Insulated rail patches.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G

Elliot,

Those are some scrubby tracks! :-)

Dave, they are very scrubby. That photo was taken near a diamond. The cross track is the one with most of the traffic. The rails in the photo lead to a lumber yard, about 4 miles north. That is the only reason those rails are still in service. If the lumber yard goes, the tracks go.

[FJ and G]

Elliot,

Those are some scrubby tracks! :-)

Brian,

I use 027 rails and make my own wood ties for them. I'm dividing the layout into power districts so that I can completely cut power to conventional trains on spurs or sidings while runniing DCS and visa-versa.

[brianel027]

David, are you talking about making insulated sections of track for blocks, or as I suspect you are referring to - making insulated rail sections to operate signals and such.

If this be the case, are you cutting a short section of rail between the metal ties, because as you realize, unless the rail is insulated from the metal tie, you are not going to get anywhere.

Your idea is interesting and just looking for some clarification and a little more info. I'm sure this would also be of use to the folks still using 027 track (sometimes actually by choice!).

I've made my own track activation rails by using the aluminum off cake baking tins and cutting a "L" shaped piece... the short L section is for attaching the wire. I use 3M carpet tape to hold the "rail" in place and to act as the "insulator."

[lionelsoni]

Around here, they paint a few inches of the rail yellow for the clearance indication.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wrmcclellan

Hello Dave,

I saw a hint in one of Joe Lessor's train books where he painted an orange stripe on the tie where he insulated the center rail so he could easily see where the insulator was located. This practice was adopted from the real RRs where they painted a warning mark on the tie to denote the closet point to a switch were a car could be spotted and maintain appropriate clearance for the other track.

Regards,
Roy

Bingo Roy!!! While it is nice to hide gaps and make them blend in, there are times when you want to find them.

The HO guys always complained about Atlas' gold colored insulating joiners, but in reality, they are quite protypical. Yes, real railroads have insulated rail joints!!! They use them for signaling, try to make them easy to find. The joint plates are often gold or green, and a heavy fiberboard cut out in the profile of the rail, is placed between the butt ends to prevent contact.

[FJ and G]

Roy,

Great idea.

Never saw an orange one but have seen a lot of white ones on CSX and NS where natural gas lines cross.

Or, you could put a mile marker or no trespassing sign or some little do-dad, like a chipmunk or something to let the engineer know when he is in another block. Actually, a block sign would work as well.

Joe Lessor's cousin, Bud Lesser, btw, is a close friend of mine. A former Marine who was shot on Iwo Jima just 2 minutes after he landed.

[wrmcclellan]

Hello Dave,

I saw a hint in one of Joe Lessor's train books where he painted an orange stripe on the tie where he insulated the center rail so he could easily see where the insulator was located. This practice was adopted from the real RRs where they painted a warning mark on the tie to denote the closet point to a switch were a car could be spotted and maintain appropriate clearance for the other track.

Regards,
Roy

[FJ and G]

I made some insulated rail sections over the weekend by filling the gap with JD Weld and then inserting either one patch or a folded-over patch (depending on width of gap). I made the patch with Romex cable sheathing, the CPVC material that surrounds house wiring, since I've got a bunch left over.

It worked really really well. I trimmed the patch with a dremel cutoff wheel and filed the Weld and the rail is seamless. I'll paint the side rust brown and top aluminum color.

It takes no time to make these and I like them better than the plastic insulating pins supplied for the 027 tubular track, which is the track I'm using.