N scale rail grinder?

[Nato]

              If you were looking for an actual rail grinding car in N Tomix of Japan made a grinder car that was a powered Japanese passenger MU car with a raised cab,and a matching trailer car to make it look kike a train. Vids that I viewed of one in action showed sparks flying everywhere,I always wonderd how good it was to actually grind our small size rail. Yes the Atlas/Tomix (japanese version) track cleaner car incorporates this feature as one of it various functions,do you just want a simulated rail grinder or do you really want to grind. Nate Goodman (Nato).Salt Lake,Utah.

[peteski]

Hmmm. I'm not sure how grinding nickel sliver would generate sparks. I've ground nickel silver and other brass alloys and I never saw any sparks.  I suspect that the sparks were generated some other way (without grinding the rails).  I suspect that the sparks were generated by using somethign like ferrocerium (cigarette lighter flint).

[Ian MacMillan]

 Sorry to bring up and old thread but I found this and thought of this thread.
http://www.shapeways.com/model/1038855/n-gauge-harsco-rail-grinder-twin.html?li=shop-results&materialId=61

[ljudice]

Ian,  I've been in contact with the guy who made those and he is not planning to offer them
in 1/160 - they are of course in UK n-scale.

- Lou

[Ian MacMillan]

Ian,  I've been in contact with the guy who made those and he is not planning to offer them
in 1/160 - they are of course in UK n-scale.

- Lou

 Yeah,  I figured.  At least with MOW stuff it is so odd sized it may look fine. 

[rogergperkins]

Ron Bearden, published an article on track cleaning cars and devices.
He wrote about the Atlas/Tomix track cleaning car which has a feature that does allow one
to grind the head of rail.
The car is not a model of a U.S. prototype rail grinder.   

[jnevis]

This guy on Shapeways has a couple MOW kits for sale.  They're definately Euro proto but pretty close.
http://www.shapeways.com/shops/Bmthtrains

[ljudice]

This guy on Shapeways has a couple MOW kits for sale.  They're definately Euro proto but pretty close.
http://www.shapeways.com/shops/Bmthtrains

That's the guy Ian pointed out....   Some of these machines are right at home in the US, some are not.  But the big problem is they are all UK N-scale.   May work ok - as Ian said....

Unfortunately, the Kibri kits in HO are all perfect for US railroads  (tamper,  track stabilizers, etc)  but Kibri is
another troubled company I hear and not doing too much in N lately.

[LV LOU]

Here's mine so far,an actual rail grinder.The shorter U30CG based unit is the locomotive,it has a Life Like F40 drive with a middle axle added to the Life Like trucks so I could use old Atlas RSC2 truck sideframes.[Looks cool,LOL!!!] The longer unit is a track cleaner.It has a long stone underneath it,and a scratchbuilt chassis..I'm also working on a vacuum car based on an 89 foot auto parts boxcar,a model helicopter,and a Harley gas tank..No,really..   I'm working on a few other cars for the train,a passenger car,maybe some foob looking track machine of death or two,ETC,for interest..The whole thing will be getting lights,and flashing blue/red lights from a helicopter..

[Nato]

          Maybe 15 years ago BLW sold an N Rail Grinder manufactured by Tomix. It was a two car train,the power car was one of those JNR 1970's era passenger power cars with an elevated turret cab. This unit actually had grinding wheel,had fine teeth,which I presume made sparks when operating. I thought about it for a brief instant then decided it would do more damage then good to the rails on my previous layout so did not order one. It has long since been replaced by Tomix's current track cleaning/suck-o-lux car also sold by Atlas. Nate Goodman (Nato).

[ljudice]

Here is what seems like a definitive summary of Tomix rail cleaners:

http://jmtn.wordpress.com/2011/05/09/tomixs-cleaning-sytems/

[Ian MacMillan]

I have one of the Tomix and made for Atlas cars.

I ordered one of Dave's Harsco grinder shells and it should be here Tuesday so I can see if it will work size wise.

[ljudice]

I have one of the Tomix and made for Atlas cars.

I ordered one of Dave's Harsco grinder shells and it should be here Tuesday so I can see if it will work size wise.

Let's hear how it goes!

[ednadolski]

LOL, I saw the Subject line and I was wondering if this could be talking about a different kind of rail grinder 

Ed