.
Individual sleepers and timber strips (10", 12", 14" widths). Material is 2.5mm thick.
Worth observing that ply sleepers at 1.6mm thick require less "ballast" than sleepers at 3mm thick. The ply sleepers give a "cleaner", "newer", appearance than either Walnut or Lime. The Walnut sleepers give a "harder", "more precise", appearance than the Lime sleepers, my impression is that the Lime sleepers can be more easily "distressed" than Walnut for the older and / or decaying track.
regards, Graham