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Fish plate, rail connector preference ?


Mark
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My track has arrived now and planning is well under way. I have decided a route and what track base construction to use. My only concern is the joining of the rails. Normally I would just buy a few packets of Peco rail joiners, but obviously I have to consider the quality of the joint more in the elements. I have gone for Peco nickel rail for obvious reasons but is there any joiner that is less susceptible to rust etc. I plan to also solder the rail joints once joined with a copper wire to minimize unwanted resistance and breaks but in anyones experience is there a joiner thats better than the others ? A brand made from stainless steel for example ?

Many thanks

Mark

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I use Peco rail joiners, they are made from nickel silver and therefore wont rust. Make sure you solder wire across rail joints as no matter what sort of fishplate you use it wont be a reliable electrical connection for very long outdoors.

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Standard Peco rail joiners used here too and no real problems experienced with them. You'll probably find that any track joins that haven't been wired across will work for some time (I have some that have been outdoors for over a year and still work okay) but eventually they will loosen and you lose continuity. You can tighten the rail joiners with pliers or similar if you notice any problems but it's much better to bond the joins at the outset and not have to worry about it. And yes, I will get round to bonding the remaining joints this Spring!

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  • 11 months later...

I notice many of you solder a link wire to each rail section to bypass the rail joiner. Is there a reason why you use this method in preference to a Bus and dropper wire system?

I have to admit I'm a bit of a greenhorn when it comes to outdoor railways, but have built n and z gauge layouts inside

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the main issue with the wire jumpers is that outdoor layouts suffer a lot of expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. Even indoor layouts should have expansion gaps or the rail will kink and pop off the sleepers. Here in the USA this happens on some of the desert lines with welded rail; whole sections of mainline will suddenly pop off.

If you use jumpers and expansion gaps it allows the track to breath so to speak.

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essex2visuvesi said:

I notice many of you solder a link wire to each rail section to bypass the rail joiner. Is there a reason why you use this method in preference to a Bus and dropper wire system?...

I don't think there's much to choose between the 2 methods. I had considered the bus wire and droppers when I built the Selby layout as I'd seen that used indoors and I expected that a bus wire would be needed outdoors anyway. As it happened, I found there was no requirement for additional power feeds even at the far extremes of the layout and a simple soldered link across the rail joiners proved sufficient. If done well they're barely noticeable.

Which is the better method? - I'm not sure, it's something for each individual to decide upon. I haven't yet decided which method to use with my new layout.

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Quote

I notice many of you solder a link wire to each rail section to bypass the rail joiner. Is there a reason why you use this method in preference to a Bus and dropper wire system?

I think both methods are equally as good. I use a combination of both.

Ian.

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  • 1 month later...

I have decided on a plan of action

I have found a supplier of pre wired rail joiners at a reasonable price, I will then solder these to the opposing rail ends (Like set trac comes supplied), leaving an expansion gap in each rail join and then wire to a bus wire

This should allow for expansion while giving good conductivity

Something like the pic below

Rail join.JPG

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Unlike inside where the fish plate or rail joiner forms an electrical connection, outside the fish plate or rail joiner just keeps the rails aligned and the copper bond provides the electrical connection from one rail to the other. If you just rely on the fish plate or rail joiner it will soon get dirt into it and will be a dead spot.

If you wish to leave gaps in the rail joints don't make them too big as the wheels of your rolling stock will drop into the gaps and derail.

In due course will have to resolder some bonds due to the migration of the atoms in the solder itself. This can happen after winter. It's easy to find the dropped off bonds either when your cleaning your rails or when running a loco and it just stops.

Hope this is of some help to you.

Roy.

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