Hi All
I,m just starting out in this new hobby and was finding it hard to connect the flex track together. There has to be some trick to it that I have seen with out cut it up and have not look right . Any advise would be very helpful.
Thank you the Green Horn
LET US KNOW WHAT TRACK YOU ARE USING, BOTH GAUGE AND CODE. UNLESS YOU ARE USING COED 40 OR 55 I CAN’T SEE WHY YOU SHOULD BE HAVING TROUBLE
HOLOCO
Ken,
You will have to cut the flex track, and remove a few ties at the ends. A pair of Xuron rail cutters at about $10 is money well spent.
There are several short articles on the MR web site that may be helpful:
http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/000/109pkaus.asp
[:)]
You are aware of rail joiners, right?
Hello Ken,
As Ed Briley writes, you need to use rail joiners, remove a couple ties from the end of each section to make room for the joiners, and be prepared to cut the rail as needed, especially in curves. You can save the ties you remove and slide them back under the rails after you carve notches in them to clear the joiners, but I prefer to use wooden ties to fill in the gaps.
On curves it’s easier to make smooth, kink-free joints if you solder the joiners to the rails before bending the flextrack. For long curves you can leave the last few inches of a section straight, trim the rails square, solder on the next section, and continue bending. My choice for cutting rails is Micro Engineering’s no. 48101 heavy-duty rail cutter.
In straight track I like to leave the joints unsoldered with a small gap between the rail ends (in the joiner) to allow for expansion. An NMRA gauge – a useful tool for checking track and wheels – is also a good spacer for such gaps. Put the edge of the gauge between the rail ends, pu***hem tight against it, and remove the gauge.
And have you tried gluing down flextrack, with adhesive caulk? It’s fast, easy, and generally results in straighter straights and smoother curves. See the article “Quick and easy flextrack” in the August 2003 “Model Railroader,” pages 76-77.
Good luck,
Andy
What quick replys Yes I’ve heard of rail joiner. But my concern was about the tie being removed and replaced and that was explained Thank you all for your imput .Happy Rail Roading. Ken
PS hope you don’t mind if I might ask some stupid questions I am a green horn and loven it.
Ask away! We’ve all been a beginner once upon a time, and there’s no shame in that. Welcome to a great hobby!
(I’ve been a model railroader for nearly 38 years, and still “loven it” …)
First there is no such thing as a stupid question…Ask any questions you feel you need a answer to …Thats how we learn by asking.[:D]
Ken,
Your question was not a stupid one. It was a legitimate question that deserves
a respectful answer.
There are plenty of people on here that will answer any “stupid” question you have. So don’t be afraid to ask ANY question, no matter how “stupid” you think it may be. Good Luck. Dave
Ken
It is also important to have the “flex rail” be to the inside on a curve.
This is probably noted in the article that was previosly mentiond.
Gil
stupid question example: " can i take 1 rail off and put it somewhere else so my track goes twice as far?"
lol but really i think i speak for this whole community when i say we would be happy to help wherever we can. Hope you have fun in the worlds greatest hobby[:p]