Track joints for dropleaf

[ham99]

I have my dropleaf mechanism working so that it lines up every time. The track joints have been a pain. The track ends have been bevelled so they fit a fingernail thickness apart -- enough so that they swing down without catching. I soaked the roadbed ends with CA to stabilize them for height, weighted down across the tops of the tracks with a flat steel plate while they set up. I hope they stay in these positions. What do the rest of you do to keep the tops of the tracks level across the joint?

[LNEFAN]

ham99

I have my dropleaf mechanism working so that it lines up every time. The track joints have been a pain. The track ends have been bevelled so they fit a fingernail thickness apart -- enough so that they swing down without catching. I soaked the roadbed ends with CA to stabilize them for height, weighted down across the tops of the tracks with a flat steel plate while they set up. I hope they stay in these positions. What do the rest of you do to keep the tops of the tracks level across the joint?

In a similar situation, I used small brass flathead srcews beneath the rail ends and screwed them through the roadbed into the subroadbed. I incrementally raised or lowered the rail slightly until everything was in perfect alignment. Then I soldered the rail to the top of the brass flathead. It's worked well ever since.

[Allegheny2-6-6-6]

One thing you will have to keep in mind is expansion and contraction. Unless you have your bridge section made out of metal wood normally will expand and contract a few thousands maybe even more. I recently visited a very very large layout in Pa. Where the builder had a lift up bridge of I recall and after it was down in position he just joined in a piece of "transition" track if you will between the bench work track and the bridge track it's self. He told us there was so much expansion during the warmer months that you could literally stand on the bridge section without locking it into position and it would not move.

 Do you have separate power leads or "drops" from the bridge track sections to maintain power or are you relaying on the rail connections for power?

[ham99]

The three tracks on the dropleaf have direct power feeds, so they do not rely on continuity across the joints.

[bogp40]

You apparently have a very good hindging method and constuction of the dropleaf.

What is the actual constuction, roadbed type and track securing method? Do you have provisions for vertical position and alignment when locked? Dowels or pins and also allowances for benchwork movement may be incorporated.

It seems thus far that you are experiencing the misalignment at the track/ roadbed and not the actual subroadbed/ benchwork.

Maybe you can clarify this.