Track pliers... which work best?

I have bought 2 pair off eBay. One pair (first pair bought) were described as good for both did not work on my 027 track. The other pair that was specifically listed as 027 work great. These are heavy electrical pliers that have been machined for the 027 track.

I use these to crimp new pins into track as well as tighten and form the open ends of the rails. In fact once my track is assembled I take the pliers and center over the track joint and crimp. This provides a very tight fitting connection. As I said they were bought on eBay but were described as being for 027 track.

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Lionel service manual says ST384 track pliers are for both 027 & O. How can that be since rail head diameter is so much larger on O?

When Lionel first introduced track pliers, they made seperate pairs for "O" and "027", numbered ST-342 and ST-384. Several years later they dropped the seperate pairs and went to a single pair, ST-384.

I purchased a cheap pair of reproduction pliers from Stan Orr many years ago. In order to get them to work nicely for "0" gauge, I had to modify the hole by enlarging it slightly. and recreating the little raised area that crimps the pin in place.

As far as I know, Lionel last offered track pliers somewhere around 1992-1993, when they put together a tool package with Hobby Horse. Some of the tools, including the track pliers and wheel pullers were available seperately for quite a while.

Here are good repro track pliers made for 027 and O.
http://www.ehobbytools.com/contents/en-us/p1.html

I always used a good pair of needle nose pliers. Never failed me in 35+ years.

I use them to pull the pins out, by leveraging the pliers on the bottom of the rails. They allow me to reshape the rails and tighten them around the pins. Never had any problems using them.

Don't spend the money if you have a good set of needle nose pliers.

Just my thoughts.

Mike R

I saw a pair at a show that had two spots. One was "o" the other was "o27". Don't know who made them.

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Don't spend the money if you have a good set of needle nose pliers.

I used needle nose pliers for years, and had a technique for crimping the pins using a pair of nippers.
A properly made pair of track pliers are easier to use, and do a good job.

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Originally posted by Susan Deats:
Here are good repro track pliers made for 027 and O.
http://www.ehobbytools.com/contents/en-us/p1.html

I've used that brand of track pliers for four years and found them to be of good quality.

I bought Olsen's track pliers for O27 and O, they work fine for me. They were $8.95 and show up regularly on eBay. As mentioned, they take some Chinese electricians pliers and machine the proper size track outline in the jaws.

Thanks Strogey, That's exactly what I needed to know. Thanks to the others as well. I've been using needle nose & wire cutters for years & I want better than that. I know from metal working it would take compression from all sides to actually reform the track exactly. Even track pliers can't do that, but at least they would help even out the track & reform/reround the railhead.
Thanks again.
Very best, Don Johnson

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I know from metal working it would take compression from all sides to actually reform the track exactly. Even track pliers can't do that

your comment is exactly why I have never bought a pair of O27 track pliers. I, like some mentioned above, still use an old pair of needle nose.

I can't seem to resolve in my mind how just squeezing a track with a pin already inserted in it can compress the track enough to make the pin tight and secure.

What I usually do is to, using needle nose, compress the opening without a pin being in it, making the hole a bit too small. I then lightly tap the pin into the opening. This makes it about as tight as it can get.

I'd like to try a pair of pliers and see if they work as well as some mentioned here. I just am not going to buy a pair and be disappointed though, so I stick with my tried-and-true.

- walt

Needle nose work perfectly. Save your money. You can pinch the rail from the end just below the pin hole to reduce it's diameter. The further you slide the pliers onto the rail, the smaller the hole will be (so you can adjust for any track).

Plus you will also want to pinch the tab on the ties a little so they clamp the rails tighter. This keeps the rail from spreading once the pin is installed making for a very dependable joint.

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Needle nose work perfectly. Save your money. You can pinch the rail from the end just below the pin hole to reduce it's diameter. The further you slide the pliers onto the rail, the smaller the hole will be (so you can adjust for any track).

Plus you will also want to pinch the tab on the ties a little so they clamp the rails tighter. This keeps the rail from spreading once the pin is installed making for a very dependable joint.

SB: that's exactly the method that I use. Your last comment about pinching the tab on the ties is an important one that I only recently learned.

- walt

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Originally posted by walt rapp:
What I usually do is to, using needle nose, compress the opening without a pin being in it, making the hole a bit too small. I then lightly tap the pin into the opening. This makes it about as tight as it can get.

I do the same thing, but I use the track pliers to squeeze them. Then I take the pin and tap it into the end with the side of the pliers, usually makes them nice and tight. Before inserting the pin, I dip it in some DeoxIT D5 to help conductivity.

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Originally posted by walt rapp:
SB: that's exactly the method that I use. Your last comment about pinching the table on the ties is an important one that I only recently learned.

- walt

I just figured that one out this past weekend at my parents house with a bad section of o27.

Ok, I'm going to buy both 027 & O track pliers. Strogey posted a report that made good sense. I'll post a report. However, I would you believe us if I said they work better than needle nose?
Truth be told I'm quite looking forward to getting some.
Sure needle nose work fine. However, I've worked with various metal forming dies etc. I can say without question if no pin is in rail,and... if the pilers were the correct size it would reform the metal quite well. The stretched metal would be forced into the web & the foot would end up slightly lower. That wouldn't be an issue. If the pin is in place & the pliers work the metal under the pin just so, it would indeed put the pin in tension & be tight.
By the way, I have the hose clamp pliers one person mentioned. They don't work well at all. The jaw is too narrow where the groove is & the groove dips inward to hold the clamping ring tips of the hose clamp. At the same time the groove is too large for 027.
Very best, Don Johnson

Here is a pair of early MPC track pliers on Ebay. These were made available in the early to mid 1970's. I am not, nor do I know the seller.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGIN...&hash=item45ff9ccd16

superotrackdon: I'm REALLY looking forward to your review of the O27 pliers. Please remember to offer it.

- walt

Hi Walt, Trust me, I will buy them & will review them. Keep this thread in you email. Will be a good 2 weeks, but I won't forget.
Very best, Don Johnson

I have a set of the O27 ones too, but since I've moved all the O27 stuff out for O31, I don't really use those. The grinding I did was just to take a little material off the tip of the jaws, the track forming insert was a little too deep in the jaws. Five minutes with the grinder and all was well.