Compatibility of Plastic chairs

[marland]

I expect the answer may be buried in the forum posts elsewhere but how compatible are the plastic chairs from Exactoscale and
C and L or do they differ in height or other ways apart from colour.?
I could open the C and L packet and try them but if they are not compatible I would rather leave the packet sealed.
I have started a project using some exactoscale ones many some years old from P4 track company kits.
Unfortunately some of those are showing signs of corrosion gathered in storage but at least I can salvage the chairs.
I will need quite a few normal 3 bolt chairs and also have an unopened packet of C and L ones also some 12 years old.
Are they close enough in dimensions to be used alongside each other or would it be more advisable to obtain a fresh stock of exactoscale and leave the C and L packet untouched for later use either by me or someone else.



Thanks

[Le Corbusier]

They are interchangeable. You can use either. The exactoscale chairs are crisper ... or at least that is my experience.

[Terry Bendall]

I have used both and would agree with Tim's comments.

If the rail in the Exactoscale turnout kits has started to rust it can be cleaned up with fine abrasive paper(e.g 600 grit silicon carbide paper, also known as wet and dry paper) or a glass fibre brush.

Terry Bendall

[bobwallison]

When I tried to use 10 year-old chairs from C&L, about 50% of them fractured when I tried to thread them on the rail - the plastic had become rather brittle, even though it had been stored in a dark cupboard since I bought them. That was six or seven years ago now, so the batch probably dated from the turn of the century.

I would recommend you try a few of your own batch sooner rather than later to make sure that you don't have the same problem, and I would be very pleased to hear the results. It would be shame for me to rule out one of main manufacturers on account of a problem that no longer exists.

Bob

[dclift]

When I tried to use 10 year-old chairs from C&L, about 50% of them fractured when I tried to thread them on the rail - the plastic had become rather brittle, even though it had been stored in a dark cupboard since I bought them. That was six or seven years ago now, so the batch probably dated from the turn of the century.

This problem has been discussed in previous posts a few years ago. Many plastics become brittle with age and that used in plastic chairs is amongst them. My advice is to use them within two or three years of purchase. They should be ok for longer than that, depending upon where they were stored, but ten years would be pushing the limit of viability. I speak from experience, alas.

[Philip Hall]

One of the other problems that was previously discussed is that the cross section of rail has slightly changed, mostly recent rail from some sources (like C&L Hi-Ni) has acquired a thicker web. So when the rail is threaded through the chair jaws they are forced apart.

A little while ago I put together about forty lengths of Exactoscale Fast Track, using rail that had been manufactured (I guess) about fifteen years ago. I think it might have come from the EMGS. This slid beautifully into the bases, but I then tried some newer rail, also from the EMGS, and this was a much tighter fit.

Philip

[Enigma]

The 'half chairs' that result from brittle C&L chairs splitting can still be used on track built with some rivets (eg every 6th sleeper?) by fitting the halves from either side. The rail is still quite adequately supported.