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Offline MikeK  
#1 Posted : 22 January 2022 18:59:14(UTC)
MikeK

Denmark   
Joined: 15/09/2009(UTC)
Posts: 176
I'm building a (small) z-scale layout with flex track (Märklin 8594), I have nailed the track down, now I want to make some isolated track sections, the question is, what is the best way to create an isolation break in the middle of a flex track curve, and both have a reliable electrical break of both tracks and maintain the smooth curve where the break is?

UserPostedImage
Entry to station, should have entry and exit signals

^__^
Mike

Edited by user 23 January 2022 10:34:32(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

A single track on the floor is better than no track at all...
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Zme
Offline Toosmall  
#2 Posted : 22 January 2022 19:40:41(UTC)
Toosmall

Australia   
Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC)
Posts: 608
Location: Sydney
I take the rail out of the sleepers and pre curve the rail. If the last cm of rail needs a radius, as that is the difficult bit, use some pliers to bend a radius a whisker, don't over bend it. All you need is a consistent radius.

I do alternate cuts with a scalpel blade through the sleeper joining plastic between sleepers 2, 6, 10, 14, 18... one side and 4, 8, 12, 16, 20... the other side. This is better to cut from the top as you will have the rail out, and cut on a cutting board, rather from underneath with the rail in situ.

Use the plastic fishplates from a pack of 8954.

If you can't get the track up, cut carefully, then slide (massage) the rail back a bit from another join.

File end of rail a tiny bit with a needle file so fishplates go on nicely.
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Offline Carim  
#3 Posted : 22 January 2022 20:40:31(UTC)
Carim

United Kingdom   
Joined: 15/09/2014(UTC)
Posts: 649
Location: London
Assuming I have already laid the track and don't want to lift it, I just cut a gap in the track with my Xuron vertical track cutter (2175M) - in the past, I may have filed a slice of styrene to shape and glued it into the gap. But I also found that a pure air gap works just as well with maybe a slight bit of filing of the rails. I guess the best method to use depends upon how tight the curve is and what your temperature variation is (if you get a lot of expansion/contraction of the rails then the pure air gap method may lead to distortions in the curve).

Carim

p.s. what you can do additionally to prevent the cut end of the rails splaying out from the geometry of the curve, is bang a rail pin in next to the cut rail to hold it in place (you can even solder the rail to the supporting pin).
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Offline jcrtrains  
#4 Posted : 22 January 2022 21:55:21(UTC)
jcrtrains

Canada   
Joined: 31/10/2009(UTC)
Posts: 597
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Personally, I try and avoid isolation gaps on curves with flex track. I find over time, even with various combinations of plastic joiners or additional pins, the rail splays out. The result is a rough join that causes problems.
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Offline MikeK  
#5 Posted : 23 January 2022 11:38:06(UTC)
MikeK

Denmark   
Joined: 15/09/2009(UTC)
Posts: 176
Thank you for all of your answers, yes they tack is laid down already, I had the isolation points in my original plans, so in retrospective, I now see I should probably have made the cuts as I laid the track, maybe next time Smile.

Could it be a solution to do the cut, lift the track slightly and put a dab of epoxy on the underside of the gab, to fix the two ends to each other?

Carim Offline the idea with soldering the track to a railpin sound like a good one, both to support the curve and prevent the floating piece of track in shifting in one direction (think about a station covered by a single piece of flextrack with a cut at both ends of the station).

jcrtrains Offline yes, the "splaying out" was one of my concerns, unfortunately it is not an option to keep cuts at straight sections in my track plan.

Toosmall Offline good point with pre-curving the track, that would have avoided the springiness I have in it, which could lead to the track snapping back when I start to cut in it/passing of time, I'll remember that for next time. The layout will experience some temperature variations, as it is i a partly heated shed with no cooling (dehumidified thou) (15-30C).

^__^
Mike

A single track on the floor is better than no track at all...
Offline Poor Skeleton  
#6 Posted : 23 January 2022 19:45:03(UTC)
Poor Skeleton

United Kingdom   
Joined: 09/10/2015(UTC)
Posts: 550
Location: England, Cambridge
Originally Posted by: MikeK Go to Quoted Post
Thank you for all of your answers, yes they tack is laid down already, I had the isolation points in my original plans, so in retrospective, I now see I should probably have made the cuts as I laid the track, maybe next time Smile.

Could it be a solution to do the cut, lift the track slightly and put a dab of epoxy on the underside of the gab, to fix the two ends to each other?

Carim Offline the idea with soldering the track to a railpin sound like a good one, both to support the curve and prevent the floating piece of track in shifting in one direction (think about a station covered by a single piece of flextrack with a cut at both ends of the station).

jcrtrains Offline yes, the "splaying out" was one of my concerns, unfortunately it is not an option to keep cuts at straight sections in my track plan.

Toosmall Offline good point with pre-curving the track, that would have avoided the springiness I have in it, which could lead to the track snapping back when I start to cut in it/passing of time, I'll remember that for next time. The layout will experience some temperature variations, as it is i a partly heated shed with no cooling (dehumidified thou) (15-30C).

^__^
Mike



I've not had to resort to this myself and it may look unsightly, but my approach would be to add supporting pins, as per Carim's suggestion, and further reinforce the area with epoxy. Once this has all cured I'd only then cut the track. I'd be inclined to use a very fine razor saw, but I can't argue with Carim's real life success with Xuron cutters.

Good luck!


Chris
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