Rail Joiners....Plastic or not?

[Necrosaro420]

Should you go with plastic rail joiners? I plan on soldering the track, but then sliding plastic over that?

 

[julienjj]

Plastic rail joiner are used to insulate a track section, Lot of people here have a different way of soldering track, but all involve metal rail joiner.

 

[Selector]

I tried plastic joiners and learned to detest them. I know many use them, but I am not one of them. They look terrible, and they offer approximately 1/5th of the alignment strength that metal joiners do. They are a couple shades above completely useless on curves below 28" radius.

If you ask me what I do instead, I just leave a gap. I bring dressed rail ends to within about 1/32" of each other and glue the ties below with acrylic latex caulk, or I'll use goop or gorilla glue...something that will resist motion. I make sure expansion joints are close by so that the gap won't be forced closed.

Of course, it means running feeders to the contiguous rails on either side of the gap, but that's model railroading.

-Crandell

 

[kenw]

I too don't use plastic jopiners for gapping. Instead I just cut the gap where I need it, then force a piece of 0.010" thick or less styrene down betweeen the rails (to keep them gapped) and trim the sides to match the web shape.

 

[hamltnblue]

Only time I use plastic is on all metal bumper stops.