# Track clips alternatives?



## leonus (Dec 17, 2013)

All of my track is old 70s afx side lock. As is well known by all it is prone to breaking off the locking tabs.

I was wondering if anyone knows of any alternatives to the old track repair clips for fixing this.

The clips work great, but folks want $1.50 to $2 a piece for them on ebay..yikes.

The reason i have this sort of track is when i was first getting back into the hobby i got a ton of it in good shape cheap. Didnt know of its shortcomings at the time. Now im kinda stuck with it. 

I was hoping someone had a clever fix..

Thanks for any input.


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## vickers83 (Mar 8, 2010)

Pretty sure these will work? http://www.ebay.com/itm/MODEL-MOTOR...804?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23544b5a3c


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

with shipping, does that add to $1.63 apiece?


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## vickers83 (Mar 8, 2010)

According to my finger/toes calculater A.P. it comes out to 63 cents per...


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## Black Oxxpurple (Jul 3, 2011)

There is a thread where someone used 1/4" square Styrene to help the tabs from breaking or repairing them


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## Jisp (Oct 19, 2008)

Leonus, how many broken tabs do you have? I'm pretty sure I know the thread mentioned by BOP and it resides on another board. If repair is an option for you let me know and I'll PM you a link.

Cheers,
Michael. :thumbsup:


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

*thanx*



vickers83 said:


> According to my finger/toes calculater A.P. it comes out to 63 cents per...


vickers83,
thank you, I didn't think I was right, which is why I asked


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

Departed Hobbytalk hero *Swamper Gene* used to use common metal picture hangers in place of track clips.

The 3-bend kind, like this:









I can't find the post right now, but you can probably figure out how to make them to work. 

 The price is right - ten for a buck or so, if I recall correctly. And you get to keep the little nails for other purposes.

-- D


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Dslot said:


> Departed Hobbytalk hero *Swamper Gene* used to use common metal picture hangers in place of track clips.
> 
> The 3-bend kind, like this:
> 
> ...


If memory serves the lil nails were used create chain link fence posts when using roll type mesh.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

The little nails are used as chain link fence post to emulate the 6 to 8 ft range for roughly HO scale. If you have 20 or 30 to do spin them on your grinder to shape a proper finial. Only takes a minute to twirl a more correct looking head on a handfull of them.

Ancient MRR trick.


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

Bill Hall said:


> The little nails are used as chain link fence post to emulate the 6 to 8 ft range for roughly HO scale. If you have 20 or 30 to do spin them on your grinder to shape a proper finial. Only takes a minute to twirl a more correct looking head on a handfull of them.


And now you know, Leonus, why Bill is a Hobbytalk God, whereas I'm just an old duffer who's been hanging out here and taking notes for a few years - _craftsmanship!_

I would just have touched their heads to thick silver paint and hung them upside down to dry, letting the blob form the finial, and called it good.



> Ancient MRR trick.


Yep, Bill, I can just see you as a young feller, using fiber tie strip as a picket fence, decorating your HO doors with knobs made from bank pins, and embossing rivets in shim brass with a clock-gear... 

-- D :wave:

Youngster #1 – "What's a bank pin?"
Youngster #2 – "What's a clock gear?"

.


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## leonus (Dec 17, 2013)

Thanks so much for the info gents. Looks like 2 workable solutions so far.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

God bless and happy racing


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Well that might be laying it on rather thick "D". Lets just say I was corrupted at an early age.

The rivet counters in from the Model Railroading genre are merely brother members of another modeling obsession. (I'm in temporary remission due to space limitations.)

If you ever feel a loss of inspiration take a little nibble from their world, but dont get too close to the edge. The abyss is wide enough and deep enough that one has to build a mountainous volume of switch backs and trestles to ever find your way out.



Hahahahahaha


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## honda27 (Apr 17, 2008)

*track clips*

well I can get these afx track clips from REH they come 100 per bag.


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## oneredz (Jan 29, 2012)

Bill Hall said:


> The abyss is wide enough and deep enough that one has to build a mountainous volume of switch backs and trestles to ever find your way out.


Yep, space limits me here also. A friend of mine repurposed his whole attic, and air conditioned it, just to feed his MRR obsession. Hasn't found his way out yet. I tried to bring him into the light but I fear he is too far lost to the dark side.


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## vaBcHRog (Feb 19, 2003)

Bill Hall said:


> The little nails are used as chain link fence post to emulate the 6 to 8 ft range for roughly HO scale. If you have 20 or 30 to do spin them on your grinder to shape a proper finial. Only takes a minute to twirl a more correct looking head on a handfull of them.
> 
> Ancient MRR trick.


And if you cut off the nail head you have a small hub cap


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