My layout was built with flex track. I cut off several ties at each end, put rail joiners on, and then soldered them together. I saved those ties to finish the job.
Now I want to finish this up and ballast. I have tried a few ideas to fit ties under the rail joiners but haven't been satisfied with the result.
What's the trick to this project?
Rick
I just use a #11 blade and cut out the spike plates plus a little bit for the joiner and slid them in place. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I sand down the back until they slip under. I don't understand why atlas doesn't sell pack of the last three ties from their straight sectional track that you can slip onto the end of flex
DSC03173 by wp8thsub, on Flickr
DSC03173
I typically use wood ties under joiners, as in the near track above, just below and to the right of the reporting marks on the flat car. If the wood is just slightly thinner than the plastic ties, it should slide easily into place under the joiners without creating a bump at the joint. For example, HO scale 6X8" lumber works with Micro Engineering or Shinohara ties, as it's just a bit less than the ~7 scale inch thickness of the plastic.
Rob Spangler
I use my nippers to cut off the spike detail, and then a narrow file (usually the wide side of a triangular one) to add clearance for the thickness of the joiners. Then they slide right in and hold their place well enough until ballast is applied.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Like Randy said mostly...except I leave the two spikes on the tie that I will see from my isle. (one spike will be on the outside of the closest to me rail and one will be on the inside of the far rail) and the two spikes that are removed can not be seen anyway. I just need to raise the closest rail a little to slip the far spike under it.
I do cut the spike lip off that would hold the rail down, so I only have half a spike head left to nudge up against the joiner.
But in reality, I'm sure a spike or two were missing in places on the real PENN CENTRAL.
If the track is not secured down yet you can file back the molded spikes and tie plate to clear the rail joiner. If you do it very carefully the tie will be a tight fit around the rail joiner. This will help the joiner blend in with the rest of your trackwork. If you take a couple stokes too many with the file (like I did), then there will be a slight gap around the joiner. It's not huge and looks okay from a couple feet away but is really annoying if you're looking at it up close.
Unfortunately I gave that module to a friend several years ago, and don't have any pictures of the rail joints.
If the track is fixed in place you can clip off the spikes and sand the back side of the ties until you can slide it under the joiners. This is a nice quick method and blends in well with the rest of the flextrack from most angles. At low angles and when sighting down the track the missing spikes and slightly different tie height are noticable.
A third option is to use wooden ties cut to the same size as the molded plastic ones from the flextrack. If you want to get real fancy you could even go back after the wood ties are installed and add tie plate and spike detail (appropriately trimmed to clear the joiner and line up with the molded detail, of course). If you're using Atlas code 100 track a 1/16"x1/8" strip of balsa or basswood matches the dimensions of the ties almost perfectly.
Modeling the Pennsy and loving it!
rrinker I use my nippers to cut off the spike detail, and then a narrow file (usually the wide side of a triangular one) to add clearance for the thickness of the joiners. Then they slide right in and hold their place well enough until ballast is applied. --Randy
This is what I do as well. It literally takes maybe 20 seconds to nip the nubs, pick up a nearby needle file, scrub the lie for the joiner three swipes, and then slide the finished ties under the gap.
Now might be a time to recount 'best practices' for PCB ties, an interesting alternative anywhere additional reinforcement of gauge (and perhaps line and surface) at rail joiners in either rail might be desirable.
I have not actually practiced this but a number of people on here have, and a few past threads describe details of how to do it.
Note that very fine shims under 'inserted' ties can bring their support surfaces (or added tieplates if you use that detail) up under the rail after you have slid them across an appropriate 'gap' and spaced/lined them up. Ballast will neatly cover any 'evidence' this was done...
I have tried various techniques, but I have found that no matter how hard I try, I cannot totally conceal these tie replacements.
Once ballasted, they pretty much become invisible to the naked eye and even, for the most part, in photos.
But what drives me nuts is that they still show up in videos that I take with a small Mobius camera mounted on a flat car that is pushed by a loco around the layout.
Rich
Alton Junction
selector rrinker I use my nippers to cut off the spike detail, and then a narrow file (usually the wide side of a triangular one) to add clearance for the thickness of the joiners. Then they slide right in and hold their place well enough until ballast is applied. --Randy This is what I do as well. It literally takes maybe 20 seconds to nip the nubs, pick up a nearby needle file, scrub the lie for the joiner three swipes, and then slide the finished ties under the gap.
I was making this too difficult. I tried many tools including a Dremel but didn't try a simple file. I'll give that a whirl.
What Randy did (above) is what I do. Snip the tie detail and use a file as needed to allow the tie to slide under. It's pretty quick and easy.
And if you want the ties to stay put and not slide around, add a bit of white glue to the bottom.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I slice off the spikes with an Exacto, then sand the back of the tie down a bit using a benchtop disc sander.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
I've used benchtop disc sanders. I bet those could take a lot of plastic off in a hurry. A few strokes with a flat needle file usually does the job.
richhotrainBut what drives me nuts is that they still show up in videos that I take with a small Mobius camera mounted on a flat car that is pushed by a loco around the layout.
Many years ago in MR somebody published one of the great pieces of modeling wisdom -- take close-up pictures and blow them up in scale while checking for missing or poor detail: you WILL see it!
Here's a different use of that 'unforgiving eye' ... run that camera to where you're going to set ties, and watch the feed while aligning and shimming until it' right in 'perspective'. Bet you'll see if you need better spike or plate detail in that view, too...
One of the guys at my old club developed a different method of joining flex track that doesn't require ties to be removed, and has the added advantage of offsetting the rail joints which helps eliminate kinks in the curves.
Here is a picture of how he prepares the end of the flex track:
The upper track still has to have the tie plates removed on three ties so that the rail joiner can slide in.
Note that he never soldered the rail joiners, even on curves. The rail offset was sufficient to avoid any kinks. I was skeptical about there being no kinks at first, but after close to 500' of flex track being laid with no kinks on the curves and no soldering, I had to admit that his method works. FYI, we were laying HO Atlas Code 83 on cork with a subroadbed of Homasote. Several track nails were used at the joints.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
The method I've been using is to lightly scrape the spike detail off with a #11 or similar, slip 2 or 3 ties under the joint depending on the gap needed to be filled.
This slightly raises the area of the joint. I then press the hot soldering iron on top of the rail head just enough to warm the joint but not melt the recently soldered joiner.
This allows the rail to assume its level position and "nests" the joiner into the softened plastic. Been doing it that way from the get-go in 1995.
Good Luck, Ed
hon30critterOne of the guys at my old club developed a different method of joining flex track that doesn't require ties to be removed, and has the added advantage of offsetting the rail joints which helps eliminate kinks in the curves.
I've seen that method before. Personally I don't care for it. As you connect flex track together on longer curves, the offset would get greater and greater and it would grow the wrong kind of hair, as in the offset would get deeper and deeper into the piece of flex track.
The down side to that method is if you want to solder joints for more reliable electric connectivity, the joint is on plastic ties which is a recipe for melting. I do like to leave some joints unsoldered to allow a bit of room for expansion and contraction, but only on straight sections, and no funky joint offsets would make sense there. Really, I've never had problems with kinks on curves where rail joiners are not soldered anyway, so it's moot. If you have a nice tight joint, and the curves are not sharp, it's not much of a problem. Even if it were, I can use ME spikes to hold the rail in alignment but rarely need to do that.
It is too much work to mess with sanding down ties and removing detail.
I just cut new ties from 0.060" by 0.100" plastic strip, paint them brown, and slip them under the rail joiners.
Once the ties are painted and ballasted, they blend in just fine.
There are a whole bunch on them in this picture. I have found this to be the quickest and easiest solution.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I also use a needle file to slightly widen the space between the spikes as well as to recess the tie under the rail and joiner. Gently prying up the rails under the joiners helps slip the modified ties under the rails. Since I model in HO scale, I like to use N scale code 80 joiners as they are significantly smaller and require less clearance than the typical HO scale joiner. Once the track is painted and ballasted, the N scale joiners are darned hard to find!
Hornblower
SeeYou190 It is too much work to mess with sanding down ties and removing detail. I just cut new ties from 0.060" by 0.100" plastic strip, paint them brown, and slip them under the rail joiners. -Kevin
That looks like more work to me. I have nippers that snip of the tie detail in a second and a couple passes with the file and done. Snicker snack.
With that you have to measure, cut, paint. Add to that I have to find the right size of Evergreen when I already have boxes of ties off the flex track I have saved for free! Too much work for me!
riogrande5761That looks like more work to me.
I have always made them in bulk ahead of time, and kept piles of them on hand. When needed I just slide them under the rail joiners.
If I made them on an as-needed basis it would be a lot more work.
Speaking of rail joiners, I have always used Atlas. Do other brands offer any advantages?
hbgatsf Speaking of rail joiners, I have always used Atlas. Do other brands offer any advantages?
Interestingly, I have tried Peco rail joiners with Peco flextrack and turnouts, and I have struggled to fit them because they are so tight. So, I wind up using Atlas rail joiners where I join Peco Code 83 turnouts to Atlas Code 83 flextrack. Those rail connections are a bit lose though, so I usually wind up adding a bit of solder to hold them tightly in place and ensure proper electrical connectivity.
I currently use Shinohara rail joiners on Altas and Shinohara track. These look and perform very well. I should have enough on hand for my final layout.
I have used Atlas rail joiners extensively and never had any problems with variance or poor quality control. They have always been a consistently well made product.
SeeYou190 I have used Atlas rail joiners extensively and never had any problems with variance or poor quality control. They have always been a consistently well made product.
Of course Atlas rail joiners are loose on Peco flex track because Peco has a different rail profile than Atlas. That's why I mentioned that I solder them to secure them.
What amazes me is that Peco rail joiners are very difficult to fit on Peco flextrack and Peco turnouts. Talk about a lack of quality control.
richhotrainWhat amazes me is that Peco rail joiners are very difficult to fit on Peco flextrack and Peco turnouts. Talk about a lack of quality control.
True on that. My only experience with Peco rail joiners was in N scale years ago, and getting those rail joiners onto a Peco turnout was almost impossible.
Randy and I ended up soldering Atlas rail joiners on all of the turnouts on his N scale NORFOLK SOUTHERN layout and my dream house N scale layout.
hbgatsfSpeaking of rail joiners, I have always used Atlas. Do other brands offer any advantages?
I don't know of any "advantages" over Atlas. As I stated in another response, I have never had any issues with Atlas rail joiners. They are easy to find, work well, and are inexpensive.
I am currently using Shinohara rail joiners. I do not have a picture of these, but they really snug up against the rail and have simulated tie bars and fasteners on the joiners. I like the way these look.
This is personal preference. The Atlas rail joiners pretty much disappear once the rail is painted and ballasted.
This is the Dremel grinding stone. The edge of it is just right to grind a notch where the molded spikes are.
Dremel grinding stone
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
When I added the partial second level to my layout, I used quite a bit of Central Valley tie strips - some I had on-hand, but a friend gave me quite a bit more. While I was able to get code 83 rail, at the time, I couldn't locate a local source for rail joiners, except at a nearby hobby shop (unfortunately, now gone) where I found a couple packs of joiners for code 55 rail.I figured that I could alter the end of a piece of rail to permit slipping the joiner forcefully onto it, and opening it enough to be useful for code 83.
However, that didn't work out so well, so I went to plan "B"....
...using the face (rather than the edge) of a cut-off disc in a motor tool, I removed material from both edges at the end of the base of the rail, then similarly removed a slight amount from the bottom of the rail, too.
The code 55 joiner was now easily installed, and because its bottom surface was flush with the bottom of the rail, rather than protruding below it, there was no need at all to alter the ties.While I don't have a lot more track to put in place (mostly industrial sidings and maybe a little street running) I'll use the code 55 joiners for all of it. If I were to build another layout, I would use them for all of it, too.
Wayne