It’s relatively straightforward, Doug, as you seem to suggest. I usually solder the two using a regular joiner and then use needle-nosed pliers to force the two top running surfaces to meet at grade. You approach the joint from the outside at 90 degrees, place the nether tine under the code 83 rail end and the top one on top of the Code 100 tip. You firmly rotate the tool and watch the two come into perfect alignment. It is important to keep the tool parallel to the ground and to not lift up on the handles as you rotate the tines around each other.
Or, you flatten the one side of the joiners and solder the Code 83 tip onto the flattened side top.
Let ballast grains support the rest of the turnout body between the joints. Spread ballast, keeping it away from the throwbar and the pivots on the points, groom it, tap the turnout in several placed gently to get the grains to settle properly, eyeball from railtop level to see if it looks to be on grade, adjust as necessary, and then glue lightly. Presto, two different codes matched.
Reading the alignment comments, the thought occurred that a possible alternative to the crushed joiner method one could shim a W/S curved T.O. off the layout to match the rail heights of the track being used then solder protruding short pieces of solid copper wire (for stiffness) on the outside of the curved T.O. rails that can then be cut to length and soldered to the joining track rail flanges once you have the T.O. shimmed in place by the same or what ever manner. Seems to me this would allow the needed mechanical flexibility where the respective rails meet to position and level the T.O. before making the final solder connections.
Agreed, that should work as well. As most of us agree, or soon learn, there are a number of ways to skin all the felines we encounter in the hobby. That old saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” is never more apt than in what we face when we build train layouts. [:D]
Shimming is always a possibility, particularly on straight sections of track, mixing Code 83 and Code 100.
But, I think that additional difficulties present themselves on curves and even more so on curved turnouts.
I have a section of track on my layout where a long length of Code 100 flex track is joined at either end by Code 83 flex track. I use transition track at those two spots. But those two spots are straight track.
Over50, I have a question for you. Instead of adapting the curved turnout to work with your current flex track arrangement, could you revise your flex track arrangement to work with available curved turnout dimensions?
The lack of a proper radius curved turnout seems to be the limiting factor here.
These are some photos of my layout rebuild at the point I was at in February 2012 (no current pics yet) and includes my track plan which I hope will help explain “the where” I want to add the curved T.O.
The area in question is the center or main section directly up from the bottom of the drawing. There is a two stall engine house depicted toward the center left of this section and a runaround track adjacent with a curved turnout at one end. As you can see I originally planned on using a curved LH turnout here which was (1) of two original Atlas brass 21"/18" radii T.O.'s I had been using over the years. Unfortunately I inadvertently ham fingered one of the small brass retaining bars that held the movable point end rails to the throw bar on the LH T.O. And I couldn’t fix it. Suffice to say the verbiage that followed wasn’t fit for any kiddies within earshot. So…it was back to the drawing board where I just stubbed the track where the T.O. was in the main
Install the Code 83 curved turnout and add Code 83 flex track on each side of the curved turnout until you reach a straight section of track at either end, then add transition track to connect to your existing Code 100 flex track. Problem solved!
I think that would be maybe a good idea,if he had code 83 flex track… In my opinion though,I know for a fact.that I could do what he want’s to do,in a heartbeat…
If you look at the link Over50 provided, in one of those photos, there is a whole bunch of flextrack sitting in a pile. So, he is obviously using flex track. Just pick up a few pieces of Code 83 flex track and some pieces of transition track.
I know he is using code 100 flex track and code 100 turnouts,he could not get a code 100 curved turnout,had to settle for a code 83,regardless,it can be done and it will work,there are a few others in this thread,that agree…and the flex in the pic,looks to me like 100…
Frank, you are missing my point. His layout is Code 100 flex track and turnouts, but he can only find a Code 83 curved turnout to fit on a curved section of track. Rather than get all involved in shimming or crushing rail joiners or whatever, just replace some of the Code 100 flex track on the curve with Code 83 flex track, add the Code 83 curved turnout, and further up and down the layout add transition tracks when he reaches straight sections of track to join Code 83 flex track to Code 100 flex track.
Not everyone is all that great at shimming and crushing and soldering and whatever, so do it more efficiently in the way that I have suggested. Unless Over50 is awfully good with his track laying skills, the shimming and crushing and goosing is an accident waiting to happen as future derailments begin to occur.
I’m not missing Your point at all,it may be easier on a straight section,but that does not mean it can not be done on a curved section,and work,now that is the point…
I don’t doubt for a moment that you could do it (shim) in a heartbeat. But, can Over50? I have laid quite a bit of track myself, but I would not want to mess with shimming or crushing to force a Code 83 curved turnout into a section of Code 100 flex track on a tight curve.
Like I said in another response to Him,‘‘i HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN YOU,THAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU WANT TO DO’’…He has the skills and the patience,to do it…I have talked with him before…
I sure wished that you all would have told me a couple of years or so ago NOT to do the c83 turnout to c100 tracks before I installed about 20 or more of the c83 turnouts! [:O]
From reading these posts here I probably would have ripped the layout apart and took up bird watching!
There is NOTHING to installing/matching these different types of track together that a little time and patience can’t do!
When I first did my first c83/c100 it wasn’t perfect but that did not stop me I just readjusted things until everything looked smooth.
I did have the Ribbon Rail aluminum radius gauges to help hold the track in alignment until I got the first jointer soldered.
It isn’t as easy to do as straight track but it is by no means impossible as some here are making it out to be!
As for shimming the turnout up I just use old business cards and slip pieces under the turnout to keep the turnout from moving up and down under the weight of the train - so simple!
When I ballast the track no one will ever see the business cards anywhat!
Well, we will just have to wait for Over50’s response and see what he has to say.
I will say this. If he is able to successfully lay that Code 83 curved turnout into the Code 100 flex track on a curve without resulting derailment problems, then I am going to hire him to lay track on my Dream Layout.
LOL,One thing is for certain,anything is possible on a ‘‘Dream Layout’’,More so then on the Internet…LOL…Do all the people have the same ‘‘tee-shirts’’ on in your layout??HEHEHE…
It is far easier to do than some make it out to be!
The one thing that one needs is a large box of patience!
As I stated the first one was a problem and I was laying all new in a open Staging area at the 60" level and I could easily see what I was doing!
The real fun ones were when I went to replace some #4 & #6 straight turnouts at the end of my one yard!
They caused too much direction change (minor kinks) as I tried to transition from the straight turnouts right into curved track and I always ended up with kinks (and I even modified the ends of the Atlas turnout to curve it slightly!
I was never happy with this!
So I tried placing some curved turnouts over the existing trackwork (as a What IF) to see if the double curved turnouts would provide a smoother transition into the Yard tracks.
When I was satisfied I just began cutting in the double curved turnouts into the existing trackwork and would relay the frog end tracks a little to flow with the turnout radius (what ever it was) and gradually merge the tracks back into the regular yard tracks.
I was far easier that it seemed.
I now am constantly looking for ways to replace the straight turnouts (which always are at the end of a curve) with a double curved turnout to both give a smoother transition into the curve and to add a little more length to the siding in question!
After a while I just look for more complicated trackwork to do!
Recently to speed up the Yard access I removed a series of regular turnouts in the middle of the yard and replaced them with Double Slips!
This made the yard operators work much faster which he appreciated with only a little more complications in having to learn the Double Slips method of turnout control!
I am constantly asking for (and getting) suggestions to speed up Yard work or eliminating extra time when doing certain tasks on my large home layout!
Rich…with all due respect, while the intent of your cautionary advisement was appreciated, I have 40 years in the hobby of learning by experience what works and what won’t. I’ve built numerous layouts, with the last one that I had to take down when we moved to our retirement condo a 15 year endeavor that included a hand painted 32 ft backdrop of Appalachian rolling hills, etc., that took me over 4 months alone to complete.
I started out building Campbell kits and over time graduated to all scratch built wood structures from what I’d learned, with some super detailed inside and out with removable roofs for show, and built many of the craftsman wood structure kits of the time such as the long out of production Shenandoah Crossing general store and garage repair among other kits by that company (which I still have). As for patience, it has nail holes in the clapboard siding accomplished one pin push at a time…
Code 100 flex track is what I grew up with in the hobby beginning with all brass because nickel silver at the time was a niche, expensive choice. There isn’t one associated mechanical issue using code 100 flex track that I haven’t run into long before now.
I built and still use a 1971 RMC article capacitive discharge p
