Code 80 to 55 tranistions

[chuck geiger]

Without a transition rail jorner on the market, I make my own when contructing sidings with 55. Crimp one end and solder. Works good, but one area that I need some tips on. Tranistion ties where the 80 and 55 meet. I used some of the 80 ties, but they wouldn't be under the 55 rail, any thoughts? (55 ties are so freaking flimsy). I bought something from Chuck from Peco that said tranition ties and they really suck balls.

[Zox]

Fill in under the "floating" Code 55 ties with ballast. Once the glue on the ballast sets, it won't much matter that the ties don't touch the cork.

[seusscaboose]

doesnt peco make a transition rail joiner?

i remember using it for one of their double slip switches (only in 55) when i was using C80

[chuck geiger]

That's what I thought I bought from FRTS and it was a tie that slips under the rail for either 55 or 80.

[wm3798]

Yes and no... remember, Peco c55 isn't really c55 at all, but c80 that's embedded deeper into the tie structure.  There really is no transition between the rails, only between the height of the ties.

The flattened joiner and solder trick is really the only reasonable solution, happily, it works very well.

One other possibility would be to use a length of the Peco c-55 track, and use a dremel to rabit out the bottom of the rail to join to your regular c55.  If I remember correctly, the Peco c55 rail actually has two flanges at the bottom, so as long as your cut is clean, you can slip a c-55 joiner right on.

Lee

[Pomperaugrr]

I've done the crimped and soldered transition joint.  It works fine.  I augmented mine with a bit of brass wire soldered across the joint on the outside of the rail.  Mine is hidden though, where the code 80 is in a staging area and the code 55 in all visible areas.  If you are transitioningto c 55 sidings with c 80 on your mains, you may want to use a very fine piece of wire or leave it out all together.

Letting the c 55 track float and filling the gap between the ties and roadbed with ballast works well in the transition areas.  That is how my sidings are transitioned down from the main.  It is all c 55, but I'm not using cork roadbed on my sidings.

Eric

[mmyers]

One other possibility would be to use a length of the Peco c-55 track, and use a dremel to rabit out the bottom of the rail to join to your regular c55.  If I remember correctly, the Peco c55 rail actually has two flanges at the bottom, so as long as your cut is clean, you can slip a c-55 joiner right on.

Lee

That's how I made the transitions on my wye modules. Filed the bottom of the PECO 55 rail until only the code 55 part is left. Atlas  code 55 joiner slips right on with a piece of atlas 55 track to the module end. I sanded the cork below the Peco track to get a the ties even with the thinner Atlas ties. Ballast covers all of it.

Martin Myers