Track breaks

[ChrisAdams]

Hello, I was wondering whether anyone had any tips on the best way to have a break in the track where a baseboard comes apart... my layout is currently running round my garage on 4 separable baseboards. I need a easy way of disconnecting the track in between the baseboards so it can be easily moved. At the moment I have just cut the track and re-joined them with fishplates however i can see this becoming probalmatic once I start ballasting etc.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

Thanks

[Right Away]

Ensure your baseboards are fixed with metal dowels and bolts etc for precise alignment. Fix the track securely in its final position and solder two copper clad sleepers in place of the originals each side of the baseboard join. Finally cut across the rail over the baseboard joint with a Dremel or similar.

 

DON'T FORGET to cut a slot through the copper surface beforehand to isolate between rails.

[ChrisAdams]

Awesome, thanks.

[DCB]

I used the copper clad sleeper method and some of the joints have been ok but for main running lines where the lift out section joins the main baseboards I put long brass screws through the baseboard surface and down into the baseboard framing and then solder the rail ends to the sleepers. The copper clad tends to separate from the backing if it gets knocked. The screws can be screwed in and out to get the alignment right.

Baseboard alignment is important  but making it easy to align is as important.

I have also used sliding fishplates, but never again  I wonder if a sliding clamp might be a solution? for aligning hard to get to tracks

[spikey]

And if you don't fancy soldering to copperclad sleepers or brass screws, simply run the track across the join in the boards, and carefully epoxy the sleepers to the track bed on either side of the join.  Once it's set, cut through the rails and the sleepers, then separate the boards, apply more epoxy to the ends of the tracks as required to make sure it doesn't move, and clean up the cut ends of track with a file.  Put boards back together, ballast, and Bob's yer uncle.

[GWR_NZ]

I have used single sided copper PCB, packed with styrene so the copper surface is just beneath the rails. The PCB is screwed to the baseboard. The rail is soldered to the PCB with appropriate cuts for electrical connectivity. Admittedly this is on a lift up bridge so cosmetic issues are not the same. Alignment by barrel slide bolt.

[Phil Bullock]

Another vote for copper clad sleepers ...two each side of join .... as used on abbotswood, boards must have been up and down 50 times, that’s a total of 39 track joints to keep in alignment each time.

 

Phil

[NIK]

Hello, I was wondering whether anyone had any tips on the best way to have a break in the track where a baseboard comes apart... my layout is currently running round my garage on 4 separable baseboards. I need a easy way of disconnecting the track in between the baseboards so it can be easily moved. At the moment I have just cut the track and re-joined them with fishplates however i can see this becoming probalmatic once I start ballasting etc.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

Thanks

 

Hi,

 

Another vote for copper clad sleepers (epoxied to a strong and stable baseboard, not cork). For very good alignment pattern makers dowels.

Then bolts or other methods to keep baseboards tightly together.

Apologies to those who have seen this photo before but there are at least three baseboard joins in this photo, most are three foot wide and the layout has no leg adjusters at present so it hasn't been fettled for photographic purposes.

 

 

Regards

 

Nick

Edited January 29, 2019 by NIK