Post by pcarrell on Nov 5, 2007 16:32:59 GMT -5
HO scale enjoys so many luxuries that other scales can only dream of. One of those luxuries is a readily available transition track that allows one to move from one code of rail to another easily and smoothly.
Micro Engineering makes a transition track for N scale, but they're about as rare as hens teeth (now thats pretty rare!).
My layout uses all Atlas code 80 rail in the hidden trackage for reliability and cost, but I chose Atlas code 55 for it's looks out on the sceniced part of the layout.
The problem was, how to get from one to the other. I've devised a relatively easy way to do just that at virtually no cost, and now I'm going to let you in on it!
To make a transition track from one code to another (or from say, Peco code 55, which is really code 80 rail buried in the ties further, to Atlas code 55, which is true code 55), first slip a regular rail joiner onto the code 80 side of the joint. Leave the end sticking out as you normally would. Now take a pair of needle nosed pliers and flatten the end of the joiner thats sticking out. Next, and this is maybe the trickiest part, lay the code 55 rail on top of the flattened rail joiner and eyeball the rail tops. They need to be as even as possible so that the train rolls smoothly across the joint. If one rail sticks up above the other, bend the joiner slightly to correct it. They should be very close right off the bat. Now, once you have those tops lined up, just solder the whole thing together and use a jewlers file to clean up if necessary.
You can even do this on a curve! Here's one of mine.
i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Autumns%20Ridge/7-17-0710.jpg
Micro Engineering makes a transition track for N scale, but they're about as rare as hens teeth (now thats pretty rare!).
My layout uses all Atlas code 80 rail in the hidden trackage for reliability and cost, but I chose Atlas code 55 for it's looks out on the sceniced part of the layout.
The problem was, how to get from one to the other. I've devised a relatively easy way to do just that at virtually no cost, and now I'm going to let you in on it!
To make a transition track from one code to another (or from say, Peco code 55, which is really code 80 rail buried in the ties further, to Atlas code 55, which is true code 55), first slip a regular rail joiner onto the code 80 side of the joint. Leave the end sticking out as you normally would. Now take a pair of needle nosed pliers and flatten the end of the joiner thats sticking out. Next, and this is maybe the trickiest part, lay the code 55 rail on top of the flattened rail joiner and eyeball the rail tops. They need to be as even as possible so that the train rolls smoothly across the joint. If one rail sticks up above the other, bend the joiner slightly to correct it. They should be very close right off the bat. Now, once you have those tops lined up, just solder the whole thing together and use a jewlers file to clean up if necessary.
You can even do this on a curve! Here's one of mine.
i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/Autumns%20Ridge/7-17-0710.jpg