Joining sectional layouts (DCC powered]

[Chrissaf]

Track which crosses the join between two baseboards requires exceptional procedures so the train will cross without derailment. 

 

First you have to ensure that when the baseboards are joined together they are connected rigidly and accurately. There are many ways of doing this, which may involve catches, bolts or such like, but whichever you choose the joint must be stable, secure and always on the same alignment. You can buy special brass dowels which when fitted to the boards ensure alignment every time. 

 

I have employed back flap hinges with the pin driven out and replaced with a bent nail screwed to the base board framing. Cheap and cheerful, but not always100% accurate.

 

One means of joining track across the joint involves cutting the rails at the joint and fixing the two sides firmly in place, I actually use pieces of copper clad paxolin under the rails screwed to the baseboards to which the rails are soldered. This adds strength to the rail ends which will be vulnerable to damage and helps to keep them in line. 

 

Another method is to have a removable section of rail which bridges the joint. This has to be inserted each time the boards are joined and is only held in place by the fishplates. It can be a bit fiddly and may require two people to set up the layout each time. 

 

I would suggest that the track is fixed in place to the boards before wiring it up. That is how I did it.  The wires across the join will need some means of breaking the two sides apart. A simple method is to use a couple of terminal blocks with hard copper wire between them. You can buy them in pairs which have purposely designed pins already in situ. Electronic shops will also sell a variety of plugs and sockets which can be adapted. 

[johnny1707821342]

this is a DCC layout 

[johnny1707821342]

wait so i don't have to solder any wires going from the track where the baseboards join to the other

[Chrissaf]

Also see this thread raised 2 days ago.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/dismountable-layout-sections/?p=1

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[Chrissaf]

i have just finished building my baseboards for my sectional layout and am ready to lay track however i don't know how to wire up a sectional layout could someone please tell me how and also if it's a good idea to pin the track down before wiring or to just leave it loose until wiring has been complete cheers Jono 

[LCDR]

If you have a cut in the rails between the boards (the first method) yes you will need a jumper cable joining the track on adjacent boards, which is why I mentioned the need for a method of joining the wires.

 

If on the otherhand you rely on a loose track section between the track on adjacent boards you may not need to have a connection because the fishplates should give you electrical continuity, BUT personally I would include a set of jumpers between the boards because frequent attaching and detaching may loosen the fishplates meaning the joint becomes less reliable. Make sure that whatever plug and socket arrangement you use can only be attached one way round so you do not introduce a short circuit.

[96RAF]

You don’t say if the board sections will be joined together permanently or if they will need to be dismounted at intervals.

 

If permanent then just hard wire across the gaps using choc blocks or these pluggable types. The disadvantage of these are they are difficult to join and unjoin if used in long lengths (12-way).

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If the boards need to be dismounted frequently then you should look at plugs and sockets designed for the task. Many types are available in various numbers of pin-ways.

 

As LC says the more or less standard way of getting rails across a join is to lay the rail across the join, solder it to copper clad sleepers at the board edges, then cut the rails with a slitting disk. If the boards are going to be erected permanently then leave the rails Whole across the board joint.

[johnny1707821342]

is there any videos on how to do this as i don't quite get how to do it  

[Chrissaf]

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=joining+track+across+boards

[Chrissaf]

See also this previous thread that explains the track joining options in more detail with photos.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/split-base-board/?p=1

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More online resources.

[johnny1707821342]

thanks for all your replies really helped 

[Chrissaf]

Noted 😎