Steamplug Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Don't know if this is a new thing but has anyone experienced brittle points before?had the point in question is a Hornby made in China right hand point which I had pinned down with track pins and I was about to replace with an electrofrog point. When I went to carefully lift it I found the sleepers and in particular the track ties to be very brittle and the point pretty much fell apart in my hand. I will post a pic as it's a mess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamplug Posted November 25, 2020 Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 /media/tinymce_upload/bbd795e301b74b6c2b6d8343a23b26f5.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 I have never used Hornby points, but it is nothing new for Peco points. After being on the layout for a little while they become very brittle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Doc Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 That sounds quite unusual to me. Is the layout exposed to sunlight at all? This can degrade plastics. I've had Peco points in my garage (no daylight whatsoever) for more than 20 years and I have never noticed anything brittle about them. If they are ballasted then it can take patience to remove them from the layout, but those that are just pinned down have normally come up with no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ73 Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 I've had Points, track (Curves mostly & a few straights) & power track where the rail have come off the plasic track which old every thing together!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 I must admit mine were down for 20 years and yes if you are very very careful, they might be reusable, but generally the base comes away from the rail, or the spring falls off. Mine is in the loft where it gets extremes of temperature, also having a PL10 hanging from it doesn't help. I must admit for the cost of them if the track is pretty old I replace them as a matter of course. Nothing is worse than putting all the track together and finding the point has fell apart, plus the newer points are better designed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ73 Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 @Steamplug :- Is this what you meant - My collection of curves... /media/tinymce_upload/ab0e190fb41c7e2ef331ebb5d11ae389.JPG & straights & points... /media/tinymce_upload/a6435421ea7e42eb63c6a85f5a42bbb1.JPG any one for spare track??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 I have a similar collection of Peco streamline. I keep some of the older ones that are roughly still there for if I need to plan changes to the layout. The flexible track is even worse, if it has been down for a while it retains the shape you bent it to. To be fair to Hornby I have loads of their early track someone gave me years ago and that seems perfectly ok, but its plastic is much thicker and most of it is pre China. If you get the really old Triang stuff, that seems to be ok too, although you do have to be careful handling it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rana Temporia Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 The first version of System 6 track (the one with the clip sleepers which seemed to be based on Super 4) was dreadful for this and regularly disintegrated. It's not just Hornby (and PECO) though. A lot of the continental track is similar. I had several Lima points that I bought years ago 'cos they were cheap and they disintegrated. I have also had the same with some Jouef points but others from the same manufacturer that look identical seem to be virtually indestructible! Another track problem is the Jouef first radius double curves (12.75" radius) that straighten out over time and so you can't make a circle with 8 of them anymore. All the other curves are fine, it's just them and they are the usual ones included in Sets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 To be quite honest it is an issue with plastic. It is like car bumpers they work perfectly ok when the car is new. Give it about 5 years and they literally explode when they hit anything. Similarly these plastic things that clip together, again after a few years the clips just break off. It is like trying to get a ringfield motor out of an old Hornby Tender, you have to be so careful. The thing we don't sometimes realise with Continental manufacturers is that they are under the same cost constrants as the UK ones, so they will save money where they can, so if they can make track out of a cheaper material they will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threelink Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 Hi, Steamplug. It's a sad fact of life that plastics of all types seem to go britlle with age. This is not limited to model railway items.The speed of deterioration seems to depend on composition of the plastic and environmental factors so there's no rhyme or reason to it. I have a lot of 1960s Triang stuff some of which is fine and some of which is brittle. Having said that, the brittle stuff is still perfectly ok so long as it is treated with respect. In the event of mishap, superglue is wonderful stuff and I have successfullly fixed broken track and points with it. About the only advice I feel qualified to give is to keep plastics out of the sun wherever possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 I had a really old Triang turntable which used the old grey track, I bought it because it looked more like a turntable than the current Hornby one did. Anyway it fell off the workbench when I was trying for the upteenth time to get the motor to work properly, it literally exploded into pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rana Temporia Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 In the past year I have had a couple of motion brackets of older Triang locos disintegrate when i have been servicing them. This has never happened before and I suspect the plastic used is starting to become brittle. It may be affecting New Old Stock as well but I've not hea red of it affecting other people. The locos have been stored properly and I've not used anything that I shouldn't have on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The son of Triangman Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 Sadly plastics can become brittle with age. I've had PECO and Hornby track fall to bits over the years, triang cylinders, motion brackets, Bachmann gears, mainline axle spacers all fall to bits. It's just luck of the draw, you can minimise the risk by storing in good conditions, but there are no guarantees. Plastics can also shrink with age as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The son of Triangman Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 The best thing to do with trackwork that is falling to bits is to use it as scenic dressing, a partially lifted closed line or siding perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 Excellent point - 'scuse the pun! First to go is the track work, but often sleepers get left behind. Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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