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topic: 1331Baseboard Track Joints
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posted: 7 Jan 2011 15:22

from:

Stephen Freeman
 
Sandbach - United Kingdom

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Over the years, there have been many and wonderful methods of trying to overcome the main problem with portable layouts, namely what to do with the track at the baseboard joints. We've had plates, screws and bits of track slid into place held only by railjoiners. None of these have been 100% effective.

The problem with taking the track up to baseboard edge is that it is inevitably going to get damaged, unless held securely in place, soldered to screws or plates etc. Even then the tracks will not always correctly line up each and every time. Also you only have to witness the passage of a heavy locomotive over such joint to see that the effect is spoilt by the noise of going over a very rigid joint.

This is why some have resorted to leaving the track short of the joint and putting in a short piece of track to bridge the joint. These are nearly always done with railjoiners to make the connection, which brings with it it's own problems of ensuring a good joint and electrical continuity.

Now there is a better way. The track is terminated short of the baseboard joint and plugged into a connection plate. The bridging piece of track is then plugged into the plate on each board. Not only is the joint on both sides guaranteed to be 100% accurate each time, the noise should be reduced as the track is not held absolutely rigidly in the vertical plane and electrical continuity is maintained. To disconnect, all that needs to be done is for the bridging track to be simply uplugged, no messing about with rail-joiners.

The system is entirely compatible with foam inlay etc.

Full details are on my website as always.

Stephen




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