help with rail joiners

[cgw]

I have just completed 16 hand  laid #6 turnouts.   I used a combination of rail craft and micro engineering code 55 rail.    I had a stash of micro engineering rail joiners and that is when the problems started. Out of the fresh pack of joiners I could only get two of them to mount to the rail.    The rest of the package was pure pain trying to get one of them to mount on the rail.    Two  tight,   not the correct with width etc.......    I had better luck in  inserting them into my fingers (ouch).   The track I am trying to attach to is micro engineering code 55 rail.


 What rail joiners have you used successfully attach code 55 rail without drawing blood, bending,  and flinging across the room.  ll

 

[rodsup9000]

  Did you file the rail before you tried the rail joiners???? I really like the tight ones as they hold well after 20 plus years.
Here how I do it. Using a triangle file, file the flanges so the look like this



   Using a piece of wood to press the joiner on. Notice I'm pushing into the end of the piece of wood.

[Point353]

https://shop.atlasrr.com/p-48003-all-scales-rail-joiner-sidekick.aspx

https://lombardhobby.com/atlas-401-all-scales-rail-joiner-sidekick/

If necessary, use the tip of a small screwdriver to open up the end of the rail joiner.

[Sumner]

I use only ME code 55 flex and the same rail on my hand-laid turnouts and feel your pain.  I hated the ME joiners and asked for help at when placing an order at Midwest Model Railroad.  The helpful person there suggested PECO SL-310 joiners  .  I love them.  Now I'm sure some are going to say they aren't tight enough and that might be a problem depending on how you use them.  They aren't loose, I call them a snug fit.

I solder the joiners on all my ME flex track and run a drop to each section (probably overkill but don't want to have to do it in the future again).  I don't solder the rail joiners at the end of turnouts just in case I ever want to pull them out.  I do run a drop to each turnout and have the frogs powered also via a SPDT limit switch on the servo bracket.

They go on easier but I still do a quick filing on the rail ends like what Rod mentioned (not quite as much though).  I also use a short bent piece of rail that I file one end on as a way to expand the very end of the joiner a bit at times.  It works similar to the tools mentioned above.  Put it on one end of the joiner and it works great to hold the joiner while putting it on the rail.

Sumner

[Lackawannae8]

I feel like alot of modelers have problems with joiners.
Personally I use slim nose needlenose and grab halfway on the underrail side then push on this way. But I also solder my joints. Make sure surfaces are bare bright and free of oxidation/ millscale.

[NtheBasement]

I use Peco joiners on ME flex.  Not only are they easier to install, they aren't as visible after you ballast the track as the MEs.

Some tips... 
When you bend and break the strings of four joiners up into singles, watch for how that creates a flap on the horizontal section at then end of each joiner.  If you bent them up or down it causes problems.  Either straighten them or cut the bent ends off with a Xuron.
Bevel the bottom of the end of the rail a bit to get them to start sliding easier, or if that doesn't work jam a mini flathead screwdriver tip in to raise the ends of the upper sections.
Once you get them started, push them further using a piece of wood instead of your fingers.

[robert3985]

From an appearance standpoint, rail joiners suck.  ALL of 'em...no matter how tight.  And, if you happen to have a favorite spot to take photos on your layout, it seem inevitable that a big ol' rail joiner will be right there in the middle of the track your engine is posed on.  Plus, where you use 'em, there aren't any spike heads for three or four ties since your track's tight spike heads won't slip over rail joiners and once again this arrangement is quite visible.

Since I take extensive photos of my layout and my modules, I didn't want big rail joiners, or odd-looking ties to get in the way of my photography, so from the outset of my N-scale experience starting in the early 1980's, I've laid my Rail Craft & Micro Engineering flex using modified rail joiners.

First off, using rail joiners is just expected because everybody does it, and they generally work pretty well.  However, I hate the way they look because they scream "MODEL TRAIN" very loudly in my photos, and in everybody else's photos too. I take a lot of time hand-laying my turnouts in order to make them prototypically proportioned and I don't want rail joiners to spoil the illusion any more than minimally...bare minimally.

Here's how I do it.

First, I use my stash of Rail Craft flex for my layout, which is basically early Micro Engineering, but with finer spike heads.  I use Code55 for my mainlines and either Rail Craft Code40 flex or hand-laid Code40 for my sidings, spurs and branchline...so, I use RC/ME Code55 and Code40 rail joiners specifically because of their tight fit, but I modify them drastically so they're nearly invisible after painting and weathering.

Here's a step-by-step: 

(1) - I snip off the little "tongues" on either end with my sharp flush cutters 

(2) - I mount the rail joiner onto a scrap piece of rail that's about 3" long so I can hold on to it easily 

(3) - I measure the distance between ties on the flex I'm using with my digital caliper and then transfer that measurement to the underside of the mounted rail joiner...from the end of the rail joiner closest to the end of the rail it's mounted on, away from the long portion I'm holding on to.  I use one of my X-ACTO knives as a scribe, making a visible line across the bottom of the rail joiner

(4) - I then align my flush cutter that's sharp and undamaged with the line I've scribed on the bottom of the mounted rail joiner so that the flush cut is oriented towards the small piece I'm cutting off...both rail and rail joiner at the same time.  This is so the rail joiner doesn't get squashed.  The leaves the small portion with a nice, flat surface but the rail joiner will have a bit of a burr on the inside on the cut end, so, to get rid of it

(5) - slide the rail joiner off of the rail so that the cut end of the rail protrudes further than the cut end of the rail joiner...this pushes the burr outward and then it's easy to hit it with a small, fine file...or a diamond fingernail file which nearly instantly removes the burr.  Now, you've got one tiny rail joiner that will fit between ties on the rail joint. 

(6) - To get more tiny rail joiners cut, go back to the rest of the rail joiner still mounted to the scrap piece of rail and flush cut it squarely, taking of just enough of the rail joiner and rail to get rid of the smashed portion of rail.

(7) - Do the same sliding the rail joiner back from the cut end of the rail to make the burr stick out, then slide it bak and file the burr off

( 8 ) - Measure, scribe, align, and cut again using the same technique as the first cut rail joiner.  You'll get at least two very short rail joiners out of every full length rail joiners...maybe three if you're careful.

Okay...it will be pretty obvious when you see these that they're not going to hold your rails in alignment very well because they are much shorter and looser than a full-length rail joiner.  What makes these strong is to use the correct flux and solder to solder the rail joint.  I use a specific brand and type of soldering flux called Superior No.30 Supersafe Soldering Flux, which, in my long track-building experience, is the very best flux for soldering model railroad track.  Combine that with 96/4 Tin/Silver silver-bearing solder, which is 5 to 6 times stronger than regular electronics solder and you'll have an ideal soldered rail joint...brighter and much stronger than if you use conventional flux and solder.  An added plus is that Superior No.30 Supersafe Solder is self-neutralizing from the heat of the melting solder, so it won't ever deteriorate due to acid eating away the joint.  These  can be purchased here: https://www.hnflux.com/

(9) - Next, you need to cut your rail ends that your are going to join so that they end halfway between the space between ties...so when you butt them together, the space between the adjacent ties for each stick you're joining looks like a "normal" space between the rest of your ties when the rail ends are together.

(10) - You need to "dress" the rail ends so there are no burrs and file the rail foot on either side of the rail so that it tapers a bit, making it easy to slide the rail joiners on

(11) - After you're happy with your rail alignment...both rails...cut away the under-the-rail tie-spacers for 3 or 4 ties, and slide them back away from the cut rail ends

On curves using ME flex, I curve the stick so that it's pretty close to the centerline I've drawn, and I adjust the ties so they're pretty evenly spaced, but I leave about 4 to 5 inches of straight on the ends.  After you bend it, the ends will be uneven and there will be a tie (or two??) that doesn't have any spike heads...I cut that off.  The other stick, which is mostly glued down to my sanded cork roadbed, I've also left 4 to 5 inches of straight on its end and cut the spikeless tie/s off.  I've also cut away the spacers from between 3 or 4 ties on the glued down stick, but I haven't slid them back before I start trimming the rails so their ends are sticking out of the last tie by 1/2 of a tie-space.  I want the curve to be mostly already in place before I solder the rail joints together because the more I bend the flex, the more uneven the rail ends become. OR, you can bend the track so that it's mostly bent, just not perfectly aligned yet.  Either way works. Doing this protocol on straight track is basically the same, except no curving.

(12) - Take two of the short rail joiners you've made and slide them onto the rail ends of the laid track.  This is the most tedious part, because these little rail joiners can be difficult to handle until you get used to them, but at least they're not going to impale your fingers

(13) - Position the new flex stick so that the rails you've just cut and dressed line up with the other stick that's mostly glued down to your roadbed

(14) - After you've got the two sticks aligned, use push-pins or tape to hold the new stick in place

(15) - Carefully slide one of the short rail joiners towards the ends of two rails that are butted up against each other and position it so that the joint is in the middle of the rail joiner

(16) - Apply a bit of your Superior No.30 Supersafe flux and solder using your 96/4 Tin/Silver silver-bearing solder

(17) - Check the joint for smoothness and alignment and adjust if necessary

(18) - Do steps 15, 16 & 17 on the other rail

(19) - l like to take a bit of IPA and clean the joint now with a Q-tip or toothbrush

(20) - Slide the ties you've slid back away from the joint so that they're spaced properly, with the two small rail joiners occupying the space between the two end-ties

(21) - Double check for smoothness and alignment

(22) - Continue bending the two sticks if they're on a curve, check for straightness if it's a straight...VOILA!!  On to the next stick!

Yes, this seems like a lot, but actually, since I've written each and every step, this doesn't take too long to do...and, IMO it's well worth it from an appearance standpoint...and since you're using the very best flux and solder, this joint will be extra durable and long lasting, as well as more conductive than regular electrical solder.

Every now and then, you'll need to use some full length rail joiners to make an expansion joint.  If you dress, bevel and taper your rail ends, and cut off the rail joiner tongues, installing them shouldn't be a problem..but no solder on the expansion joints.

Photo (1) - Ties with their spacers cut away and slid back from the future rail joint:


Photo (2) - Freshly soldered small rail joints between ties that aren't fully aligned yet:


Photo (3) - Painted short between-the-ties rail joiners with Rail Craft Code55 Flex:


Photo (4) - For comparison's sake here's a "regular" rail joiner and Peco80 flex painted, & weathered:


I also run a feeder to each and every piece of current-carrying rail on my layout...which might be overkill, but I don't trust little bits of NS to carry current between my rails...they're only there for their mechanical qualities on my layout.

Photo (5) - Just for the Helluvit, here are a couple of my feeders...soldered to the rail foot, not the rail web:


Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[rodsup9000]

  OK Bob, @robert3985 , what about expansion and contraction of the rail???????
I have 2 yards that have close to 40 feet of straight runs and have to have expansion/contraction joints.
The temperature change of only about 20 degrees, but it's enough that without them, I have tracks that looks like snakes.
 As you know, I use only ME track and I've tried to cut non-opposing gaps in the flex track, and that just causes derailments.
I just live with the rail joiners and as tight as they are, they conform to the base of rail very good.

[signalmaintainer]

I have just completed 16 hand  laid #6 turnouts.   I used a combination of rail craft and micro engineering code 55 rail.    I had a stash of micro engineering rail joiners and that is when the problems started. Out of the fresh pack of joiners I could only get two of them to mount to the rail.    The rest of the package was pure pain trying to get one of them to mount on the rail.    Two  tight,   not the correct with width etc.......    I had better luck in  inserting them into my fingers (ouch).   The track I am trying to attach to is micro engineering code 55 rail.


 What rail joiners have you used successfully attach code 55 rail without drawing blood, bending,  and flinging across the room.  ll

Atlas code 55 rail joiners with ME code 55 flex. Works fine, lasts a long time.

[robert3985]

  OK Bob, @robert3985 , what about expansion and contraction of the rail???????
I have 2 yards that have close to 40 feet of straight runs and have to have expansion/contraction joints.
The temperature change of only about 20 degrees, but it's enough that without them, I have tracks that looks like snakes.
 As you know, I use only ME track and I've tried to cut non-opposing gaps in the flex track, and that just causes derailments.
I just live with the rail joiners and as tight as they are, they conform to the base of rail very good.

@rodsup9000 - I'm aware that different model railroaders have different techniques for lots of things.  What you're happy with is what you're happy with.  I attempt to present alternate ways of doing things that I've tried and had success with in case anybody else might find it fits their needs.

On my modular/sectional layout, the length of my sections is 6', so I don't worry about expansion and contraction since the gap between sections work as expansion/contraction joints.  Since I've had sections of it finished since the late 1990's and taken it to various shows in inclimate weather, both hot and cold, I've never had any expansion/contraction problems that show up as snakey or detached rails.

However, for layouts that aren't portable and have longer rail runs, I recommend expansion joints, unsoldered tight rail joiners, approximately every 8 feet or so, with the rails at the joint having a bit of space between the ends....OR, especially with tight, stiff ME track, cutting the rails offset from each other (meaning not the same length), removing the ties, then cutting and removing corresponding lengths of rail from the other stick of flex but keeping the ties.  Then slide the rails out of the piece that has the ties, and slide the corresponding rails into the spikeheads on the stick you've just removed the rails from.  This give a near imperceptible joint, with no joiners and allows expansion and contraction if the rail ends aren't butted directly up against each other.  In fact, some modelers do this for all their rail joints, supplying feeders on each piece of current-carrying rail so joiners aren't needed for electrical continuity.

I'm trying to perceive why cut gaps in your track's rail would cause derailments.  How do you electrically gap your rails??  I've got plenty of gaps cut in my flex, some of them I reinforce with PCB ties, others I just leave, but I don't have derailment problems.

Also, gluing down both roadbed and track securely will take care of most of the "snakes".  I had an unfinished adapter module that I took to a show a few years ago, and it got hot in the old machine shop where we were set up.  The track wasn't glued down on my twin bridges because it was going to be replaced with ME Bridge Track when I got the bridges finished.  The bridges are a scale 150' long and when it heated up at our location in the late afternoons, the unglued track turned into snakes on the bridges...while the rest of my modules...all 38' of double-track mainlines, a yard and a hand-laid Code40 branchline junction, all well glued down on well glued down cork roadbed, didn't budge.

I use runny CA to initially tack my track to the cork roadbed and I don't consider it "glued down" until I'm finished ballasting it, using a water/Mod Podge ballast glue mixture...and it's very solidly down and never has transformed into snakes.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[rodsup9000]

@rodsup9000



However, for layouts that aren't portable and have longer rail runs, I recommend expansion joints, unsoldered tight rail joiners, approximately every 8 feet or so, with the rails at the joint having a bit of space between the ends....OR, especially with tight, stiff ME track, cutting the rails offset from each other (meaning not the same length), removing the ties, then cutting and removing corresponding lengths of rail from the other stick of flex but keeping the ties.  Then slide the rails out of the piece that has the ties, and slide the corresponding rails into the spikeheads on the stick you've just removed the rails from.  This give a near imperceptible joint, with no joiners and allows expansion and contraction if the rail ends aren't butted directly up against each other.  In fact, some modelers do this for all their rail joints, supplying feeders on each piece of current-carrying rail so joiners aren't needed for electrical continuity.

 That's the way I've been doing it, so we are on the same page

@rodsup9000
I'm trying to perceive why cut gaps in your track's rail would cause derailments.  How do you electrically gap your rails??  I've got plenty of gaps cut in my flex, some of them I reinforce with PCB ties, others I just leave, but I don't have derailment problems.

 I use ME insulated joiners. It was more the way I did them with a cutoff disk and melting the spike heads. I still have some on the layout that doesn't cause any problems.

[nickelplate759]

@rodsup9000 - I'm aware that different model railroaders have different techniques for lots of things.  What you're happy with is what you're happy with.  I attempt to present alternate ways of doing things that I've tried and had success with in case anybody else might find it fits their needs.
...
I use runny CA to initially tack my track to the cork roadbed and I don't consider it "glued down" until I'm finished ballasting it, using a water/Mod Podge ballast glue mixture...and it's very solidly down and never has transformed into snakes.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

 I do this too (use CA to tack down the track), but a word of warning.  If you have a foam sheet surface under your roadbed, the CA will dissolve it if you get too messy (like me).

[NtheBasement]

@robert3985 that looks great!  But you may have just convinced people to go with Unitrack

Another option is Peco c55 flex and turnouts.  The joiners are well below the spike heads.  They do not play well with other brands though.

[robert3985]

I do this too (use CA to tack down the track), but a word of warning.  If you have a foam sheet surface under your roadbed, the CA will dissolve it if you get too messy (like me).

@nickelplate759 - My cork roadbed is laid on either 1/2" plywood (industrial trackage/yards) or splined Masonite.  Although in my distant past I laid cork roadbed on 2" Styrofoam insulation, I found that the Styrofoam sheet occupying the top layer of my modules acted as a speaker cone, making the trains very loud as they rolled through.  Although I still use 2" foam for my scenery base, the dense splined Masonite roadbed dampens the sound better than anything I've ever used.

Additionally, I found that when I'm painting my track with rattle-cans of Krylon Ultra-Flat Camo paint, that if I don't mask off any bare Styrofoam scenery base that is attached to my splined subroadbed, the paint dissolves it! 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[robert3985]

@robert3985 that looks great!  But you may have just convinced people to go with Unitrack

Another option is Peco c55 flex and turnouts.  The joiners are well below the spike heads.  They do not play well with other brands though.

Haha!  Yeah, actually DOING it takes a lot less time than reading my description.  Those who use Unitrack definitely don't care about the appearance of rail joiners!..nor the appearance of ties, nor the appearance of the rails, nor the appearance of whatever is being modeled that holds the rails to the ties, nor the spacing of the ties, nor the...You get the picture! 

Kinda the same thing with Peco55.  You have to not care about the total lack of modeled spike heads and tie plates, nor care about the tie spacing, nor care about the tie dimensions.  Yeah, because of the Code83 embedded rail, the rail joiners are below top-of-the-tie level and can't be seen after ballasting...but, all the other stuff definitely CAN be seen!  But, at least Peco55 has 0.055" visible rail that has a pretty good real-rail profile rather than the slab-sided Code80 "rail" of Unitrack...and no funky cast roadbed!

Although Atlas55 flex looks pretty good...until you get close and see the huge cubic blobs that hold the rails to the ties, it's loose-rail floppiness often causes problems with the loose rail migrating to the outside of the loose blobs holding it to the ties and it becomes out of gauge wide enough to cause random derailments. 

Since I lay my own turnouts and model the Transition Era, wood-tied Micro Engineering Code55 and Code40 flex is the only flex trackage I recommend (I haven't ever actually seen Peco55 or ME55 concrete tie flex in the flesh..so I can't comment on either).  As for what I actually use, I use my generous stash of Rail Craft Code55 and Code40 unweathered flex...along with hand-laid Code40 PCB track.

I probably spend too much time on my trackwork, but, it's fun for me...and I love the results when seen in my close-up photography.  Many detail oriented N-scalers agree that our super-detailed cars and engines look much better on the best looking trackage available, and that it's highly counterintuitive to run a lovely Scale Trains SD40-2 UP Snoot on Kato Unitrack. 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore