My Rock Ridge layout was 100 gauge EZ Track. I’d like to run code 83. My plan was to run some Atlas code 100 from the EZ track to a trestle bridge and make the transition there.
Now I seems to have a further complication.
I’m seriously thinking of using FastTrack jigs and they recommend and sell Micro Engineering rail. I can order the jigs in Atlas, but then I have to find a source for Atlas rails.
So the question is assuming I do my part, if I marry the home-built Micro Engineering turnouts to the Atlas flex, am I looking to have problems at every turnout, or will it be okay?
Source for Atlas rail = buying Atlas flex track and stripping the rail.
You could just use ME flex for the straight parts and ME rail in the Fasttracks jigs.
You can mate anything to anything else, you justhave to be careful to make sure the running surfaces match up - top inside primarily. Solder will hold the two types of track in alignment. You want the top to be smooth across from one side to the other, and also the inside edge so the flanges move smoothly across. All offsets should be at the bottom and outside. It’s not goign to be THAT big a difference between brands, but if it looks unsightly you can file the outside edges to smooth the joints as desired.
Chip, you can marry anything to anything, although I personally would hesitate a little about going directly from Code 100 to code 40 [:)].
Same code? Just make sure the track is in gauge on both sides of the joint. For comfort, take the sharp corner off the inside of the railhead with a file-stroke or two. If the outside edges of the railhead don’t line up, don’t worry. There aren’t any flanges out there. (Shinohara and Cactus Brass rail is noticeably narrower-headed than Atlas.)
Change in code? Put a shim in the rail joiner meant for the larger code, or use a transition joiner. For an extreme change, solder the small rail to the top of the joiner, then ‘adjust’ with a few taps of a track maul (scale size, of course.) If you can’t find a scale-size track maul, a tack hammer, applied gently, makes a suitable substitute.
The prototype would usually go from mainline rail to featherweight spur tracks in two or more steps - 133# to 100# to 75#, or 133# to 112# to 90# to 60#, usually a long rail length of each intermediate weight, sometimes two. (I suspect that what steps were used was determined by availability of odd-weight rail and transition joint bars in MOW stores.)
I personally am going from hidden track (all code 100) to code 83 (on concrete ties) on the visible part of the main line. A slightly thinned piece of .020 styrene in each rail joiner handles the mismatch.
Chip, my personal vote would be to get the jigs for Micro Engineering rail.
Why? Because like fine wine (not a hobby of mine, but you know what I’m saying), once you go down the road of fine turnouts you’ll probably in time tend more towards micro engineering rail and possibly flextrack rather than atlas.
So you might as well get the jigs for the more accurately produced rail in the first place.
Micro Engineering rail is pretty cheap - even through Walthers. You don’t want to have to rip apart atlas flex to get the rail out.
Here are a couple photos of a handlaid turnout of mine, just since we’re on the topic… (no jigs, just eyeballs, file, needles nose pliers, and a soldering iron - although a jig would have been nice!)
And by the way chip, if you’re interested, I’ll list the months and years of some excellent articles in Model Railroader from the past 15 or so years on handlaying track.
