Tracklaying Questions

[BCR 570]

Can someone confirm for me that Miro Engineering Code 55 bridge flex track can be joined directly with Atlas Code 55 flex track?

If so, can either Atlas or ME rail joiners be used?

Also, has anyone successfully installed gantlet rails across a bridge spanned with ME Code 55 bridge flex?


Thank you,

Tim

[BCR 570]

Oops I meant guard rails, not gantlet rails. 

Tim

[Scottl]

I did this with my Cisco bridge.  The main arch is ME bridge track and the approach is Atlas cd 55.  Atlas railjoiners work well and the join is smooth.

I used cd 40 rail for the guard rail on the bridge track.  There are little molded details that allow gauging it easily.  I secured it with CA.

[jagged ben]

I think ME track and joiners are just slightly smaller, so you'd want to use Atlas joiners as Scott did.  But as long as both are code 55 you should be able to find some way to make it work. 

On our club layout we have some bridges with guardrails soldered to strategically placed PC ties, but that's not necessarily the only feasible method.  Pliobond might also be viable.

[BCR 570]

Scott:

Thank you for your reply; exactly the info I was looking for.  I received it just prior to my visit to Central Hobbies today with Chris Dittmar; unfortunately they only had the Code 70 and not the Code 55 so I have ordered some.

Tim

[nkalanaga]

The rail shouldn't be a problem.  The ties may (or may not) be different heights, so you might have to shim one of the tracks to keep the joint level, but that's easily done with layers of cardstock.  Many of my shims, between ME codes 55 and 40, as well as low spots in the roadbed on the mainline, were done with magazine subscription cards.

[robert3985]

You've got your answer as far as railjoiners are concerned.  However, after building, modifying and installing nearly three dozen bridges over the years using ME C55 and C70 bridge track, and installing guard rails on each of them, I'll convey to you a few things that assist in installation and durability.

Right now, I'm in the middle of installing five bridges over a gorge on my friend Nate Goodman's (Nato) layout, taking the place of the original splined Masonite roadbed that temporarily spanned this gorge.  Since Nate is using Atlas C80 on his layout, I used ME C70 Bridge Track on all of the bridges (8 so far) I've built, modified and installed on his layout.  I also incorporate guard rails on each of them using the C55 rail supplied in the ME Bridge Track package.

On my own layout, all of my bridges use ME code 55 bridge track, with C40 guard rails...so, I have a bit of experience dealing with ME Bridge Track.

I've used both 5 min. epoxy and gap-filling CA to secure guard rails, and found if the track is prepped properly, there doesn't seem to be a difference in durability, but thick CA is a lot easier to apply and much quicker especially if you use Accelerator, which also increases adhesion and strength.

The trick is to make sure both the railfoot of the guardrails and the plastic ties are thoroughly degreased and all the mold release and finger oils are removed.  I do this after I've cut and shaped the guardrails and re-checked the straightness of the main track and adjusted it if necessary.

I bend the ends of the guardrails inward so they almost meet in the middle of the track.  This angle is always less than I think it should be, but doing this greatly improves the appearance of your bridge model IMO.  The bridge ties need to have the guardrail nubs cut off where the guardrail starts to be bent past the ends of the bridge if you use three or four bridge ties to bear on your bridge abutments where there won't be any ballast.

After you have the guardrails cut to size and bent now is the time to degrease the guardrails and the bridge track ties with Bestine (Heptane).  In my experience, nothing works as well as Bestine so benefit from my mistakes.

Run a thin bead of thick CA on the bottom of the railfoot on the straight part between the end-bends and carefully place this as exactly as you can on the bridge track, using the nubs as locators.  After I quickly scan the guardrail making sure it's positioned properly, I hold down about two inches of one end and squirt a bit of Accelerator on it...then press further just in case the CA sets off further down the track.  I do the same on the other end, always checking to ensure the rail is positioned properly...then I do the same in the middle...then on the left, then on the right.  This works really well to get the entire length stuck evenly to the bridge ties.

Then, I take a hair dryer set on "High" and dry off the Accelerator...which evaporates quickly.

I do the same with the opposite guardrail...including evaporating the Accelerator with a hair dryer.

I degrease the whole thing once again with Bestine, then degrease the plastic "wood" guard timber included in the package and attach them to the top ends of the bridge ties...these will cover up the uneven tie ends.

After all the guard rails and guard timbers are glued, then I degrease the whole thing again, and paint everything with Krylon Camo Ulta-Flat Black and Brown, removing the paint from the tops of the main rails (not the guard rails) with a flexible Bright Boy track cleaner.

This method works really well for me, and here's a photo of the bridges I'm installing on my friend Nate's layout:

Photo (1) Bridges waiting to be installed over gorge on Nate's layout using ME C70 bridge track:


Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[nkalanaga]

One addition to Bob's instructions:  Make absolutely sure that the ends of the two guardrails don't touch each other.  If they do, and you have any out of gauge metal wheels, you'll have a short through the guardrails.  Those are a real pain to find, because they're not there when the track is clear, and since nothing is derailed, the cause isn't obvious.

I had that problem on my long bridge, and it uses wood ties.  Rather than pull the rails up, I put a piece of paper between the ends, and soaked it in CA.  It's worked fine for 15+ years, but keeping the ends apart in the beginning would be easier.

[MetroRedLine]

ME Bridge Flex and Atlas Flex are compatible. I personally used Atlas C55 rail joiners as they're more affordable and available than the ME variety.

The only height discrepancy between ME track and Atlas track is the ME Concrete Tie track. It is about .020" thicker than the Atlas track. What I did was create a "riser" out of .020" sheet styrene by tracing the overall tie profile on the styrene and cutting it with scissors, and lay the Atlas track (for me, it's turnouts and sectional track) over the styrene riser to make it level with the ME concrete tie track.

[BCR 570]

Thank you Bob and others for your notes and advice; when my bridge flex arrives I will study your notes.

Does Code 55 bridge flex come with Code 40 or Code 55 guard rails?

I will need three lengths of flex to get across the Pine River bridge; would you suggest using joiners or butt joints for the guard rails?


Tim

[davefoxx]

Does Code 55 bridge flex come with Code 40 or Code 55 guard rails?

I will need three lengths of flex to get across the Pine River bridge; would you suggest using joiners or butt joints for the guard rails?

Confirming what the previous posters have said, this is my example of ME bridge flextrack mated with Atlas Code 55 track.  There was no issue in joining them together.  I don't even recall having to even slightly file a railhead or anything.



I'm not sure you can tell from the picture, but ME bridge flextrack comes with Code 40 guardrails.  To allow them to fit, you will probably have to butt the rails (i.e., no rail joiners).  Not to mention, a rail joiner would cause the Code 40 rail to have a hump, which you may not want if you weather your guardrails, because track cleaning will wear that spot off, leaving a noticeably shiny section of guardrails.

Hope this helps,
DFF

[nkalanaga]

You really don't need the joiners on guardrails anyway, since they don't carry electricity.  If you do have to use two pieces, you might want to leave a small gap between the ends, for expansion and contraction.  Since they'll be glued down, and ME ties don't take glue that well, the rails are more likely to come loose than the spiked running rails.

[robert3985]

Thank you Bob and others for your notes and advice; when my bridge flex arrives I will study your notes.

Does Code 55 bridge flex come with Code 40 or Code 55 guard rails?

I will need three lengths of flex to get across the Pine River bridge; would you suggest using joiners or butt joints for the guard rails?

Tim

No need for your guard rails to be electrically or mechanically connected, so I'd just glue 'em down, butting them up against each others ends on the span, possibly leaving a small gap at each end of the middle piece for expansion over a 9' length. Use a piece of paper as a spacer, then remove it after the glue has set.  Proto87Stores makes an N-scale fret of NS tie plates & connectors you could glue or solder at the joints if you don't like the look of just a gap which might be a nice detail touch, but personally, I wouldn't worry about it.

Looking forward to photos of this bridge as you progress!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[BCR 570]

Beautiful work Dave - your bridge has the cap running along the top edge of the ties.  Does this come with the kit or have you used some material to create that?

Hopefully my bridge flex will arrive this Saturday.

Tim

[davefoxx]

Beautiful work Dave - your bridge has the cap running along the top edge of the ties.  Does this come with the kit or have you used some material to create that?

Hopefully my bridge flex will arrive this Saturday.

Tim

Thanks, Tim!  Those "wooden" timbers at the ends of the ties came with the kit.  You can see them in Bob Gilmore's photo, too. I look forward to your progress.  Keep us posted.

DFF