solder or not

[SteamGene]

Two club members who have helped me a bunch on the VT&P have different theories.  One favors soldering sections of flex track together before making a long curve, as in a helix, and the other doesn't.  Which do you suggest?
Gene

[cmgn9712]

The purpose of soldering is to keep the curve smooth at the joint. Otherwise it is very easy to end up with a kink which will cause problems

[wade]

I sodder mine. It keeps continuity up and the kinks out. What are the benefits of not soddering?
Wade

[ap0317ah]

I also solder mine i belive as the layout ages the solder helps the continuty
of eletric supply more than the joints

Tom

[lanny]

Gene,

I personally recommend soldering first. You will have to cut several of the ties off the flex track at the solder joints as you work the long, long straight, soldered track into the radius curve you need, but you can add wood ties later to those gaps. I am 'fairly adept' at soldering, but have never had success, even with wide radius curves (36"+) when I laid the flex track first and then tried to solder a smooth curve.

best wishes on getting good track work on your helix.

lanny nicolet

[SteamGene]

Thanks.  I'm waiting for the rebuttal    I reuse the cut off ties by filing down the plate and slipping the tie under the track.  Works fine. 
Gene

[Atlantic Central]

Gene,

I solder almost all my rail joints. It goes back to what I ws taught by my father on my first layout. It solves a mumber of problems before they happen.

And, it is the solution to smooth curves with flex track. I use insluated rail joiners, not just gaps, and I leave a few joints unsoldered on the straight for expansion.

With the new modules, the plan is to solder everything on the module and let the module joints also be the expansion joints.

Sheldon

[SteamGene]

It's becoming a majority and makes sense to me.  Obviously some expansion joints will be necessary.  OTOH,  I've hit a major snag.  I messed up horizonal at the beginning of the helix, even using a degree finder, and I have one serious hump which will mean removing the horizonal supports and putting new ones in.  Fortunately, I have plenty of wood and some of the horizonal supports can be reused in different places.
Gene

[lanny]

Hi again Gene,

I should have mentioned 'expansion joints' and glad others did mention that issue. Living in the Midwest, during the summer especially, even with a dehumidifier and an air conditioner, high humidity can work some real 'havoc' if there are not some expansion joints, especially in a layout the size you are building.

lanny nicolet

[SteamGene]

I've taken expansion joints into consideration.  As noted, no rebuttal yet.
Gene

[Craig]

I bench-solder 2 or 3 sections of flex track and then lay the assembly. On curves, I make sure the joints are staggered substantially to prevent kinks and ensure correct gauge. It is much better to have one solid rail adjacent to a soldered joint on a curve. You can do the same thing on a straight section but I've never had to.

Craig

[Conrail Quality]

Well, since no one has offered any rebuttal at all, I may as well do a few. First, it is easier to not solder, then decide to solder later, then vice-versa. Second, you could (theoretically) sustain seriuos injuries soldering. Not so with rail joints. Third of all, prototypicality. Do railroads, even railroads as wealthy as the Chesapeake & Ohio waste money installing continuous welded rail in minor sidings and branch lines? From the sound of your layout, there are going to be at least a few of these. Just so you can't claim there were no rebuttals...

[Steve Magee]

Yes, solder - just remember to solder the rails when they are straight, then curve them to suit. Leave rails on straights unsoldered to allow the fishplates to take care of expansion if you like, but solder feeders from the track bus to each of these rails.

Depending on your environment, you may find humidity variations in the underlying benchwork to be more of a problem, esp so if your train room is air conditioned and you start out with lumber that has not been kiln dried or seasoned.

Steve
Newcastle NSW Aust

[SteamGene]

CQ,
I'm only concerned with soldering in such places as the helix and major turns.  Sidings are generally straight and I'll leave places for expansion there and on the straights
The building is well insulated and I have yet to turn the AC on, though I know that time is coming. 
Oops - yes the AC was on, back in January when we had a church party on the Feast of the Ephiphany and the building got blessed.  Twelveth Night and all that.
Gene

[r.cprmier]

To all concerned here;
Flex track usually has one side fixed into the tie system, and the other side is movable-slidable, if you will.

When laying flex track, the best approach is a common-sensical one.  The sliding side goes on the outside of the radius; hence, I would avoid soldering anything until it is spiked in place, joiners, checked for proper easements, transitions, smooth operation, etc etc etc.

Much has been written on the correct ways of layng flex track.  I think more emphasis should be placed upon whatever base the track will be resting on, as any lumps, bumps, etc will be telegraphed right up to the rails, causing derailments, wriggling along, etc; resulting in wailing and the gnashing of teeth...and possibly the clang of brass as a now scrap engine hits the deck...

To my way of thinking, if you can, do check each piece carefully, before any installation for any defects; then plan each install, trying to foresee aforehand, any problems that might arise.

Gene mentioned expansion joints:  try and keep those out of the radii if at all possible.  Do them only on straight sections.  Also, don't use any more than is absolutely neccessary.

I solder my joints and joiners, taking care to solder correctly, using heat sinks even on plastic tie system, as this can distort, and also cause bad trackwork.  Wire connections take place far from joints, and if done neatly as well as properly (I use #18 stranded) it will not readily show up and will remain solid for a long time.

The track and turnout work in my "high detail" sections are products from Jack Parker's "Central Valley works"-and I am pretty finicky about that in particular; most of that is being done separately in the shop downstairs, where I can position each module to advantage, as well as have access to a complete shop; thus maintain as high a standard as I want.

I will never tout my layout as a showpiece of master trackwork-but my experience with crummy trackwork resulting from half-baked proceedures are what I try to apply to my thinking now, and hopefully, it will pay dividends in the long run.   By the way, nothing is foolproof, and perfection is a fool's errend, but maybe my past shortcomings and disasters can help you too. 

RIch
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