Connecting Modular Layout

[c2c]

Currently I am building a modular layout, I have designed a way of joining the sections together neatly, its joining the rails I would like advice on.

 

I have seen various layouts at shows where they have soldered flat brass to the meeting ends of the rails which fix them firm to the board, has anyone got any other ideas or suggestions please?

[Edge]

One methos I have personal experience of from JdF's layouts is using lengths of brass tube and wire soldered to the rails to make a sort of bolt arrangement. You can see what I mean about a third of the way down this page:

 

http://www.009.cd2.com/building_fiddleyard.htm

 

If the track is visible this is not a particularly good system to use, but for hidden tracks it is wonderful i never saw a single train stall on the sections of CG where this system was used

[c2c]

Yes a good way to connect track but my sections are visible and I plan to use a lot of detail, to be blunt though the flat brass joints I've seen don't look that good either!

[Glorious NSE]

We solder the rails to a pair of screws in the board just before the end, you can then reshape the screws and reinstate cosmetic sleepers if you are working on an area where looks are important.

[Campaman]

If  you mean a way of securing the rails for alignment and to make sure the ends are not damaged then replace a couple of the sleepers at the end with copper clad ones soldered to the rails, gapped and then glue and pin to your board.

 

If you are looking for a way to transfer power, then nothing really beats some kind of plug to join the wiring underneath.

[c2c]

Thank you for your good suggestions,  what I failed to mention is that I am using peco code 80 and have a strip of painted cork laid underneath the track to imitate ballast, this makes it a little more awkard as the track sleepers are not fixed directly to the board!

 

I guess a long thinking session in the bathroom is the solution to solving my problem!

[graeme3300]

This topic was discussed in 2011 in the RMWeb section 'Permanent Way and Signalling' - the direct link being http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28962-baseboard-track-joints/page__fromsearch__1

 

The system we now use is to have a copper-clad sleeper at each of the baseboard edges at the ends of 100mm slightly floating lengths of flex track fishplated to the permanently laid track. Small countersunk brass screws through 3mm foam rubber allows each individual rail to be aligned for height using the springiness of the foam. It seems to work well, so we're gardually extending it to all sections of the layout where track crosses between modules. Our modules use 3in/75mm hinges on the sides of the module frames for alignment with removable pins. Usually everything lines up correctly, but if not, adjusting is pretty straightforward. When the modules are linked, there is a slight expansion gap - about 1mm at the most - between the rails at the module edges.

 

If your layout is to be exhibited and put up and taken down regularly I'd suggest using appropriate plugs and sockets to handle the wiring between modules. MTAV uses multi-pin computer plugs and sockets (25 pin?) on flexible leads with additional plugs & sockets under each baseboard to secure and protect them all for transportation. Multi-pin plugs will handle all the wiring for each track crossing from one module to another, plus power to sections from a central control panel as our layout is just DC.

 

I've attached some clearer photos of the concept, including a track crossing from one module to the next at a 45 degree angle. This needed longer pieces of copper-clad sleepering and very careful cutting of the rails, but it works well. 

 

Hope this helps,

 

Graeme

[c2c]

Hi Greame thank you for your reply, exellent pictures as well. I like the idea of the foam layer beneath the sleeper, a great way of being able to adjust the height of the mating lines.

 

After now seeing how neat this looks its a concept I think I shall use. What gauge are the tracks Greame?

 

Regards

DaveH 

[graeme3300]

Hi Dave,

 

The layout is HO gauge using Roco and Peco Code 100 flex-track. It's a tramway layout, hence the very sharp curve (250mm radius) which is part of a balloon loop in reserved track in the second photo. The final photo shows where the other end of the same loop crosses back onto the adjacent module. The surface looks pretty rough because the boards are being recycled from a former layout, but scenicking and ballasting will disguise this. The half hinge on the right is for the adjacent module to attach at right angles (a very handy advantage from using hinges as connectors) and the track had to be this close to the baseboard edge to make everything fit.

 

I forgot to say that the rubber was bought at an Art & Crafts shop and a single sheet will provide more than enough strips. At the time I bought it the sheets were 3mm thick and a piece about A4 size cost $AUD 2.00 (about 1.30 GB Pounds?) but the most recent thicknesses on sale seem to be only 2mm thick. If that's so now you may need to use two strips, but it's easily cut with scissors or a craft knife. It's not stuck down as the screws (4g x 12mm from memory) hold everything in place but pilot holes are essential into chipboard or ply. The copper-clad sleepers are prepared beforehand with a small pilot hole first, then a second drill sized to suit the gauge of screws being used, then countersinking carefully with a countersink bit. In the first photo you can just see where about 1mm was removed from the baseboard surface to allow the rubber strip to sit in place with the copperclad sleeper on top so the rails sit correctly without being forced upwards. The baseboard was scored and cut with a hobby knife to a depth of 1mm, then a milling style cutter about 6mm diameter used in the Dremel held horizontally to remove the piece. Careful cutting with a narrow chisel or a chisel blade in a hobby knife could also be an alternative method.

 

Regards,

 

Graeme

[c2c]

Hi Graeme,  yes I did notice the cut away in the baseboard for the packing. I'm now wondering how small I can go with the brass cladding as I am working with N Gauge, but because I am using painted cork strip for ballast I maybe able to disguise the cladding quite easily.

[c2c]

We solder the rails to a pair of screws in the board just before the end, you can then reshape the screws and reinstate cosmetic sleepers if you are working on an area where looks are important.

 

Do you have any pictures?

 

Cheers

Dave

[c2c]

Thanks for your input guys.  

 

Your ideas and illustrations were very much appreciated. Anyway after viewing the various techniques of the baseboard joints, because of detail I chose to have a go at Glorious NSE’s suggestion of mounting the track ends on screws.

 

I’ve Just finished having a go at one track end and this is how I went about it, I hope it's not too long winded but who knows what I have done could help someone else so here go's!

 

After lining up the track I set in place two 2.5 x 12mm screws :

 

 

 

Next put in place my ballast coloured cork track underlay:

 

 

 

Then offered up the track section:

 

 

 

Adjusted the screws to the required height:

 

 

 

Brushed some flux onto the screws:

 

 

 

Then a small dob of low melt solder on each :

 

 

 

Tinning the screw heads is to prevent too much heat spreading and melting plastic sleepers!

 

 

 

After aligning the track (as I'm using a solid wood base) drilled undersize holes for track pins:

 

 

 

Inserted the pins, (I pushed them in using a hex screw tool):

 

 

 

Then soldered the track ends:

 

 

 

Carefully trimmed the screws:

 

 

 

About that much!

 

 

 

Finish off the Cork ballast:

 

 

 

Then glued in some trimmed sleepers and added a coat of sleeper grime......Job Done!

 

[Danemouth]

 

I’ve Just finished having a go at one track end and this is how I went about it, I hope it's not too long winded but who knows what I have doone could help someone else so here go's!

 

Dave,

 

Excellent series of photos - just what I needed as I am starting to lay the track for Danemouth,

 

Many Thanks,

 

Dave

[c2c]

Dave,

 

Excellent series of photos - just what I needed as I am starting to lay the track for Danemouth,

 

Many Thanks,

 

Dave

 

 

Thanks Dave, glad you like them and glad to be of help to a fellow modeler. At present I am mulling over the neatest way of crossing over the power supply. I will eventually be adding a third rail, not a problem with that stage as I can then add power cables and boxes on the layout.

 

Until I'm finished I might add a small building such as a lineside workmans hut to hide the connectors in.

 

Dave

[locoworks]

nice work with the screws and dremel, very well hidden.  something i would ask re the foam under the copper clad further up the postings, why do you need adjustment??  there should be no movement between the baseboards to require any adjustment.  when we lay accross joints at the club, we fix the bards together with the dowels and bolts so there is no play and the boards are in their fixed possition, and then lay the track over the joint and solder it to the copper clad on both sides and fix it down a few inches after the joint.  THEN, we cut the rails with a dremel and slitting disc and the lines always line up. the key part is having boards that can't be fitted together with slop in them before you tighten them up.

[c2c]

I think probably it's because Graeme 3300 is using hinges which he pins together when connecting up the modules. My guess here is that hinges will have play in them, so on an uneven surface he can adjust the rail height level.

 

I did consider using hinges as some modelers do, but didnt like the fact that there would be movement so I'm using brass dowels and a clamp system that I conjured up!

[Glorious NSE]

Really neat install there, nice job!

[c2c]

Really neat install there, nice job!

 

Cheers Martyn, incidently is that the way you mount your tracks?

 

Regards

Dave

 

P.S I like the RS Tower layout...neat work.

[Markeg]

Hi Dave,

 

Our club has used both systems of soldered rail to screws and to Printed Circuit Board.  I find the Printed Circuit board method the best as it is adjustable if needs be, especially if the floor is not flat or your board moves/swells, or whatever.

 

MArk in OZ

[c2c]

Hi Dave,

 

Our club has used both systems of soldered rail to screws and to Printed Circuit Board.  I find the Printed Circuit board method the best as it is adjustable if needs be, especially if the floor is not flat or your board moves/swells, or whatever.

 

MArk in OZ

 

Hi Mark,

 

If you take another peek at my pictures you'll spot that there is a recess I have milled out in the end, this for a double clamp bracket idea I have made with two screws and encapsulated nuts. When joined to the other section it becomes that strong you can lift the two together by just one end!

 

However I would really like to see the PCB idea, are the rails soldered to the board and does it connect up to create an electric continuity for the rails?

[Glorious NSE]

is that the way you mount your tracks

 

Mostly, we'd probably put the screws a little further back on the board, that means if you snag the end of a rail it just bends the rail outboard of the screw and doesn't break the soldered joint - you can then just bend it straight back with pliers!

 

Ref Mark's comment, on our modules (not on the main layout which only goes together one way) there is no 'fixed' board locator, so if the track has moved on one board you just adjust the two boards in relation to each other and clamp.

[c2c]

Ref Mark's comment, on our modules (not on the main layout which only goes together one way) there is no 'fixed' board locator, so if the track has moved on one board you just adjust the two boards in relation to each other and clamp.

 

Ah right I get the picture now