Hi all,
i have just found an issue where my trains have been derailing. The issue is that I haven't got the insulated rail joiner attached on both sides of the track. (Must have come off and I didn't notice) trouble is I have pinned and soldered the track. Any suggestions on how to fix this without having to unsolder and lift the track?
I was thinking of positioning the rail ends correctly and using a dob of construction glue to set and hold rail in correct position.
Metal probably will work best to hold the end of the rail in place, against tension which is likely there cause it it to move out of place. I use MicroEngineering track spikes to hold rail in place where needed. Atlas track nails would probably also work.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
PMorrie Hi all, ...insulated rail joiner...soldered the track.
...insulated rail joiner...soldered the track.
Soldering and a plastic rail joiner? I'm not seeing how those two things go together.
Anyway, if you are talking about a plastic joiner that fits on one rail but missed the other when you assembled your track, first thing to do is to cut off the joiner. It's gotta be twisting the track, and may be accounting for the derailment. It's also pretty useless, as installed. If there's still some misallignment, I'd probably use a file to correct the "bump". And/or GENTLY bending a rail. When the derailment problem is solved, there'll be an air gap. You may want to fill that with an insulator. It may or may not be necessary. I use epoxy.
Ed
PMorrie,
I think i understand your issue. Your trackwork has all been accomplished and you are having derailment issues where an insulated rail joiner was. Because your trackwork is done you would like to do the least invasive thing to correct it.
Let me start by saying this is pretty common when using insulated rail joiners. This is why i lay the whole of my track soldering all joints with the exception of a few to allow for expansion and contraction. Then identify where your rail gaps need to be. I then gap my track with a dremel fitted with a cutting wheel. I backfill the gap with epoxy to ensure insulation and smooth gap with hobby file.
The definate advantages of this is that you can accomplish the gapping after your trackwork is done level and true. If your careful it will stay that way when you gap and if the need arises you can also easily off set your rail gaps. I backfill with epoxy because gaps will somtimes catch wheel flanges and cause a derailment.
This is just my opinion but i can tell you that derailments have virtually disappeared for me since I adopted this practice. Hope that helps...
v/r
J.R.
Insulated rail joiners caused me nothing but grief, so I stopped using them. I now make sure the track is extra secure at the site and just cut the rail with the Dremel. Sometimes for cosmetic reasons, I will fill the gap with hot glue and contour to the shape of the rail. The glue once painted looks better than a gap in the rail if the gap is noticeable at all.
You can use many things to fill the gap if you wish to, however, I find the hot glue is easy and quick to shape to match the rail.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
7j43kSoldering and a plastic rail joiner? I'm not seeing how those two things go together.
I assume the other end of the rail is soldered so it can't be moved closer to the other rail. Another case where a pic would show us if the rails are misaligned laterally or vertically or with a big gap or maybe a bit of all three.
Are the ties under the joiners still loose? If so I would glue them down with caulk then correct any lateral displacement of the rails with T-pins and glue the rails to the ties with super glue. Or you could work a real rail joiner in there, connect both rails and cut a gap somewhere else.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Hello all,
Take a fresh #11 blade and cut the sides of the insulated rail joiner, on the offending side, so it is now a "U" rather than a "C" channel.
This will allow the rail to sit down in the joiner as opposed to on top.
You might need to remove and re-ballast the area to align the rail heads at the joint.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
Easiest - cut off the end of the plastic joiner that is disengaged. Leave the properly-installed end and, especially, the little gap spacer in place. Then take your NMRA gauge, some heavy-duty push pins and a leveler (a small torpedo level works) and chivvy the rail ends into gauge and as near perfect as possible alignment, horizontal and vertical. Finally, apply permanent spikes to hold that alignment forevermore.
Been there, done that, have the T-shirt.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)