Sample 3D printed tie strips for Z scale

Very nice. I have seen your posts on TRW so neat to see the progression.

I would even see value in a C55 version, simply so that we could use longer rail than the 24" segments from Atlas to lay flex.

I'm not handlaying turnouts so C40 would be of limited use, although I could definitely see using it for industral trackage, sidings, etc. I'm assuming it would be quite noticeable if you used C55 turnouts and C40 rail everywhere else, but maybe not. It would certainly be nice to use C40 all around, but I just don't see me handlaying C40 Z turnouts.

I really thought Atlas would go C40 when they announced Z track but nope.

Looks great!

Yes, there is a continuous web under one rail, but I tried to keep it low so that it would be easier to cover with ballast. You can see a bit of one in the last pic of the first post above, the near rail under the Z-scale truck. One way to build 'flextrack' is to glue just the one rail over the web, install the track onto the roadbed, and then glue the second rail. Adding the second rail makes it completely inflexible. It's easier to get smoother curves that way. I'm currently building a test loop that's about a 7" radius, but it's easy to bend it smaller than that.

One trick with getting spikes to cover that rail foot is that anything that sticks out too much has to be supported or it will disappear during printed. Plus, the base/foot of model rail is a lot thicker than the prototype, so the 'spikes' would have to stick up rather a lot. On anything N scale or smaller, it's hard to see the spikes at all in person, so you have to get pretty close. It does help to dry-brush them so they stand out more.

I haven't done it here, but another trick to get a worn look is to first scuff up the 'wood' surfaces with some sandpaper or a fine-tooth saw blade.


Ed

Outstanding work, and I have to admit that I use the same technique for the narrow gauge sections of my Gotthard layout. I've also found that you can make flex track, and very unusual track turnouts / configurations easily by printing the cross ties / sleepers with an SLA printer (I use a Formlabs 2) - think 3 way turnouts, and narrow gauge crossing standard gauge.

Two comments:
1) I've found that contact cement (weldwood) seems to be a better bonding agent between the rails and the SLA resin. It had a touch of flex to it, so rails do not "pop" off over time - and the bond is very strong.

2) I use Micro Engineering code 40 rails for my narrow gauge lines, but folks should be aware that Marklin wheel sets need code 55 to function properly. Marklin flanges will touch the ties with code 40 rail.

Please keep up the great work!