my son & i bought some flex track to make our layout bigger. what a bummer when we found out that flex & sectional track don’t go together. any solutions?
Sure they do! We all do it all the time! Just slip on a rail joiner and keep layin’ that track…no problem! [:D]
Yes. it is done all the time. You need to know the height or “code” of both types. For example, code 100 means a rail (no ties) height of .100" or one tenth of an inch. Another popular size is code 83 or .083". If both of your tracks are the same, then a conventional joiner will do. they are very inexpensive and just slip over the ends of the rail for locating and electrical contact. If you have two different sizes of rail you must buy “transition joiners”. They are a bit more costly but will join code 100 to code 83 and the tops of the rails will be level.
WELCOME to the forum!
If your sectional track is the stuff with the plastic roadbed attached, you’re also going to have to fill in the gap between the tabletop and the flex so that the joint stays level. If you don’t have any spare rail joiners, you’ll just have to take a trip to your LHS and get more (they’re cheap, i think 2.50ish for a pack of 48).
Now, if the flextrack you got is code 83 and your sectional track is code 100 (or vice versa) then you’re going to have to get a little creative with the joiner to line the railheads up. Simplest solution is to crush the railjoiner on the code 83 side (after sliding it onto the code 100 track) and soldering the code 83 rail to the top of the smashed joiner.
Don’t forget you have to remove one or two ties from each end of the flex track to accomodate the rail joiner.
And if you curve the flex, you must cut off the longer piece of rail. Easier done than explained.
Hope this helps.
Bruce, Dan, those are popular codes of rail for HO scale, but we don’t know what scale the OP is modeling in. He never said. If he’s in say, N scale, he’s gonna become very confused and frustrated trying to find code 100 and code 83 N scale rail since there’s no such animal! [;)]
Some pictures of what you bought would help. Where there’s a will (and a file, hammer and pliers) there’s a way![:D]
SOUNDS LIKE you’re mixing brands, rail types, or doing something else wrong.
‘Flextrack’ is generally considered ATLAS and fits their sectional track when using their rail joiners. If you are unsuccessfully trying to fit Atlas sectional & flextrack together, your doing something wrong -so what are you doing wrong?
Go back to where you bought it for assistance, or start ANEW.
Atlas, Kato, and Bachmann make sectional track with roadbed that doesn’t mate with competing brands without modification. That is done intentionally - it’s called “Marketing”.
Chysler parts don’t fit in GM cars and vice versa. Same deal.
Ah…unless the flextrack is MicroEngineering. Or Peco. Or Model Power.
Bottom line: I have never experienced a problem making a connection between ANY two brands of track (without attached roadbed) as long as they were the same rail size, i.e., code.
You need to make sure the end rails of the flex track are even. You may have to modify one piece of the sectional track to accomodate the rail joiners needed to join the flex track. Flex track frequently needs a tie or two removed for railjoiners - be sure to replace after installation. You may have to shim the flex or sectional to get them to the same height. If the rail sizes are different you’ll need transition joiners for your 2 rail sizes.
If you can provide brands and/or pictures we might be able to help more.
Enjoy
Paul
Don, You should expand your horizons. Go take in a good Hot Rod show or custom car event, GM, ie Chevy, Engines are put into EVERYTHING under the sun. And on that note, MOST all the track with roadbed attached also has a “special” jointer section available to mate up with either Sectional/Flex track, or I’ve even seen them at the LHS to mate LL brand to Bachmann brand.
Where there is a WILL, There IS a way, but my WILL is no way to my Trains.
If your track is two different codes, example would be code 100 and code 83, Atlas sells a piece of track that’s code 100 at one end and code 83 at the other. I see them at the LHS all the time.