Two part question. I have peco code 55 small radius turnout. after installing it I noticed a point rail loose. This has happened a couple of times to me. Usually while I was preparing the turnout with wire for Frog Juicer and removing the spring for use with tortoise switch machine. It is annoyong and the hobby shop I used is no longer in business so I cannot exchange them. I have had a very difficult time getting the point rail tab back in place on the throw bar without distoring the rail. In this case I tried to repair in place and it cause my inulated rail joiner to pop off the rail. any advice on dealing with these defective turnouts?
Second part. I now need to remove this turnout. Does anybody have a "trick for sliding insulated rail joiners? Or will I have to bite the bullet and pull up track. the proble is this turnout is directly attached to another turnout. part of a industrial ladder.
Thanks
First to the MR forums! Please do stick around and continue to contribute!
I am far from a turnout expert, and you first question is beyond my knowledge, but my responding to this should attract others who are likely more knowledgeable!
texasperry Second part. I now need to remove this turnout. Does anybody have a "trick for sliding insulated rail joiners? Or will I have to bite the bullet and pull up track. the proble is this turnout is directly attached to another turnout. part of a industrial ladder.
I do have an idea for your second question, you could try cutting of the ‘spikes‘ on the track around the turnout in order to slide the railjoiners off the turnout and then all it to be removed. I saw a video a bit back on doing this that may help, I will post it if I can find it.
For now I hope this is helpful!
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
Here is the afore mentioned video, hope it is helpful!
If that way of inserting is doesn’t work here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebq-tL44kEU
I've never worked with N scale track, but I've done the "slide the joiner" trick plenty of times in HO, to remove and replace sections of track.
I believe the problem is that the insulated rail joiners have a little tab, that ends up between the rail ends, once it's in place. I'm not sure how your going to slide the joiner with that tab in there.
You might have to try and nip that little tab off, and once everything is back in place, replace the tab with a piece of styrene, to keep the ends of the rails seperated.
If this was a non-insulated joiner, no problems, and an easy fix.
My eyes hurt already, just thinking about doing this in N scale.
Mike.
My You Tube
Cutting the spikes in order to slid an insulating rail joiner will not work at it is an insulator that seporates the two raile from touching each other.
I have taken am x-acto knife and cut insulated rail joiners out to get a defictive turnout out but you still can not install the new one with insulated rail joiners with out ripping up track on either sid of the turnout. What I ended up doing was to use metal rail joiners and slide tham all the way on and set the turnout in pisition and slid the metal joiners to connect the two rails together and used small rail spikes to hole the turnout in place and then cut gaps in the rail to isolate it, than filled the gaps with thck ACC to insure the rail ends do not touch creating a short.
I have installed all of my turnouts this way were I needed to insulate the rails from one another and have had no issues with them in 6 years on my N-scale lauout.