You mention IRJs - so you need an isolation gap at the joints?

Rather than using rail joiners at baseboard joints, I would suggest you ensure the boards themselves have accurate alignment dowels and you secure the rail ends (soldering to brass screws or to copper-clad board are two common methods).  Then run a multi-way plug and socket for electrical connection.  Having no physical rail join means you can mix and match rail profiles, run across at acute angles etc.


This has been my method since the 1970s, it works perfectly for my exhibition layouts which obviously get assembled and dismantled frequently

Quote from: Newportnobby on Today at 12:18:09 PM

Quote from: scottmitchell74 on Today at 12:03:51 PM

Quote from: Moonglum on June 26, 2026, 04:59:24 PMI suspect that you have AC to keep you cool!

No AC in your locale?

Only 4 million homes in the UK have some form of AC.

Whoa!

That's not good right now. Hopefully you're one of the ones that do.

We went without AC for years, but woke up to ourselves eventually. Ceiling fans in all rooms, though.

Quote from: scottmitchell74 on Today at 12:03:51 PM

Quote from: Moonglum on June 26, 2026, 04:59:24 PMI suspect that you have AC to keep you cool!

No AC in your locale?

Only 4 million homes in the UK have some form of AC.

Quote from: Moonglum on June 26, 2026, 04:59:24 PMI suspect that you have AC to keep you cool!

No AC in your locale?

I have not explained my problem correctly so will have another go!

The stockyard is all Peco track with 8 loops.
The 12' long layout is split into 2 boards.
At the moment the loops are connected at the board joint by Peco IRJs but in the event of having to separate and rejoin the two halves I anticipate having the devil of a job trying to connect the tracks.
I have used Kato rail joiners to connect/disconnect track with a small cassette when removing steam locos to return to the other end of the train and they are easy to use for this operation.
All the loops are currently powered from the ends via point blade contact which does cause some problems.
The idea was to replace the centre IRLs with powered Kato joiners and individual switches.
This would hopefully improve the separation and rejoining of the boards and improve power supply to the track.

Thanks for all the replies.

Maurice

Quote from: Bob G on June 26, 2026, 03:53:38 PMLook I have two class 17s and three class 28s. None operated on the Southern. What would I do with a class 76 or two (I mean you gotta have a pair)

Bob

Bob G - never knowingly buys just one of what he wants

Unitrack user here.

Kato offers two ways to power their track, as others have stated. There's the plug-in option that connects to certain pieces of 62mm straight track, and feeders with Unijoiners on the end that let you pop out the ones on track pieces and add them wherever. I prefer the joiners as I can have feeders anywhere, and I feel like on a permanent layout the track-connecting feeders might come loose, though I have used tape to hold them in.

If you're running a longer layout you may be interested in a 3-Way connector, though Kato also makes 5-way connectors now. Just remember to keep your track pieces facing the same direction if you're using the feeder tracks, or at least keep the wire colors on the same sides of the rail (blue on one side, white on the other) to prevent shorts. I was using the 3-way connectors on my layout before opting to use Wago lever nuts and Atlas 16 gauge wire to wire my layout for DCC. The Kato feeders are 24 gauge (smaller) wire.

All right boys: let's do this!

I want the USA of course all the way, but wouldn't mind seeing your boys got off that 60-year "schneid" and take it all.

I'm at Tottenham fan so let's go Harry even though you left me years ago. 

Quote from: port perran on Yesterday at 08:27:32 PMHere's a band from 1973 who I doubt you've heard of.
I certainly hadn't.
Worth doing a little check on them on Wickapedia.
Only ever one album but it's interesting :

Put Sandy Denny on vocals and this track could be early 70s Fairport Convention.

Whoa. That's obscure.