Track joints

S

Southerner

Registered
Hi, I am new to garden railways, having had the ambition for most of my life to create an indoor 00 model railway, but never having the available space to do it, it occurred to me that I could have it outdoors instead. I've got quite enthusiastic about the big scale, and am in the process of making the idea a reality. I've bought a quantity of new and used track (LGB, Aristocraft and Piko) on ebay, and I am intending to screw the track down to 3/4" braced plywood. One thing I have been wondering is how well I should clean the track ends and joiners before permanent fixing. Should they be soldered? Does conductivity deteriorate over time if corrosion gets into the joint? Should I provide extra power feeds at intervals along the route, to combat voltage drop?
Any useful advice will be appreciated.
 
Hi, leave as much of the track "floating", just screw down enough to keep it in place. Join your track with Hillman railclamps, all sorts available for various track.
Now stand by for one thousand and one other ideas from everyone else
 
mine has soldered joints with railclamps on the points, so they can be removed for maintaince, has extra power points added round track mainly where Block circuits are

There is no right or wrong way of doing track it's what suits you or in many cases what suits your pocket, mine was soldered for cost,
 
If you can afford it, then track clamps are probably the best way to go (lots of makes available, Massoth, Hillman and many others) - though you shouldn't need them on your Aristocraft track if you use their own little screws through their pre-drilled fishplates. If your second-hand Aristo track is missing the screws then you can buy a bag of them separately, but before you do this just check that they are not still sealed in a blob of red wax under one of the sleepers - this is how they come when new, and the previous owner MAY never have used them!
A tiny blob (match-head size) of LGB graphite paste or an equivalent is a good idea in every joint, whether you are using clamps or not, as it helps keep corrosion out.
As others have said above, there are probably almost as many differing opinions on this as there are G-scalers, so listen to everyone and then make your choice from the suggestions provided! ;)

Oh, and welcome to the forum too, hope you enjoy it here! :bigsmile:

Jon.
 
Thanks both for such a quick response. Where do I buy Hillman rail joiners, and are they pricy? I must admit this hobby is not a cheap one!
 
Soldering rail requires a large soldering iron, or a gas-torch. - NOT a blow-lamp you would use for plumbing!
It also requires a little skill and practice. - some people never 'get it'.
Place a lump of steel (substantially sized) across the track above the first sleeper. - Stops them melting!

Whatever method you use, clean-up the rail ends before you start trying to join them. If you use the push-on joiners (big version of those in OO) then use a little Copa-Slip or the LGB 'grease' to keep the corrosion out.
If you use the old joiners which came with the track.. Clean things up, and give them a squeeze to tighten them up a bit. - Expect them to give problems after a year or two..
 
My Aristo track has been down nearly 15 years and some of the screws are now working slack and won't hold. When I get a problem I fit a Massoth joiner. Easy to fit & cheaper than other makes.
 
I should have added. If you use conductive paste be careful you do not walk on it & get it on the sole of your shoes. The consequences are dire. (How do I know?)
 
Brian and Caroline at Glendale Junction have the common ones in stock (I was checking last week) - £1.60 each for standard, £2.25 for insulated.

Southerner said:
Thanks both for such a quick response. Where do I buy Hillman rail joiners, and are they pricy? I must admit this hobby is not a cheap one!
Click to expand...
 
Irrespective of what method you use to join your track as it was bought used you will, in all probability, have to clean any surfaces where the track is jointed electrically. I.E. fishplate inner surfaces, rail bottom and sides where it contacts fishplate or track clamp. A small rotary brass brush on a Dremel mini drill (or similar) will do for this job. Then do not forget the LGB graphite paste (or alternative) to inhibit future corrosion between the contacting surfaces. This applies too if you are using rail clamps.

Rail clamps are available in "over fishplate" or direct to rail versions. They both offer the added advantage of keeping track formations together (especially if you have a gradient where the track could be "hammered" apart by passing locos) as well as helping ensure electrical conductivity.
Max.
 
Told you so!!!!!!!!

Hillman railclamps, I personally go to Glendale Junction, just my preference. Another thing, if you are going to have flexi-track, e.g. Peco (not Piko) stagger the joins if they are on a curve. Oh you've got a lot to get through in the next 54 years lad, oh yeah! But it will all be fun, I assure you.
 
yes you need to clean the areas where you are creating a new joint, in whatever way you choose. no different from any other electrical joint. just use some sort of grease to avoid moisture and it will be fine for years. rail clamps at the ready for awkward places, but probably overkill for every joint.

should we have sticky threads of FAQs here as we do some subjects regularly?!?!??!? :rolf:
 
Aaarrrhh 'tis an old chestnut this one.

I do seeemples, personally.

Mostly Aristo track, so rely almost entirely on the Aristo screwed fish plates which occasionally work loose if the track moves a lot. Track tends to settle down even into my oversize ballast (10 mm chippings), so the only bits that move are where there is an issues, such as sleeper subsidence (1:1 sleepers that is).

I use rail clamps to connect either Aristo to the few bits of LGB track that I have left, or where I've had to cut a bit of Aristo to make life fit :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I have a circuit of about 180ft, and being used to smaller scales, and the questionof voltage drop ( although there will be no voltage drop through the rails, the joints are the potentially weak spots) was ever present in my mind, I installed a second track feed half way round. I asked an electrical engineer to size the cable for the second feed, and he recommended cooker cable (6.5 mm2) so I laid that in the track ballast :bigsmile::bigsmile::bigsmile:

I think the track's been there about 6 years - so far so good :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
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