Model Railway Forum

On my layout I have a lift out section where the track has a bend in it.
This worked fine for about a year, then one day the track had come out track bed and slayed out, this was when I lost
interest and left the layout for about four years.
Now I have thought of a way to fix this in the future, I would like your comments on this idea.
I will lay a new piece of track. My idea is to drill beside the track and insert a length of 1mm brass rod fixed in place
with epoxy resin and then solder the rod to the track. This I will do on both sides of the track, so the track will have
four strengtheners in place. So when I then cut the track, the track should then be held firmly in place.
In my brain this should work, will it?
I am looking forward to the replies.

Lay the track across the join. Remove a sleeper or two each side of the join. Solder the rails to some copper clad sleepers each side of the join, that replace the ones removed, fix them firmly to the baseboard. Cut the track above the join. It won’t budge.

When done cut a groove through the copper in the centre of the sleepers or you will have a short circuit.

re Walkingthedog post.
I think I get what you mean, but where are the copper clad sleepers fixed, does one use track pins or glue to baseboard.
I am a bit unsure how the copper sleepers will stop the track from moving as my original track has. The original track
was held in place by the ballast when fixed into place by the pva method.
The outer rail of the track splayed out, so I am assuming that by soldering to the copper, this will stop that happing.
Especially when one has to cut the sleeper down the middle. So hoe is the copper sleepers, a better idea than my plan,
I am not criticizing, I am just not sure how this will stop the track moving, perhaps I am just a bit dumb on this.
I am having difficulty getting my head a round this, as what you are saying seems quite simple

I just pin then to the board with track pins but you can use screws.

This may help to visualize how copperclads work on a liftout section.

20190420_101757 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

It is the proven way to fix track to a lift out section. If you replace the plastic sleepers with copper clad sleepers and solder the rails to them there is no way the rails can move once the sleepers are fixed to the board. It is impossible for them to move. Ballast and PVA is not sufficient. The rails are not cut until after everything is fixed down. Of course the removable section also needs to be held firmly in position with dowels or sliding bolts etc, so it can’t move.

Edit: See the picture posted above. Thanks Steve.

Right now think this is starting to dawn on me, the photo helps a lot.
When I built this section of the layout, the curve is actually on an incline and I used thick card as the base for the track as it
was easier to get the curve right.
The copper clad sleeper would need to be glued down, with a strong glue, like an epoxy, am I on the right lines now?
I have noticed that the middle cut is not all the way through, just the copper layer, is that right?
You know what, I think I might be getting this.

The key to all this is a solid and stable base for the track - card ain't going to get the job done, especially on a board joint. However you should consider replacing the card and supporting structure 2" either side of the joint with solid wooden foundations.
This will give a non-moving support for the copperclads. Not difficult but maybe a bit fiddly to get right.

I have just had another look at the layout, luckily the cut is at the base of the incline so there is sudeala board there.
That means I can screw to a firm base.
Now, these copper clad sleepers. Does one buy a piece of copper clad board and then cut out the sizes one needs,
or can you actually buy these ready made from a model shop?
I would think probably the former.

No, it’s the latter.

http://marcway.net/list2.php?col=head&name=PCB

Sundeala is not stable enough for what you are trying to achieve. There is a good explanation on this site:

https://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/Hints_&__Tips.html