Joining Track...

[Mountain]

At first things seem simple but not always.

A few more common issues. First one I should mention is when one is working with flexible track. First cutting the track. For cutting rails of approximate length I use track cutting shears, but when I want accuracy, I use a carbodium track cutting disk (Wider type) on a wide supportive mandrel and always use eye protection. An accurate cut can be made by taking rails from both tracks one wants to join and fixing them next to each other and cutting through both rails of both sides...
download/file.php?id=27610&mode=view
This will provide a perfect length cut without the need to measure.

The sleepers are another point, as if one goes to join one piece of flexible track to the next in model form, one can have a sleeper gap. There are two ways to tackle this. The first is to cut off the railchairs so one has a flat surface so the railjoiner slides inbetween the sleepers and the rails. Remember that on real railways the sleepers are slightly closer together near the fishplates to give extra support. The other way some modellers use is to remove sleepers and then slide new sleepers in at the area of the joint after. For me I rather just use a craft knife and remove the chairs and leave the outer sleeper intact as described above.

But now we come to different railheights that need to be joined.
There are either specific rails designed to join different track such as Peco code 75 to code 100 track converting rail. There are converter railjoiners to be had. But if one can solder, one may as well make ones own converter track. Just support the lower piece of track underneath, solder and file off excess solder, and then go over the top surface with a rail cleaning rubber after one has filed to take out any scratches the file has made.

[Phred]

Mountain wrote:
cutting through both rails of both sides...
download/file.php?id=27610&mode=view
This will provide a perfect length cut without the need to measure.

That's a useful tip. Saves a lot of fiddling and measuring.

[Mountain]

Mountain wrote:
cutting through both rails of both sides...
download/file.php?id=27610&mode=view
This will provide a perfect length cut without the need to measure.

That's a useful tip. Saves a lot of fiddling and measuring.

Yes. Is one of those things which seems obvious but one can go for ages before one realizes it can be so easy. I used to put one piece of track above the other which works in the same way though this way is more accurate.

[centenary]

Yes, a very clever trick! I wonder if it works with track cutters?! Might have to work on my grip strength!

[Mountain]

Yes, a very clever trick! I wonder if it works with track cutters?! Might have to work on my grip strength!

Less likely to as I have found with track cutters, they snip the one side but the other side is usually not the same? (What words to use?) With a cutting disc, it cuts just the slot you are cutting and the slot is just the right width to use a tiny gap when the rails sit in the railjoiners. The track cutters cut a bit more in the way of width I have found. This extra width can lead to too much gap between the rails to be joined. Hope this makes sense?

[mkrob]

I have heard of carborundum track cutting disk breaking/shattering when in use. Can anyone please recommend a supplier which sell one's that don't break/shatter?

[Bufferstop]

Slitting disks being thin and rigid will shatter under undue stress. If you use one of the smaller rotary tools, I use a 12V Expo, they don't shatter with much force, plus you can get them into tighter spaces than a Dremel. I still use an eye shield, just in case. I prefer using a cutting disk to track cutters, you get a clean cut with no nib to be filed down. If you hold the rails firm with a cutting block it prevents rails pulling out of the chairs, it's easy to make one, find an offcut of hardwood, press a short piece of stack down on a stamp pad, then on the top of the wood. Use the cutti.ng disk to cut two grooves along the ink lines. When cutting hold the block on top of the rails as close to the cut as possible.

[Mountain]

I have heard of carborundum track cutting disk breaking/shattering when in use. Can anyone please recommend a supplier which sell one's that don't break/shatter?

Cant think but what I do recommend is either using a slightly wider disc which is just under 1mm thick or what I once did with much thinner discs was to mount two discs on the mandrel. (The slightly wider discs I have which are a brown colour if I recall rarely shatter. Is the thin grey discs that are more prone to shatter. Just use eye protection on any such discs). What I have found was that it is a good idea if you can to find a beefier mandrel, as I have had a few fail on me in the past where the tiny bolt failed.

Just to add. One needs a small drill that has a small outer diameter especially towards the chuck area with a smallish chuck. But the drill body needs to be of a smallish diameter, otherwize one will have to angle the disc. A slight angle one can get away with but a steep angle is not ideal. Don't forget that often when cutting track, one is cutting track in situ on the layout.

[pete12345]

But now we come to different railheights that need to be joined.
There are either specific rails designed to join different track such as Peco code 75 to code 100 track converting rail. There are converter railjoiners to be had. But if one can solder, one may as well make ones own converter track. Just support the lower piece of track underneath, solder and file off excess solder, and then go over the top surface with a rail cleaning rubber after one has filed to take out any scratches the file has made.

The neatest method I've come across is to file away the base of the code 100 rail so that it's the same height as the code 75- to be precise, use a vernier caliper to check it. A code 75 rail joiner can then be soldered on to it, and the code 75 track then connects in the usual way. Some card packing may be necessary under the code 75 sleeper base to bring it to the same height for the transition. It's difficult to spot the change if you don't know it's there. The other advantage is there shouldn't be any solder on the railhead to attract dirt.