Which vendor produces reliable rail joiners that won’t *** bend when you try to connect them.
All of them.
I used Atlas N scale joiners on my Atlas code 83 track and Microscale code 70 joiners on my Microscale code 70 rail (handlaid track).
The key is to remove any burrs from the base of the rail (all sides of the base) with a jeweler’s file before putting the joiner on the track.
Oh boy, I hear on on that. I tried Walthers, Peco, you name it, they all were way to tight and bent every time trying to struggle to get them connected. This is code 83.
Finally I got some Atlas universal rail joiners code83/code100. They are a little loose, but they work. Then I just soldered every joint anyways.
That’s what I used when I had to join in a cut piece of EZ-Track on my layout. Since I solder all the joints anyway it didn’t matter if they weren’t real tight. If you want them tight just crimp them a little after you put them on.
When you cut them, take the time to bend down the ends of the joiners taps that are left. I use my rail cutters for this and made it a lot easier. You real do want them tight. I do not solder all the joiners and have no real power problem for 5 plus years.
But you will in another 10 years. Every rail joint here is soldered, insulated or has a soldered “jumper”.
Sheldon
SOLDER THEM!! [:D]
Okay, now that I’ve got that off my chest,I use Atlas code 100 for my mainline and Atlas code 83 for my yards. I’ve found that the trick is to cut them as close to the actual joiner as possible without crimping the openings. If they initially slide on a little too loose,I crimp them very slightly–and VERYcarefully with needle-nosed pliers until I get a good, solid, tight fit.
then when I’m positive that everything is working electrically right, I go through and solder them.
Atlas rail-joiners have a little ‘apron’ between them on their joining when you take them out of the package. I cut that ‘apron’ as close to each joiner as I can. Otherwise, you’ve got little ‘lips’ that can either curl up or curl down and interfere with the rails joining properly. It’s Mini-surgery, but it’s worth the extra time to get a good fit, believe me.
Tom
I cut those little leftover tabs off. I almost never have one bend.
I too went back to Atlas code 83/100 joiners. I tried Peco and they were too tight on Atlas track and way too tight on Shinohara track (all code 83). I then made a litttle tool from a short (2") piece of rail and filed the end to a slight taper on all sides (and mounted it in a piece of 1/2" wood dowel for a handle) so that it would slide on the joiner and then with a little force, go on all the way, thus opening the slots to fit the track. This worked for a short while and then it became difficult to get the tool to come off. After many bent joiners I went back to the Atlas. I solder all the joints anyway but this cut down on my frustration and choice of words. I measured the Peco and Atlas joiners with a vernier and there is only about .005" difference in them, but the Peco’s look smaller when installed.(Well actually they are the smaller ones?). This was just way too much work for such a simple job. *Go with the Atlas joiners and solder them.
Good luck,
Bob
I went to MicroEngineering HO scale code 83 rail joiners. They are REAL tight. I made a tool from a short piece of code 83 rail. I ground it to a point. I took a piece of 1x2" piece of pine and cut two grooves in it, just a tad bit narrower than the base of the rail. I hold the tool with a pair of pliers, and push the joiner on by hand just far enough that it won’t fall off. I then shove the pointed end down into one of the grooves. It pushes the joiner all the way onto the tool, spreading it as it goes. I pull the joiner off and it will slide onto code 83 fairly easily; tight enough to make good electrical contact.
I use Atlas code 83 track and use the Atlas joiners. I have no problems with them bending, nor do they fit loose. If these are supposed to work on both code 83 and code 100, I would hate to try and get them on code 100 track. I only solder joints on curves to they don’t kink, but every rail joiner has a feeder soldered to it. This has proven plenty reliable even after painting the track and not taking any special care to avoid paint in the rail joints. One thing I would NEVER solder are turnouts. They are the most likely to fail piece of trackwork and since mine aren’t soldered to the adjacent track I can just slide back the joiners, lift out a bad one, and drop a new one in.
–Randy
I use a motley collection of joiners, from recently-purchased Atlas ‘Universal’ joiners to some truly ancient (gasp - brass!!!) things left over from the stone age. All work - and I never solder one.
The key is that I don’t really expect the joiners to provide either electrical or positive mechanical connection. I settle for mechanical alignment, and solder jumper wires around every uninsulated joiner.
I have connected Atlas Code 83 to Atlas Code 100 with the Atlas joiners, with nothing more complex than a sliver of plastic under the Code 83 rail. Since the rail on both sides of the joint is anchored in Latex caulk, it was just a matter of assuring horizontal alignment. Vertical alignment was set by loading the joint with steel angle iron, topped by a length of 60# prototype rail.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
So you just dip them in water and hit them with some setting solution?[:D] I hope you mean Micro Engineering!
The important key to what Chuck (and others) are saying is that rail joiners by themselves do a poor job of providing positive electrical connections over time. They also do a poor job of maintaining mechanical alignment over time if there is any mechanical stress on the joint - ie., Atlas flex track on a curve.
One solution is to solder the rail to the rail joiners, as has already been explained.
May I suggest another solution? Don’t use rail joiners. Yes, you will be forced to get the rail alignment correct, with all stresses relieved (pre-bending the rail or track gets rid of the stress). Yes, you will be forced to jumper each joint or feed each rail. Both of these things you should be doing already to get bulletproof track because the rail joiners are going to fail at these tasks in the long term.
my thoughts and experiences, your choices
Fred W