Solutions for track at baseboard joints

[Hound Dog]

Hi - For a good few weeks now I have been close to finishing the primary build of my first ever layout and have it fully wired and up and running with point motors and LED’s etc.......after two years since starting the garage conversion I am desperate to start running trains and getting to more enjoyable aspects like scenery etc.....However I have baseboard joins on double track at either side of a lift out section that have been causing me repeated reliability issues when running stock.

Being a relative rookie I am sure my limited skills are probably at the root of my problems, but my layout is only 8 feet across and so the liftout section at both sides is close to the entry and exit of 2-3 radius curves. On my first build attempt I tried copper sleepers and soldered across the joint before cutting the track with a disc cutter..... however I felt the gap over the join to enable an easy lift out was too wide and so i went to plan B.

Plan B involved using a piece of set track fixed to the lift out section but extending an inch or so on to the next board to align with the mating piece of track - this cut down the gaps but I now find issues with slight vertical and lateral misalignment....... when initially laid I used Insulated rail joiners to ensure temporary alignment, before cutting these away to enable the lift-out to be effected.

I am looking for Plan C, whilst I continue to negotiate with SWMBO to allow me to forego the liftout section on the basis that nobody has passed thru the garage in two years, so why not have a permanent arrangement.

Would welcome any thoughts or suggestions - thanks

[Steve M]

The key to this problem lies with making sure the lift out section returns toexactly the same position each time you move it.
I use a combination of metal dowels, bolts and over-centre latches to achieve stability both laterally and vertically.
Once you have achieved that with the board then proceed to laying the track. And the track soldered to sleepers at the board joint is recognised as the best way to do that part.

[Paul-H]

It also might be worth looking into a lift up rather than lift out section.

Fit good quality hinges mounted on blocks on one side and use some sort of location dowl on the other side..

[Mountain Goat]

I've seen a very good solution to the issue about the track expansion and contraction over a lift out section and up to the lift out section at either side of the board. It also applies to a lift up section. The basic idea is not to solder the track at the edge of the board to a PCB sleeper but to allow a little movement. This movement is regularly adjusted by the use of several short sections with small gaps between the railjoiners before the baseboard joints which can be adjusted before lifting or/and running commences. It is the ideal solution as long as the sleepers holding the track are firmly in place and the type of track which slides freely in its little railchairs is used near the joints.

[Mountain Goat]

If one has an exhibition type of layout where two or more boards need to be joined which could be slightly out in either the vertical, horizontal or even the expansion and contraction plane... despite having accurate ways to join, then having a short section of track that is put in seperately inbetween the track on the board is the best solution.

[Brian]

I have had four exhibition layouts, all with obviously multi-rail joints at each baseboard join. I used exclusively tiny brass countersunk wood screws 1/2" No2 imperial size, driven in dead centre of each rail. Lay track temporarily in place and mark with a pencil the rail inside and outside edges on all tracks on both abutting boards. Remove track and you're then left with twin lines of pencil showing where the rails sit. Dill a small pilot hole in the middle of each set of paired lines then fit screws. Remove webbing from underside of track where the screws and board joint occur and clean the rails underside. Place track onto board and adjusted up or down until the screw head just lightly touches the rails underside. Once all screws are in place and adjusted correctly clean the screw heads then solder the rails outer foot and underside to the brass screw heads. Once the solder has set, cut rails directly in line with the board joint. Do not use a Dremel style drill with slitting disks as the gap produced is too wide and not vertical! Use a razor saw to cut through the rails. Once cut and the boards separated file the inside face of each rail to a slight taper. This fixing method also applies to lift up hinged boards too.
Expansion on such a short lifting section will be minimal if at all, but if it concerns you arrange for a gap of no greater than 1.0mm in OO to be placed in each rail mid way along the lifting section and in the tracks each side of the section on the main baseboards. Always try to assemble track with an ambient air temperature of 20°C-22°C ish.

As Steve says the alignment is critical and Pattern or Cabinet makers dowels or similar are essential for maintaining the correct and perfect every time alignment!

Finally, don't forget on a hinged lifting section that the non hinged end cross timber needs to be angled inwards towards the hinge end at the bottom to allow it to clear the fixed framing as it rises.

This gives the general idea... Link to item Scroll down a little to the lifting flap item.

[Steve M]

A couple of examples.

Lift out Section in N gauge. Batten underneath to support the section, vertical dowel pins for sideways location and a couple of adjustable catches to lock it in place.

20181120_110854 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

Flap down section in OO gauge. Hinges underneath and a couple of adjustable catches to lock it in place.

20181120_111019 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

In both examples the track is soldered to PCB at the edges.

[Hound Dog]

Gents,

Many thanks for all the thoughtful and constructive replies to my track joint issue........ however as good as your suggestions are, my negotiation skills are better and SWMBO has just given formal authorisation for the laying of permanent track across my lift out section....... the final terms of this agreement are still be thrashed out by our respective legal teams and for sure it is likely to be as costly as BREXIT, but hope to have a limited timetable in operation by this weekend.

Thanks again for the support as always - Hound Dog

[Walkingthedog]

So you are OK to crawl underneath?

[Hound Dog]

Entry into the garage via the back door is at the opposite end of the layout where for some reason my liftout section works fine........ my railway cave is a home built mid section of the garage with false walls at either end, separating the front where the up and over door is and the bike and bins are kept, whilst the back is my workshop and a single entry door.

In the initial negotiations I secured approval to proceed on the basis that front to back access was possible, but have now won the argument that anything that needs to be delivered for the rear of the house can be transported thru the rear garden rather than via the garage ( which adjoins the side of the house and the neighbours garage).

I have been warned that if it needs to be ripped up at some point in the future, then so be it but that will only happen if she wants to take me out in a box via the garage - LOL