Atlas Code 55 flex and ME turnouts

[C855B]

Craig, do the Z scale joiners also fit the Atlas C55 track?

We have discussed the Z joiners before, and IIRC the conclusion was "yes!" since Atlas' Z scale track is the same C55 rail stock as N.

[Scottl]

We have discussed the Z joiners before, and IIRC the conclusion was "yes!" since Atlas' Z scale track is the same C55 rail stock as N.

Perfect, thanks.  I'll give them a try.

[Angus Shops]

I was introduced to the Z scale joiners late in my track laying process, but ended up using them where there is no ‘curve stress’ on the joint, and using ME joiners on the curved joints.

ME joiners can be difficult to slip onto the rail, but I found that a couple of passes with a file to ease the sharp edges or burrs on the foot of the rail made things a lot easier. I was using a file to remove the blackening on the weathered rail anyway. I also made a tool with a short piece of ME rail mounted in a wood handle, with the business end of the rail gently rounded so it could be pushed into a joiner to slightly expand the opening in the end of the joiner just enough to allow it to slip over the rail.

[mike_lawyer]

One thing I guess I should consider is maybe using ME Code 55 flex if I am going to use ME turnouts.  Might make for easier compatibility, although I have never worked with ME flex before.

[chuck geiger]

Last three layouts, ATLAS turnouts and ME C55 Flex. No issues, did notice this on a new bundle of 55 I got this Fall. Cut on the rail and flash on spikes.

[robert3985]

Last three layouts, ATLAS turnouts and ME C55 Flex. No issues, did notice this on a new bundle of 55 I got this Fall. Cut on the rail and flash on spikes.

One thing I've always had to do with ME flex is check each piece for flash, then cut it off.  However, the end result as far as appearance and functionality have it all over Atlas55.

When asked by at least fairly experienced modelers what track to use, I recommend using ME flex (unweathered) ME, #6 turnouts, Atlas #10, Wyes, Curved turnouts, Atlas diamonds, Peco55 for anything else that ME & Atlas don't have, and then getting hand-build turnouts for anything else. 

For experienced modelers, I recommend ME flex (unweathered) and all hand-laid turnouts...which is what I do.

Unfortunately, there is no "best" N-scale rail product out there.  Mixing and matching is the best we can do. Every brand and every technique has its compromises and limitations.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[robert3985]

First off...I highly recommend using rail joiners for their mechanical proclivities, not for conducting electrical current or DCC signal packets. This is why I solder a 22AWG solid copper 6 to 8 inch feeder wire near the middle of each and every piece of powered rail on my layout.  This has served me well over the past 9 years on my portable layout as I have experienced zero electrical problems with no dead rail anywhere, anytime.

Secondly, I solder each and every rail joiner using 96/4 Tin/Silver silver-bearing solder, which is 5 to 6 times stronger than common electronics solder and melts at only a few degrees higher.  Of course, I use the very best flux ever made for models and track fabrication...Superior Supersafe No. 30 Soldering Flux Gel and Paste...both solder and flux available here: https://www.hnflux.com/page22.html

One thing that has always bothered me about rail joiners is that normal ties don't work under them.  This leaves no spikeheads every place there's a joiner, and ties that are lower than the rest, or have visible gaps instead of spikeheads..and I want the smoothest, distraction-free track I can get, with spikeheads everywhere except at my PCB turnouts.

So, since silver-bearing solder is so strong, I decided the way to mostly get rid of the big-ol' track joiner problem, would be to make them smaller...so they're not "big" any more, and combined with strong silver-bearing solder, should provide just as strong a joint as full-sized joiners without any solder, and/or full-sized joiners soldered with regular electronics solder.

Also, I don't want ties without spikeheads or having visible gaps on either side of the rail joiners.  I want to sight down my track and not see lower ties everywhere there's a joiner, nor do I want to see no spikehead on the rail foot everywhere there's a joiner.

I decided to cut my normal-sized joiners to the length of the space between ties...very short...and see how that worked mechanically after soldering with silver-bearing solder.

Additionally, I would cut the spacers between ties away for three or four ties, then slide the ties back from where the joiner would be soldered, solder two pieces of track together using the short joiners, then slide the ties back in place, with the short joiners soldered between two of them.

Photo (1) - Ties with spacers cut away, and slid back from where the short joiners will be soldered:


Photo (2) - Track joined using shortened rail joiners soldered, and with ties slid back in place - before final tie spacing is finished:


Photo (3) - Joined track after first coat of Krylon Camo Ultra Flat Black paint:


As you can see, they're hard to find once painted.  Even harder after some weathering and ballasting.

Photo (4) - Here's an overall view of the West End of Echo with one set of shortened rail joiners visible in this view.  See if you can find 'em or see any odd-looking low ties that normally would be slipped under regular-length rail joiners:


The most difficult thing about using shortened rail joiners is cutting them to length.  The secret is to first, cut away the "tongues" on either end of normal rail joiners, then mount the rail joiner to a scrap piece of Code 55 rail.  Then, cut both rail joiner and rail at the same time using sharp flush cutters.  On the first cut this will produce a flush cut on one side and a smashed cut on the other.  I take a fine paper sanding disk in my Dremel and lightly sand the nice, flush-cut joiner that is still mounted to the rail I've just cut...this gets rid of any external burrs.  Then, I slide the shortened rail joiner down the rail it's mounted on, away from the sanded cut I just made.  This gets rid of any internal burrs, which you can sometimes see hanging on to the rail joiner.  I then make a cut on the rail joiner that's got the smashed end, cutting the mounted rail joiner to length and discarding the part of the joiner I've just cut off that has two smashed cuts.  I hit the second joiner with my Dremel sanding disk, push it away from the sanded cut on the rail, and I've got two short rail joiners from one long joiner.

I then mount the joiners to one of the pieces of track I've already cut in the middle between two ties and sanded, then cut the spacers on 4 or 5 ties and moved them back away from the future soldered joint.  I also dress the ends of the rails with a fine jeweler's file to get rid of any burrs and file a tiny 45 degree angle on the sharp corners of the rail foot..tiny angles.

I slip the mounted joiners back away from the end of the piece of flex I've just mounted them to, then place the piece of rail I've cut and prepared identically so that the rail ends are touching...making sure the rails are straight and there's no kink at the joint.

Then, I slide one of the joiners up to where the rails are touching, and center it on the cut...flux and solder...let cool, and check if the rails are even all the way around and there's no kink.  After I'm happy, I do the same with the other rail.

I then curve the rail if I have to before sliding the ties back into place.

I also swab the joint with a Q-tip soaked in 91% IPA to clean off any burnt flux and facilitate the ties sliding on the rail foot easily.

I then slide the ties back into place, adjusting their spacing if it looks like I have to.

All of this takes a lot less time to do than to write about it...and after it's done, there's no coming back after the track is glued down and fiddling around with modifying extra loose ties, then inserting them under the full-length rail joiners, and gluing them in place.

Plus, you double the amount of rail joiners you have.

Sometimes I can get three small rail joiners out of one, but...usually I don't try anymore.  I'm happy with two.

There's also a way to join flex without any joiners at all, but I haven't done that yet...and I'm happy with my shortened-joiner way of doing it both from a cosmetic and functional viewpoint.

Maybe this method will suit your track-laying wishes.

The only absolutely necessary things needed for this are 96/4 Silver-bearing solder, a hot, clean-tipped tinned iron, and sharp flush cutters.  Oh, and Superior Supersafe No. 30 Soldering Flux Gel.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Chris333]

Atlas makes Z scale code 55 joiners (2814) that are only half as long as the regular N scale ones.

[robert3985]

Atlas makes Z scale code 55 joiners (2814) that are only half as long as the regular N scale ones.

Looking at them, I could probably get two joiners that were the right shortness out of them, and not have to cut off the "tongues" that are on the ME joiners.  I'll have to spend five bucks and give 'em a try.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[nkalanaga]

No spikeheads, but I solved the "missing ties" problem another way.  I used ME ties (no longer available), and cut a notch in the top to fit the rail joiner.  Two rail joiners on a short piece of flex made a cutting jig, and four cuts with a sharp knife let me pop a piece out on each end.  They fit neatly under the joint, the top of the tie is at the same height as the other ties, and, if your joints are staggered, only cut one notch in each tie.