ME Code 70 Rail Joiners....

[Sumner]

This past year finding ME Code 55 hard to find I bought a couple hundred feet of ME Code 70.  I plan to use it in hidden staging and other places were it won't be seen much and use the ME 55 I do have elsewhere.  Laying ME 55 I found the ME 55 rail joiners hard to work with and after having a respectable store recommend Peco SL-310 rail joiners switched to those and like them a lot.

The SL-310's are advertised to work on Peco 55 and 80 (I have neither).  They work great on ME 55 but when I tried them on the ME 70 they aren't wide enough.  I can file the ME 70 and get them to work but a lot of effort to make that work.  I have another plan that I think will work but haven't tried it yet still hoping to find a rail joiner I can buy. 

So the question is since I can't find ME 70 rail joiners anywhere has anyone found a rail joiner that works well with ME code 70 rail other than ME's?

On a good note and not one to start rumors but one train store I approached with this yesterday said "On the positive side someone is buying ME and hopefully they will be shipping product soon.

Sumner

[mark.hinds]

(text removed)

On a good note and not one to start rumors but one train store I approached with this yesterday said "On the positive side someone is buying ME and hopefully they will be shipping product soon.

Sumner

ME has been shipping product all along, but with longer wait times.  I just received a large order of flex track about a month ago. 

[Sumner]

Thanks, I hadn't tried them direct but just did.  They had the rail joiners (ordered them) and I checked on Code 55 non-weathered also but they didn't have any in stock.

Thanks, problem solved, had to spend a little more going this way but that is OK,

Sumner

[MILWcoastdiv]

Sumner, do you get the impression from the person you spoke to about ME being purchased that bundles of rail will be made available again.  I assume ME shut down some production because my order of ME code 40 flex is on back order with no delivery date.

Thanks!
Mario

[dem34]

Haven't ordered myself, but it does appear that FastTracks is still receiving a supply of Code 40 Rail. Though no way of knowing if thats from a distributor or direct.

[Bill H]

I assume ME shut down some production because my order of ME code 40 flex is on back order with no delivery date. Thanks! Mario

Mario;
I spoke with customer service and production staff at ME regarding code 40 flex early spring 2022, and was told that they expect to resume full production middle of the summer 2022. I know for a fact that some production was shipped to a few distributors about two months ago, as I bought what I could get at that time. I do not know where to find any at the moment as I have just enough to keep laying track, but I would expect most of the main pushers should have stock by fall for both code 55 and code 40.
Kind regards,
Bill

[Chris333]

Fasttracks has said they do not get their rail from ME. So I'd doubt that ME ever made the rail their self, just put it into their track.

[MILWcoastdiv]

That's fantastic news, I was afraid my code 40 track laying and turnouts days were numbered.  Thanks all for that info.

Thanks,
Mario

[wazzou]

That's fantastic news, I was afraid my code 40 track laying and turnouts days were numbered.  Thanks all for that info.

Thanks,
Mario

The rail is going to be available for TO construction going forward...I do hope like you that they resume production of the Flex Track.

[Sumner]

Sumner, do you get the impression from the person you spoke to about ME being purchased that bundles of rail will be made available again............

Thanks!
Mario

The retail store that I approached via e-mail for the rail joiners sent me back an e-mail saying they didn't have them and only included the single line that I quoted above in the response so nothing further there.

When I ordered the rail joiners direct from ME the other day and asked if they had any code 55 I could order they had to go check and on return told me none was in stock.  I didn't ask any further questions about availability 

Sumner

[Bill H]

Sumner:
Last I heard from ME was that they planned on making a run of code 40 in July. I know that's not code 55, but at least it indicated they were going to continue production - at what levels I am unsure.

Kind regards,
bill