Page 26 - B2B 1 to 7

under the rail I term the webbing. The gaps in the webbing on each side are staggered by two ties. First of all I identify the centre of a four tie section on the inside of the curve about 3”-4” (75mm- 100mm) from the end of this length of track, (see photo above). I snip the rail dead centre between the middle two ties with the flat side of the track cutters facing the track that is already fixed down. Care is needed so as not to twist the rail while doing this, otherwise it will be wrenched out of the chairs/spikes. Ideally, I secure the rail to stop it moving with some form of gauge. Once snipped, I rotate the cutters and snip off the distorted end of the scrap length of rail. This enables me to carefully pull this scrap length of rail out without damaging the retaining spikes/chairs. For clarity I have removed this for the next photo, but I normally leave it in position until after I have snipped the other rail and completed the other preparation.
This is where extreme care is necessary, as it is so easy to drive a scalpel or blade into hands or fingers, stopping any further work on the layout for a few days! This is why the purchase of a knife- resistant glove is essential for any cutting project – trust me!
Taking the chisel-bladed tool, I gently pare off the chairs/spike plates from the two ties either side of the cut rail ends (see photo above). It is only necessary to go deep enough to allow for the track joiner. It is important to be very careful not to ‘lift’ the rail from the other spikes/chairs because once damaged, they will not hold the rail securely. If it is to be an insulated joint, then I try to put some bend in the rail before pinning down as insulated rail joiners have less strength. If possible I avoid using insulated joiners on curves for this reason. A worthwhile tip is to use the blade with the bevel facing down, as it will cause the blade to always try to climb back out of the cut. This will help prevent cutting too deep into the tie, or even cutting right through! Please note that the cuts I have made in the photos are larger than they need to be.
The rail joiner can now be gently slid onto the fixed rail. I always use a new track joiner here unless I am going to add extra droppers or link the rails with a wire soldered to the rail each side of the join. I now pull out both scrap lengths of rail and am left with staggered ends of rail and a couple of inches of just ties (see photo top right).
I now turn my attention to the outside rail and find a similar place 1”-2” (25mm-50mm) from the end of the track length and repeat the process. You will see that I have slipped the scrap length of rail back in where it should be to assist in holding the rail for the second cut and chair/spike removal.
I now pull out both scrap lengths of rail and am left with staggered ends of rail and a couple of inches of just ties (see photo below right).
I gently pull each rail clear of the spikes from the next track length using the flat-faced pliers (again see the following photo). I only need to pull enough to slide into the unoccupied retainers on the pinned rail. I try not to pull more than is necessary. The alternative is to snip the web on the new length about 2” from the end and pull these ties off. I then only have to slide one rail the rest of the way in. It is important to ensure that there is no damage to the end of the rail, snipping off, and/or cleaning up any damage with a small, fine file. I then slide both rails into the rows of empty spikes/chairs before butting the rails up in the new previously positioned track joiners on the fixed rail ends.
I continue to slide the new rails in until they are completely home. It may be necessary to hold the rail joiner to stop it pushing back and destroying the rail retainers behind it, or use the flat-faced pliers to gently push the rail gently home. If the joiners have to be held to stop them moving, this can done by using the track cutters either on them or behind them, being careful not to squeeze them and damage either the rail or the joiners.
Sometimes I have to keep working on one rail after another and then revisit as I lay the new track so as to ensure that the joint remains almost gap-free. To secure the rails in the track joiner, one method I have been known to use, is to squeeze two V’s into it, one in each rail, but this can distort it and may result in the loss of electrical continuity though this is not a problem if using droppers on every length of rail. The track now has an almost invisible track join that has blended in and will allow stock to roll through trouble-free (see photo left). The left-over lengths of ties and rail are retained as they will come in useful for those short pieces between point-work or gondola loads.
The staggered joining can continue into the straight section, saving on cut track or short sections, or until a parallel join is required. Parallel joints are needed when joining onto turnouts anyway. Unlike the UK, American rail is prototypically laid with staggered joins, and this is why you often see those impressive swaying trains in videoed telephoto shots.