Need a little help with stubborn rail joiners


ArtmakersWorlds

ArtmakersWorlds

Member
Hi all,
Ok, I have a tiny layout going here, 2' round board with a double loop that will fit right under a glass top table. Been buying assorted stuff for a year now, finally getting into this.
But.... Did I buy the wrong rail joiners? I'm about ready to rip my hair out. Time to walk away, find a forum and see if I can get a little help.

So, I have flex track, and went with the code 55 track. Bought a package of rail joiners, and note, already watched a bunch of videos and those folks all have joiners that come in a strip, clip them out and they slide right on. Mine did not, they are all loose, and will NOT simply slip on. (darn already trashed the package too.) These *∞¶• things!!!!!! Will NOT go on the damn track! I have already bent, jammed, twisted several inches of track that had to then be cut off and try again. I only bought enough to do this so gotta stop ruining it.
I have tried filing the ends of the rails on all sides thinking they might "slide" in easier but no. And if I grab both sections of track with pliers and try to force them into the joiner I end up mangling something. Then there is the fact that this flex track seems to only be lightly clipped onto the rail, at least on one side, and after that pops off enough times it simply will not STAY on. Again time to walk away and figure out what I'm doing wrong.
Could it be that I just bought crappy joiners? In which case, someone post what I SHOULD get? Or is there a way to widen the opening on them so they go on the track? My daughter is bringing her soldering gun, I could solder each connection just to be sure it's good, but still need these to clip the track together at least.

BTW... there are NO hobby shops near me at all. Everything I get has to be online. If I could bring these into a shop I would. Can't.
 
I feel your pain but unfortunately not too familiar with N track or joiners.
Im guessing it’s Atlas flex track? Can you post a pic of the joiners?
I can tell you from experience some “fits all” joiners simply don’t.
N scale guys, what say you?
 
I am not N scale either, and you did not provide pictures. Something that works in all scales is to use a short piece of scrap "fitter" track with the ends slightly tapered and use it to ream out the joiners instead of using your layout pieces. Hold the joiners from the end with needle-nosed pliers instead of impaling your fingers. Don't ask how I know this! Although maybe the next package of joiners won't have this problem. It almost seems like you got Z sale joiners.
 
Some rail joiners join better than others.
Plus, if you've had to trim some off the end of a rail to make everything straight, that will leave a bur of crushed material that's tough to push joiner onto.
Two suggestions, based of a lot of experience:
First, put a thimble on your finger/thumb and use that to push the joiner onto the rail.
Second, carefully place the joiner at the end of the rail, and push the rail into the edge of a table, or similar, so it will go on.
 
"Some are better than others." Clearly. Again I'll get some close up shots tomorrow but meanwhile, it seems that the joiners just don't have a wide enough gap to fit the rail in and I don't know how to widen it. Tried with an exacto knife but how do you hold the tiny thing down to pry it wider? Pliers only manages to squeeze it even tighter. I almost wish I had the opposite problem, too wide. I could always crimp it tight once on and fill with solder and call it good.

Another issue, being as my 2' circle requires really tight turns, I've been trying to tack the track down as I go, leaving just a little bit I can lift up to get the next bit attached. But dang, all the fiddling around trying to push pieces together, holding rails with pliers is no good, ends up crushing the track. This is a pain. I think I need to find wider joiners. Any suggestions?
 
ArtmakersWorlds said:
"Some are better than others." Clearly. Again I'll get some close up shots tomorrow but meanwhile, it seems that the joiners just don't have a wide enough gap to fit the rail in and I don't know how to widen it. Tried with an exacto knife but how do you hold the tiny thing down to pry it wider? Pliers only manages to squeeze it even tighter. I almost wish I had the opposite problem, too wide. I could always crimp it tight once on and fill with solder and call it good.

Another issue, being as my 2' circle requires really tight turns, I've been trying to tack the track down as I go, leaving just a little bit I can lift up to get the next bit attached. But dang, all the fiddling around trying to push pieces together, holding rails with pliers is no good, ends up crushing the track. This is a pain. I think I need to find wider joiners. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Just get some 9 3/4" sectional track, use that, and be done with it. Is it perfect? No. But let's get you past the initial set up phase, so you can run some trains, then come back when you have some more experience, and try again. BTW, most sectional track has joiners already installed.
 
Gotta be flex. Again I'm trying to make something fit into a set space. HEY I didn't think I could get a shot with just the lamp on but wow, cell phone cameras amaze me. So basic layout (mind my junk laying all over.) And I tried to get a close up of the actual joiner.
 

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Darn, I think you have more problems than just getting the joiners onto the rails; however, one thing at a time.

I use Peco Code 80 flex with Peco Joiners and they (the joiners) are a tight fit, which is really a good thing and what you want/need from the joiners to achieve a decent conductivity from one piece of track to the next, especially if you don't solder your joins. I have always inserted the joiners onto the piece of flex BEFORE I try adding that piece of track to the layout - in other words - the joiners slide onto straight sections of rail. By the by - I use a pair of pointy nose pliers to insert my rail joiners, you just need to be careful and not push them on too far.

The second issue I see is you seem to have track running off at an angle immediately from where your current joins are, that will not play well as the track can "pull away" from the joiner if you do not solder it in place. I am guessing at this point that you aren't soldering anything. General rule of thumb is to join two pieces of Flex together before putting it down on the layout, instead of trying to put one length down at a time. At least not until you get used to handling and dealing with Flex Track.

The most important thing about joining your track work is to ensure that the "rails" of each section of flex meet snugly when joined AND they stay that way when put down on the layout. Secondly, don't permanently set your track work in place until you have it all down and make sure that it will all match up as planned. That will make joining flex sections together easier as well.

At the end of the day though - I'd do what @bnsf971 suggested - forget flex track and go with sectional track which is basically plug and play and will alleviate 99.9% of the problems you seem to be having. Then get 3 or 4 lengths of flex track and practice getting the appropriate Rail Joiners on them. I would suggest that you think about soldering as well. If nothing else, soldering your joints will ensure your trackwork will never come apart, at least, not easily :) Flex Track can have a learning curve ;)

Anyway, I don't mean to be overly critical but I can see a few problems that will only generate more problems down the road. Best to get them sorted out before you go too much further. By the way - I model N Scale.
 
Ok, first, I cannot use sectional track as none of them have the exact radius I need. (That board will fit into a table, no option on size.) So flex it is.

And again my daughter is bringing her solder gun over and I DO plan on soldering every joint. Especially considering the problems I've had getting pieces together. I pretty much have mangled every joiner. So yea, solder and a good bit of careful filing to get every joint smooth.

Another issue I've had, and this one I cannot fix anymore, the nails to hold down the track, I cannot believe there is NOT ONE pre drilled hole in any bit of my track. And it's so tiny, making a hole without just punching a tie right off is darn near impossible. I bought a tiny hand held drill but even with that, I have to first take a section of track, lay it on a solid board, and with an awl hammer in enough of a dent so the drill bit has something to bite onto. Now I only figured that out AFTER I got the cross piece and one section down. (With much cussing I might add.) So from now on I will pre drill my holes in the ties before even trying to attach a piece. And then, those nails will NOT go into the plywood base. So bought that little drill and at least that works. Live and learn. (the hard way usually.)

So tomorrow..... I will post updates

Thanks everyone.
 
Okay - here is exactly what I use and do:

Peco Rail Joiners

x6VMnlr.jpg


File flat any cut piece of flex:

EI6b8xQ.jpg


Carefully file the bottoms of the rails to remove a "LITTLE of the leading edge:

v08ox7F.jpg


The rail joiners will easily slip onto the rails without an issue.

End result should be similar to this:

Lf2RdIO.jpg
 
ArtmakersWorlds said:
Another issue I've had, and this one I cannot fix anymore, the nails to hold down the track, I cannot believe there is NOT ONE pre drilled hole in any bit of my track. And it's so tiny, making a hole without just punching a tie right off is darn near impossible.
Click to expand...
One other bit of advice - do away with the "Track Nails", as you have discovered, they are more of a PITA then they are good. Lay your track to the Cork Road Bed using caulk or hard as nails or similar. Run a thin layer of the stuff along the cork road bed, spread it out so it covers the width of the ties then lay your track central on the cork and use some sort of weight to hold the track in place until dry - cans of vegie's etc work if you don't have any metal blocks, anything heavy to be honest.
 
ArtmakersWorlds said:
Another issue I've had, and this one I cannot fix anymore, the nails to hold down the track, I cannot believe there is NOT ONE pre drilled hole in any bit of my track. And it's so tiny, making a hole without just punching a tie right off is darn near impossible.
Click to expand...
MOST flex-track has holes partly pre-drilled from underneath. If you flip it upside-down, you may find those predrilled spots.
 
ArtmakersWorlds said:
So, I have flex track, and went with the code 55 track. Bought a package of rail joiners, and note, already watched a bunch of videos and those folks all have joiners that come in a strip, clip them out and they slide right on. Mine did not, they are all loose, and will NOT simply slip on.
Click to expand...
You don't say whose flex-track your using, but have you perhaps got Atlas Flex-track and bought Peco joiners, because that would explain why they won't fit, Atlas has a wider rail base than Peco.
 
ArtmakersWorlds said:
Hi all,
Ok, I have a tiny layout going here, 2' round board with a double loop that will fit right under a glass top table. Been buying assorted stuff for a year now, finally getting into this.
But.... Did I buy the wrong rail joiners? I'm about ready to rip my hair out. Time to walk away, find a forum and see if I can get a little help.

So, I have flex track, and went with the code 55 track. Bought a package of rail joiners, and note, already watched a bunch of videos and those folks all have joiners that come in a strip, clip them out and they slide right on. Mine did not, they are all loose, and will NOT simply slip on. (darn already trashed the package too.) These *∞¶• things!!!!!! Will NOT go on the damn track! I have already bent, jammed, twisted several inches of track that had to then be cut off and try again. I only bought enough to do this so gotta stop ruining it.
I have tried filing the ends of the rails on all sides thinking they might "slide" in easier but no. And if I grab both sections of track with pliers and try to force them into the joiner I end up mangling something. Then there is the fact that this flex track seems to only be lightly clipped onto the rail, at least on one side, and after that pops off enough times it simply will not STAY on. Again time to walk away and figure out what I'm doing wrong.
Could it be that I just bought crappy joiners? In which case, someone post what I SHOULD get? Or is there a way to widen the opening on them so they go on the track? My daughter is bringing her soldering gun, I could solder each connection just to be sure it's good, but still need these to clip the track together at least.

BTW... there are NO hobby shops near me at all. Everything I get has to be online. If I could bring these into a shop I would. Can't.
Click to expand...
I feel your pain. I use ME HOn3 code 55 flex track and ME code 55 rail joiners. It is next to impossible to get a rail joiner on the rail. I'm not talking the joiners are tight, they will not go on! I have bent track and more often the rail joiner bends. I called ME and asked them about it and got an unfavorable answer. I found an article online where a guy would use an exacto knife to spread the joiner apart. So took his info and now use two exacto knives to spread the joiner open enough to slide on the track. I also taper the bottom of the rail just a tiny bit to remove any burs or edges. I still damage a few joiners trying to spread them, but not any many as trying to force them on the rail.
 
Oh you guys are a wealth of information! Thank you all. I read every post here, got all day to work on this and maybe now I can actually get the track down.

Look for me again later, I bought two engines off ebay and both need work. OMG those things are tiny. But already watched a ton of videos, so maybe I can fix those on my own.
 
ArtmakersWorlds said:
Oh you guys are a wealth of information! Thank you all. I read every post here, got all day to work on this and maybe now I can actually get the track down.

Look for me again later, I bought two engines off ebay and both need work. OMG those things are tiny. But already watched a ton of videos, so maybe I can fix those on my own.
Click to expand...
If your not sure on anything, just ask, we will always try to help. remember, the only dumb question, is the one you didn't ask.:)
 
AND NOW YOU KNOW WHY I WENT TO "0"-Scale! 🤬

I'm sorry! Please don't ban me? 😁

I feel that you have TWO different sizes - rail/joiners - that you are trying to work with?
Second the motion on glueing down the track!
 
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