Cheap 00/HO Flexi?

[RJS1977]

I think the track the OP mentioned originally was the old "GT" track made in Italy. It was nickel silver, so won't have rusted away, but it was pretty awful.  About half of my father's layout used it until the layout was rebuilt in the late 1990s. (QUite apart from the ghastly look, one of the issues we had with it was the vastly unprototypical rail fixings which meant it wasn't "Universal" and our older stock couldn't really run on it).

 

Apart from Peco, the only other supplier of 00 flexi track I know is Hornby, but Hornby often seems to be considerably more expensive than Peco's, despite being made in China. Other than that, it's down to secondhand or an occasional retailer's sale. I've bought most of my track secondhand and not had too much bother, except for the time I bought several sellotaped "bundles" of "00" flexi track from a dealer I had previously regarded as reputable (they have had a two-page ad in the front part of Railway Modeller for most of the 40 years I've been in the hobby), only for me to discover when I got home that only the outer lengths in the bundles were 00 and the rest was 016.5! Still, it got used - in the fiddle yard!

[Dungrange]

9 hours ago, blueeighties said:

Maybes you aren't aware or don't have a TV or something, but the world has changed a great deal in the last few years. Supply of everything across the board has changed, and prices have increased significantly. Cheap cr#p simply isn't available anymore.

 

The reality is that businesses need to make a profit to survive, which means that if a supplier sells something too cheaply, they will go bust.  The cheap cr#p businesses tend to be transitory - they start up producing a cheaper product to try and undercut the market leaders, but if the market leaders don't have a huge profit margin, then undercutting them won't leave you much scope to build a lasting business. I found a couple of lengths of old cheap track that I bought as a teenager in the 1980's - one was marked as Wrenn Superflex and the other simply marked as 'Made in Yugoslavia', but with no other identifying marks - I wouldn't expect to get either today and certainly not at 1980s prices.

 

We're probably at the wrong point in the economic cycle for a new business to come into the market and try to undercut Peco, who have priced their product high enough that they survive, but low enough to be the main go to product for the majority of the more serious modeller market.  I believe that Hornby actually sell more track per annum than Peco, but they tend to sell at a higher price (trading on their name) and largely to the train set market. 

[kevinlms]

11 hours ago, RJS1977 said:

I think the track the OP mentioned originally was the old "GT" track made in Italy. It was nickel silver, so won't have rusted away, but it was pretty awful.  About half of my father's layout used it until the layout was rebuilt in the late 1990s. (QUite apart from the ghastly look, one of the issues we had with it was the vastly unprototypical rail fixings which meant it wasn't "Universal" and our older stock couldn't really run on it).

 

Apart from Peco, the only other supplier of 00 flexi track I know is Hornby, but Hornby often seems to be considerably more expensive than Peco's, despite being made in China. Other than that, it's down to secondhand or an occasional retailer's sale. I've bought most of my track secondhand and not had too much bother, except for the time I bought several sellotaped "bundles" of "00" flexi track from a dealer I had previously regarded as reputable (they have had a two-page ad in the front part of Railway Modeller for most of the 40 years I've been in the hobby), only for me to discover when I got home that only the outer lengths in the bundles were 00 and the rest was 016.5! Still, it got used - in the fiddle yard!

Probably only Peco and Hornby as 'British' suppliers, but Fleischmann and Atlas are two that come to mind. Highly unlikely that either would cost less than Peco in the UK.

[DCB]

11 hours ago, RJS1977 said:

I think the track the OP mentioned originally was the old "GT" track made in Italy. It was nickel silver, so won't have rusted away, but it was pretty awful.  About half of my father's layout used it until the layout was rebuilt in the late 1990s. (QUite apart from the ghastly look, one of the issues we had with it was the vastly unprototypical rail fixings which meant it wasn't "Universal" and our older stock couldn't really run on it).

My GT track is and was Steel.
It's worth remembering that almost all 00/H0 wheels will run on the old Triang standard/Series 3 and Super 4 STRAIGHT track.   I have some Farish (I think) which is tight to gauge. but RP25 seem fine on the old stuff as long as you avoid curves.  I laid some sidings in super 4 on an otherwise code 100 layout.  A bit dim as it was outside and soon rusted, away. 

[frobisher]

9 hours ago, kevinlms said:

Probably only Peco and Hornby as 'British' suppliers, but Fleischmann and Atlas are two that come to mind. Highly unlikely that either would cost less than Peco in the UK.

 

Bachmann also do flexitrack in their UK range (presumably exactly the same as the old Hornby Roco-made stuff before they moved manufacturing to China).  It was between Hornby and Peco pricewise when I checked last week.

[andyman7]

Trying to be helpful for those on a budget - yes, I agree that track that functions properly has a cost and undercutting Peco as a product doesn't really get you anywhere because Peco already offers the best quality for the lowest price if you want plain lengths. 
Recognising the cost pressures, like anything if an individual is prepared to put in some some work there are options. The DIY alternatives have been covered above with pros and cons, but in terms of sourcing track, there is a lot of ex-layout track out there and most people just bin it but I have a considerable quantity of odd-size lengths to hand just by going through the piles of track people want to bin and rescuing the useable pieces/cutting out the usable lengths. It means building contacts - join a club, go to swapmeets etc but it means that I have been able to save considerable money over the years by not having to order everything new for a project - I can deduct what I have to hand.

Similarly, where it is not glued/ballasted/spot-welded down, taking a bit of care in lifting track means it can be reused. So if you do have 10, 20 or 200 unballasted, unpainted lengths in a fiddleyard that should last through every fiddle yard you will ever need. 

Finally, it was mentioned above but track quantities regularly go through auction houses such as Vectis or Excalibur - the big quantities won't go 'cheap' but they will be a lot cheaper than buying retail because they tend to end up at nearer trade price.

[DCB]

With Peco Streamline code 100 I treat the rail and sleepers as separate items as long as you slide the sleepers off an un cut end or very thoroughly de burr the cut end.   GT Track needed de burring from new out of the box.

I always take the longest rails and  removed damaged sleepers with a craft knife  and slide the undamaged sleepers up tp close the gap before adding extra sleepers from short track sections on to replace damaged ones,

I try not to use lots of short bits as fishplates are not free and they are the nmber 1 cause of voltage drop.

If buying old track as in really old,  watch out I found some Farish track, some is Formoway code 100 with rails  interchangeable with Peco code 100 with wider spaced  plastic sleepers (See 2nd pic) and mine is tight to gauge and some is older with fibre sleepers a metal securing clip every 3 or 4 sleepers and a much smaller flat bottom rail section like ciode 80?    I found some even earlier stuff with a sort of inverted U section  rail and fibre sleepers even finer than code 75 which must be early 1950s but while that is obviously different, the flat bottom surprised me as being incompatible with code 100 see 1st Pic. but both types will give issues.

[DCB]

I am straining my brain cell trying to think of a source of inexpensive and reasonably rigid metal  strip which can be screwed to timber recovered from a skip to form rails on which wheels can run.... 

[ikcdab]

13 hours ago, DCB said:

I am straining my brain cell trying to think of a source of inexpensive and reasonably rigid metal  strip which can be screwed to timber recovered from a skip to form rails on which wheels can run.... 

I don't think you need to.  My thought was copper tape.  Lay two strips so that the engine flanges run down the middle of each strip.  Then lay a thin piece of wood or plastic approx 14mm wide. The wood fits between the wheels to guide the train and the copper strip provides continuity.