You can make a tool that will make installing rail joiners much easier, using a short section of rail and a small wood block. I used a scrap of poplar and used my hobby band saw to cut grips in each side. The section of rail is driven into a hole drilled in the end of the wood block near the bottom of the block. Then the exposed end of the rail is filed smooth and the foot tapered slightly near the end to allow a joiner to be slid on relatively easily.
Don't. Nearly everyone that has done so, has regretted it. They are never in the exact right place and under low speed operations, they tend to cause uncoupling at inopportune times.
Look for a putty knife that has serrations at the end to make spreading the caulk easier. They are most often found with tile installations tools. Ace Hardware or Home Depot has plastic ones that I narrow to track width. The caulk comes off of them easily when cured. When using Dynaflex 230 to lay track or roadbed, start with about an 1/8" bead and spread with the serrated knife. The caulk will go further and still get the job done, and it will be easier to remove roadbed or track if you find you have to change the track layout.
Well, yeah, that's true, but I have about 100 passenger cars and they all have diaphragms. Trying to poke an uncoupling device into that space doesn't work very well, so at least in Union Station, it's got to be magnets. GS
Not having a fleet of diaphragm equipped cars. I have experienced the undesired uncoupling issues with permanent mounted uncoupling magnets as well. If you want a magnetic uncoupling tool here is one that works pretty good https://rixproducts.com/product/rix-uncoupling-tool-ho/ I have used them. And they work OK. The issue with permanent magnets is they are always there, and always doing their job.
Here is the latest video. Thanks for all your support, guys. I made one of those gappers for rail joiners, Keith, although mine isn't as fancy as yours.
One comment. Most of us here in Kansas City would not recommend soldering rail joiners except on a curve; leaving the rail joiners loose allows expansion joints to accommodate any change in length of the rail due to heat changes. If rail joiners are soldered, expansion of the rail displaces the rail laterally.
Yes, I generally do not plan to do so. However, since in this case the total length of rail is just barely more than 36" I figured that the expansion and contraction would be relatively negligible and the soldering would ensure a solid electrical connection and save me from doing one more jumper from my bus. I was planning on soldering the joints on the other rungs in the yard ladder because they are only connected to other track on one end. Most of them are 60" or less. Again, because it would save me having to run a few extra jumpers. What do you guys think?
Drew, If you desire reliable, trouble free operation; especially over time, experience has shown the following. - Rail joiners are an end of rail to end of rail alignment tool only. - As Keith noted houses, foundations, benchwork and subroadbed expand and contract with changes in temperature, and especially humidity, both inside and outside. Settling of buildings over time are also an issue. Rails via alignment joiners need to freely float to adapt for these changes. - Rail joiners are a very poor conductor of electricity, even if soldered. Therefore, every piece of rail needs a jumper directly to the bus. Rail is an imperfect conductor of electricity and DCC control signals. - If turnouts, they are a machine with moving parts, need to be repaired or replaced it is much easier to do this if rail joints are not soldered. Do not take shortcuts! Bullet proof, no failure operations should always be the ultimate goal. Take the time now to do it right. You and your operators will be very happy with the results. Hope this helps. Thanks! Mark
Thanks for the advise, Mark. Up to this point the only place I've soldered joints has been on curved sections. Indeed, soldering rail to a switch seems like a truly bad idea. Perhaps my previous post gave the impression I was doing that, or planning to do that? I did not realize that soldered rail joiners were poor conductors of electricity. I know I have read about and seen other experienced model railroaders using jumpers every 6 feet of track and soldering the joints in between. What is the experience of others here?
Drew, I soldered the rail joints on just the curves. I soldered feeder wires to every 3 ft. of track section. No problems anywhere!
