I bought some sections of flextrack (36"). I am using it in 15" radius curves. How do I get the ends to join so my train doesn’t derail. The rail joiners are not curved and it is had to get the track ends to meet on curved sections. also how do I fit ties under the sections where the rail joiners are used. The reason for the small radius curves is very limited space.
Bud.
I do not know if you are modelling in N or HO scale, but if it is HO scale then I wonder why you don’t use sectional track for this tight radius. Then you would not have any problems in joining sections together. You can use the flexitrack for long sweeping curves or straight sections. To fit ties under track, just cut a length to suit the place and trim the chairs on the ties. Slide the section under the track where needed, add ballast and glue in place.
William
I don’t remember how you get the ends. For joiners, you remove 1 or 2 ties from the end and put on the joiners. Now, you can either glue them back on or leave them off.
Best of luck, and welcome.
This is pretty tight for HO. With curves this tight, 2 pieces of flex track should handle any curve you have (unless you’re doing a helix). I would suggest you cut your joiners in half and then using them, join and solder two pieces of flex together while they are straight, then jnstall them all the way around the curve. Trim the ends where they are straight and attach to your tangent track.
Enjoy
Paul
N you might suceed. H0 you have little chance…In H0, even if you achieve the joint, you are pushing any stock above 40’ long right up to and probably beyond the limit. You may do it… whether you will be able to do it relaibly is another matter. I imagine that you are making a switching layout or a streetcar with curves this sharp. If so you might help your stock stay on by using either guard rails you add yourself or bridge track. the related solution might be to build your own track for the curves… and build it curved.
Let us know if you solve it please.
To hold the curve with flex track you might solder through the join as suggested above.
OR you might put pins (Small/thin nails) round the outside of the outside rail driven down so that the top just retains the foot of the rail. Then, carefully and checking as you go, do the same to the inside rail inside and outside in pairs. Leave the rails free to slide though to allow for expansion and any other pressures… you will be putting enough stresses into the rails as it is.
Make sure that all your trucks are free turning and that any sideways movement in your couplers is free.
Don’t try to run DDXs [:-,]
Even for 75-inch radius curves (yeah, right) the approved method of getting smooth rails is to solder the joints on the bench while the track is straight. The fact that you’re pushing it to the limit with 15-inch really doesn’t change this. I’ve got one 18-inch radius curve where I did NOT pre-solder the joint, and I will probably have to rip it up and start again before I get it right.
This is something I ran into both with flex track and handlaid track - especially on my 18-22 in radius curves - before I knew about soldering the ends together.
The Micro Engineering flex track (as compared to Atlas) is easier at the ends because it will hold a curve once you put it in. The disadvantage is that taking the curve out to fix or re-lay is equally difficult.
There is another solution - the pre-curved guages. I think Ribbonrail still makes them. Disadvantage is that you need at least one for every radius curve you will use.
For handlaid track, I’m planning to use a rail bender on my next start. I’ll nip off the rail ends that didn’t get bent. Then if my butt-soldered joints don’t hold (I don’t use rail joiners for handlaid track), it shouldn’t matter.
yours in tracking
Fred Wright
Yea. You have to solder the joints while the sections are straight.
Everyone above talks about soldering the rails together while they are straight, but many prefer an alternate method.
On any given piece of flex, after laying it up to about 6 to 12 inches from the end, leave the end straight, trim the longer rail to match the shorter, then solder on the next piece of flex.