Fast Tracks

I have several of the cured track fixtures in addition to the straight version. I am buying the FT turnouts as tooling up for my needs is not a good use my mkoney.

I have 3 bags of the PCB clad ties and about 10 to 15% do not fit the slots in the tooling. Is this normal? Presuming the variance is the tie and not the slot in the track fixture?

What is the prescribed way to attach the prefabricatedbrail sections together - let the ends fall where they may and use ME rail joiners? Trim the rails to meet over a clad tie and solder?

I purchased both the fixed strainght and curvable tie strips. What is the best way to conform the tie strips (flexible) to the curved soldered rail assemblies since you have to trim the tie's web to allow the clad tie to fit? Glue the tie strips to the sub bed and then attach the rail sub assembly?

I'll have additional questions but overall I am excited and think these products are right up there with sliced English muffins.

Paul in Arizona where 110 Degrees is viewed as a good thing.

I am using 36-inch ME rail sections. Ultimately I trimmed the end of the first rail to meet the second rail at a PCB tie and then soldered them. I measured and trimmed the rails carefully so they met mid-tie and the butt joint was barely noticeable. And even across an 80-inch diameter curve, the rail is rigid.

I tried the ME joiners originally but the resulting junction did not create the structural integrity I thought is needed. Plus it adds the need to make sure there is no vertical high spot at a wood tie.

Thanks for the heads up on trimming and filing. Must have missed that part in the video.

You may not want to make the soldered section of track too big, as there will be some contraction and expansion due to temperature change. Those couple of mm gap between sections could stop some mis-alignmentproblems arising.

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Now waiting for a better currency exchange rate before I order.

There are a lot of subtle nuances to this system. After about 6 feet, my solder joints looked a lot better. Since I tend to be heavy handed, I switched to .015 solder and that helped keeps the bubble size smaller.

The real issue is connecting the soldered sections. Such as where a curve transitions to a straight or visa versa. I have had some luck with making the transitions out of one length of rail by bending part of the rail and soldering it then soldering the unbent portion in the straight fixture. The key is determining where the tangent intersects the circumference. Some trial and error involved so far.

Have reverted to the rail joiners as the cutting/trimming precision required to achieve a good butt solder joint is proving to be beyond me. Not while the rail is in the fixture, but when the sections have to be joined on the road bed.

In error, I ended up with non- drilled ties strips but I chose to keep them even though FT offered to exchange them. Wow, that is some hard wood and the spikes bend easily. So I am drilling holes to facilitate spiking. Gluing would be simpler but I haven't figured how to accurately match the track's radi with the flexible tie strips. And Pliobond is so unforgiving.

All in all, this has been quite the adventure. Guys at the hobby shop think I am nuts for not using flex track.

Okay, getting the process down makes things go much easier. As my mainline radii are either 42 or 40 inches, prefabricating curve and straight sections to be trimmed and put in place has sped up the progress.

Using a combination of loose ties and Quick Sticks. Loose ties go onto roadbed in strips held by masking tape. I cut the Quick Sticks into sections and slip beneath the rail after it is positioned. I use the Pliobond now that I am comfortable with it's characteristics.

Switched to the smaller 3/16 long spikes as they are much more consistent in size and look way better when installed. Airbrushing Joe's Model Trains paint - dark brown for the ties and a mix of rust and weathered black for the rails.