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My opinion: Joiners should always be used. Solder by itself, does not have the strength to make a permanent joint. In all cases, solder needs a second, mechanical type of fastining. I remove a couple ties from the joint area to allow room for the joiners, then slide ties underneath the joint when done. I remove the "Spikes and Tie plates" from the loose ties, before positioning under the rails. I also attempt to solder the rails when the track is layed out straight. Also, I do not solder all joints and allow room for expansion every now and then, about the width of playing card. Sub road bed, road bead, plastic ties and nickle silver rail all expand and contract at differant rates. The expansion joints help relieve some of this problem.
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