Joining Peco flexible track to Hornby

[TheGreenGuit]

Many of us are looking for alternatives due to the lack of straight track. As a newbie I've found joining Peco to Hornby track surprisingly fiddly and have had to redo most of my work. I've collected a few tips in one post.

When joining Peco between two Hornby pieces do not cut to an exact fit initially. The slightest mistake means wasted track. Get one end right first. Any curves need to be introduced before cutting as the inner and outer rails move in relation to each other and the sleepers.

Remove sleeper and just enough webbing (the thin plastic joining the sleepers) to allow half of the fishplate (Hornby or Tillig) to slide on. Peco fishplates do not fit Hornby. There is a dimple on the underside of the Hornby fishplate and this is the end to slide onto the Peco track. For insulating fishplates use Hornby R920 trimmed to length.

Although you can use fingers initially to locate the end of the fishplate on the track do not use your fingers or thumb to drive it home as this can lead to a very unpleasant injury (I've avoided this happily).

If you want pristine straight track try not to bend it while handling as this introduces subtle variations. Thanks to everyone on the forum for their tips.

[Rallymatt]

Some good observations. Not using fingers to push fishplates on is very appropriate.

[Chris98]

After stabbing my finger I now put a hornby fishplate onto a hornby straight and then push onto the peco flexitrack as if joining the two together. As the peco is a tighter fit when pulled apart it leaves the fishplate on the peco track and ready to join.

[ntpntpntp]

Snipe-nose pliers to hold the end of the fishplate while you push it on. Simple, and how I've been fitting fishplates since the 70s.

[My name is Bond]

Snipe-nose pliers to hold the end of the fishplate while you push it on. Simple, and how I've been fitting fishplates since the 70s.

That method is fine for OO/HO rail joiners has anybody tried this method and succeeded with the smaller fragile TT/N gauge rail joiners without damaging the rail joiner?

How about using gardening gloves to hold and fit the rail joiner?

 

 

[Chris98]

I tried pliers, they crush the fishplates making them useless.

[TheGreenGuit]

I struggled with fine nosed pliers, either squashing or bending the fishplate. I've been very successful locating the end just onto the rail with fingers and then pushing very carefully against a solid surface (the dining room mantelpiece!). The fishplates have become a bit like loo roll in the early days of lockdown, a precious commodity.

[TheGreenGuit]

Fishplates are one of the very few items listed as "out of stock" which is concerning. I'm not sure what that implies but who knows when they might be available? Together with the lack of straight track it is a pretty big hiccup. Give the fishplate specs to a local engineering firm and they could be rapidly produced in numbers.

[Peter Stiles]

I use a pair of bluntish side cutters to hold a TT fishplate with. I've not cut one accidentally in half as yet, but then I've only had to manhandle a couple so far..

[ntpntpntp]

Snipe-nose pliers to hold the end of the fishplate while you push it on. Simple, and how I've been fitting fishplates since the 70s.

That method is fine for OO/HO rail joiners has anybody tried this method and succeeded with the smaller fragile TT/N gauge rail joiners without damaging the rail joiner?

 

 

Yes, I've been fitting N fishplates that way since the 70s as I say.

 

 

Grip the tip/end of the fishplate not the side, and push the fishplate onto the rail. It really is very simple. No crushing or otherwise deforming of the fishplate.

[Hobby11]

I usually put the fishplate on the end of the rail and then push it against the side of the baseboard!

If you are having issues it's usually because the end of the rail isn't smooth, it might look it to the eye but it isn't!. Get yourself a needle file and file off any burrs before putting on the fishplate. You can also file the edge of the "foot" of the rail slightly and that will also make it easier.

[Fishmanoz]

Buy Tillig fishplates either direct or via DCC Concepts.

[Skelton Junction]

I found using hornby fishplates on peco+hornby joins an invaluable piece of advice gleaned from these pages. Didn’t have an issue securing them after noting the point that the underside ‘raised’ end goes on the peco side. If I were to have run out of hornby fishplates (a distinct possibility these days) I would have raided other hornby track and replaced there, with tillig.

[Yelrow]

all my flexi peco is about 6 years old. It joins perfectly to Hornby, with no problem. From this i assume that peco have changed their TT track in some way, given the problems some are having. No doubt somebody will know. Seems a pity.

[ntpntpntp]

@Yelrow sounds like the track you've been using isn't the code 55 TT:120 Peco track SL-1200 which only came out last year. Before this Peco sold (and still sell) 12mm gauge code 75 track for HOm narrow gauge SL-1400 but described as also usable for TT (though the sleeper spacing is a bit coarse for TT:120).

Totally different stuff as discussed here :)

Peco Sl1200/SL1400