For the gaps I make for blocks & sections, are they just left "as is" or do I fill them or should I put in a insulated joiner...or ... ?
It is always a good idea to insulate electrical gaps in rails... they have a way of closing up due to temperature / humidity changes and you end up going crazy for a couple of hours trying to find the problem.... Charlie Vlk
Anyone know of a filler I can use in the insulated joiners (in lieu of solder) - my track fitting didn't go as well as I'd hoped
I just use plastic strips and ACC them into the gaps. When they are painted with the rails, they just disappear. But I also agree with Charlie Vlk. I have had some pretty bad kinking due to temperature changes. You should allow for that. I gap my rails by cutting them with a dremel. I don't use the rail joiners. I solder the curves to get smooth curves, but I leave the straights unsoldered with tiny (.015) or so gaps to allow for expansion. That being said, if you have very short blocks (six feet or less) you may not have any problems with kinking in that short block. (With DCC, I would have blocks to aid in trouble shooting.) Also sidings (since they do not connect to other track) will not kink. If you can, go to a layout and see the problems someone else has had and see how they solved the problem. One peek is worth a bazillion words. Hope this helps. More later. [ 27. September 2003, 03:13: Message edited by: sapacif ]
