soldering rail joins

[bluedepot]

anyone do this?  would it work to fill in small gaps in the rails (1 - 5mm) using the solder as well?


Soldering track joints

[EtchedPixels]

I solder some joins but you can't do many if you are using a wooden baseboard as you'll then get the track buckling in the heat.

And no you can't bridge a 5mm gap with solder. A 1mm one maybe - but a 1mm gap is fine anyway. If you've got a 5mm gap then do yourself a favour and fix it properly.

Alan

[bluedepot]

ok cheers

yeh expansion of track in cold / heat etc as well could be a problem if soldered all the joins

tim

[EtchedPixels]

ok cheers

yeh expansion of track in cold / heat etc as well could be a problem if soldered all the joins

tim

Careful - the expansion on the track is very small on a typical N gauge layout in the UK (do the maths if you doubt it). The shrinkage and movement of the wood is the main cause in most cases.

The results are usually the same but there are situations where realising which is involved matters, and there are cases you can solder a lot of track depending upon whether wood is used or not.

A good solid dose of varnish also helps a lot.

[bbdave]

If your using MDF or ply both are pretty stable and expansion very minimal

Dave

[upnick]

anyone do this?  would it work to fill in small gaps in the rails (1 - 5mm) using the solder as well?

I  have soldered odd joints but as Alan  said  if the gap   is  5mm   do  yourself a favour &   remove the track &   find out  why  youv'e such  a gap &  fix it, the odd   gap   of  a  1mm or less  does   give the ''clackity clack''   of  wagons as they go  over it     &  wont do any  harm  if your bothered about the evenness   of the joints always have a test loco   handy  as your laying  track.

[bluedepot]

5mm was an exageration, at most 2mm!  (this is in the fiddle yard i should add, round the front the track is a bit better)

so is there much advantage to be had in soldering rail joins?

cheers


tim

[EtchedPixels]

5mm was an exageration, at most 2mm!  (this is in the fiddle yard i should add, round the front the track is a bit better)

so is there much advantage to be had in soldering rail joins?

It conducts better than fishplates and doesn't work loose over time.

[upnick]

so is there much advantage to be had in soldering rail joins?

cheers


tim

To be honest Tim  unless you  have to solder joints   using  joiners where needed for alignment &  a good fit of track  with plenty of dropper wires regardless of DC  or DCC  not solely relying  on  joiners for contact i  was told is always a good insurance when doing a layout  & it's never failed me yet.

As i  said  a  MM   or so gap  isnt goint to hurt fix the track down   with a latex glue not pins & it will   have the ability  to  allow the  rails to move still in  cases of temperature changes. 

Also   bear im mind when  adding solder  to  a gap  there is a  chance of the solder going to the inside of the rail  creating  more of a problems than   you originally had