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Isolating gaps in a curve

Any suggestions on what is the best method for creating and holding an isolating gap in both rails on a curve in N track? I have tried the obvious way of using insulating joiners, but the track tends not to want to curve. Not surprisingly, the plastic joiners are not rigid enough to hold the rails to a curve. Thanks, Roy

Reply to
R & B Cheers
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I have a personal hatred for plastic insulating joiners, they are a plague on humanity, avoid at all costs. Can you redesign your layout blocks to avoid incorporating it on a curve? That would be my first option.

If you must have one on a curve, the best compromise I found - and here I am assuming you are using flex track - is to:

  1. Lay track across spot for break.

  1. Locate spot where the break is to be, then lay a good dollop of 24 hour epoxy over 3 or 4 sleepers on either side of the break. This holds the sleeper strip in place.

  2. When set, then flood the rails for about 6 or 8 sleepers on either side with ACC to lock the rails in their chairs. Let dry.

  1. Cut the gaps with a rotary tool - Dremel or equivalent using the thin cutting discs. You can fill the gap with some plasticard trimmed to shape.

  2. Ballast the track - it helps keep it in place. Maybe even some trackpins on either side of the gap for a "belt-and-braces" approach.

  1. Weather, stain, run train.

You sure you can't redesign it? :-(

Steve Newcastle NSW Oz (Where we play Rugby with 15 men per side)

Reply to
Steve Magee

"Steve Magee"

The original query mentioned breaks in both rails.

I hand lay my track and have rail breaks on curves, but usually only in one rail but still kinda follow the above, except I don't use the epoxy. If you do want breaks in both rails, then stagger them by at least two, preferably three inches.

-- Cheers Roger T.

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of the Great Eastern Railway

Reply to
Roger T.

As Roger states elsewhere, if the gaps are in both rails, offset them from each other by a few inches.

Before cutting the rails, get some copper clad N scale PCB sleepers and replace the plastic sleepers of your flex track with the PCB sleepers where the gaps have to occur - probably four or six sleepers at each gap. Solder them in place. then cut whichever rail is to be cut in the middle of the PCB sleeper - i.e. three on each side of the rail gap if six PCB sleepers are used.

The PCB sleepers keep the rails in gauge at the gap, using the uncut rail on one side to keep the cut rail concentric. If the rail ends tend to dog leg at the gap, then you can persuade them gently into the appropriate curve with pointed nose pliers.

Jim.

Reply to
Jim Guthrie

I also curve the rail end - I assume you all use metal rails and not those newfangled plastic ones.

Greg.P.

Reply to
Gregory Procter

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