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Track Break for Removable Section


johnts

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I am currently building a layout in my loft and I need to include a removable piece of baseboard across part of the loft hatch. Personal access to the loft will be fine with the "removable baseboard" in place and it will only need to be moved if a large item needs to be passed through the loft hatch. I am happy with my plans for the baseboard, but how do I join the track so it is easily seperated from the main part of the layout if/when required? The removable piece will be the curve end of a three track oval, radius 2, 3 and 4.  Layout is DCC.

Thanks

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Lift out sections work best with the minimum number of tracks and across straight track sections, as obviously the more track 'joints' you have the more likelihood of trouble and getting rail cuts to line up exactly is easier on the straight than it is on a curve, believe me I have tried curves on a semi-permanent modular layout and in the end I replaced the offending track across the board joint and in the future event of a move I will Dremel through the rails At that time.

This of course is no real help in your situation as you have stated three definite curves to be cut and probably at both ends on the corner. 

My advice therefore is to make the removable bit very sturdy, i.e. solid ply rather than thin ply and framing, and to arrange for an accurate and positive alignment methodology.

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Thanks both for the tips. I have allowed an extra 3 inches on the lift out part of the baseboard for "contingencies, so I think I will be puting in some short straights to avoid joining the curves.

I had hoped there would be an off the shelf solution rather than having to solder in and wire up twelve rails. I may yet only lightly pin the rails on the lift out part and stick with fishplates.

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Good idea John there is an opportunity there for someone to develop a simple and cheap but absolutely reliable lift out track section joint system.

I've often thought that P*co should produce a longer version of their loco lift - say, 2'6" long. Would make a great cassette system as well as solving this particular issue.

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John, you don't say whether or not you are using DCC or analogue.

however the method is similar.  

First you make sure that the piece of board that you are removing will go back in exactly the same place every time - use small bolts or hinges  with removable split pins to keep things level and secure.

Now you lay the track - without breaks - across the board join. At each end of the removable section remove the last sleeper on both sides of the break and solder a brass or copper clad piece of sleeper material to the track on both sides, remembering to cut through the top surface to avoid short circuits. These can be obtained from any model shop or rail exhibition, this will give a pretty robust track end when you cut through the track. When you are happy cut through the track over the join with a razor saw or dremel.

wiring - depends whether you use DCC or analogue, but the principle is the same. You can buy some 'chocolate block' connectors that plug and unplug - if you are using DCC then only two connections to carry the buzzbar across the joint, if analogue then you will need a pair of plugs for each track crossing the board joint - at both ends of the removable bit!

slightly complicated to start with, but used very effectively by every exhibition layout that has to be taken down and put together with amazing regularity...

 

 

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Thank you Tony for your comprehensive response. The layout is DCC.

Not sure I completely follow you:

1) I've never seen a brass or copper clad piece of sleeper material. When you say cut the top surface, I'm assuming the cladding is across the top only? The purpose of this exercise is to beef up the sleepers? If that's the case, then presumably any strong non-conductive material would suffice (though clearly aforementione is the choice as is available in model shops).

2) With layout being DCC, do you mean I only have to wire up one end of the lift out track? Does that mean the joint (lack of) at the other end is effectively isolated though power comes from the other direction? Am I making sense?

Are there any sites where I could see diagrams of this set up?

Many thanks

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PCB = Printed Circuit Board.

Typically Paxolin but sometimes GRF (Glass Reinforced Fibre). The board has a copper coating on it. This means that you can solder track to it. It is used to fix the two butted ends of the track to fixed imovable positions. The track is soldered to the PCB, the PCB is screwed to the baseboard. Remember that the copper must not bridge the two rails else you will get a short. Look at any exhibition layout on display and you will in many cases see how this is done.

.

An alternative method that I have seen done (probably more common) is to screw BRASS countersunk head screws into the baseboard, then solder the track rails to the screw head. To ensure exact alignment, one normally solders the track rails across the board joint first (4 screws, one per rail per side), then cut the rails once soldered. To ensure perfect repeatable alignment most builders fit dowels between the facing baseboard frame so that the baseboard pieces cannot move out of alignment.

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Thank you Tony for your comprehensive response. The layout is DCC.

Not sure I completely follow you:

1) I've never seen a brass or copper clad piece of sleeper material. When you say cut the top surface, I'm assuming the cladding is across the top only? The purpose of this exercise is to beef up the sleepers? If that's the case, then presumably any strong non-conductive material would suffice (though clearly aforementione is the choice as is available in model shops).

2) With layout being DCC, do you mean I only have to wire up one end of the lift out track? Does that mean the joint (lack of) at the other end is effectively isolated though power comes from the other direction? Am I making sense?

Are there any sites where I could see diagrams of this set up?

Many thanks

1) the brass, if not cut, will cause a short. You only cut through the brass (copper) not the whole sleeper. This prevents shorts and provides an excellent way of keeping track enda in place. Brass screws can be used also but the sleepers slide under 'in-situ' track. You can also use the sleepers to wire the plug to! 

2) the choice is yours, on my tailchaser in the garage I have only wired across one end of the removable piece, my exhibition layout, being three boards has joints over each board of course.

find yourself an exhibition and talk to one of the operators on a layout that has more than one board, they will be happy to talk to you.

 

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Wonder if anyone else does what I do. Apart from the foregoing suggestions, I also use metal rail joiners, fishplates, which I have eased to give a sliding fit on one rail, to then slide across to align to the other rail. I find this gives quite a good lining up. It does need the rail ends to be detached from a couple sleepers.  

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