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late starter track knack!


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Hello, Gents,

You have been a great help to me, in setting up my new hobby. But heres one i feel embarrassed to ask. I find great difficulty joining track to gether, in short im lacking track knack! Most times i think ive joined two pieces, only to find one join is raised, whilst the other is ok. Sometimes i hit on the nail first time, but then spend ages on the next one. Curves are the worst, any tips please?

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Hello late_starter

 

A common problem if you have bad eye sight, or are doing the joining in bad light, I do not have good eye sight so have to be extra careful. 

 

Do the joining on a flat surface. The flatter the better. Don't be in a rush to push, this is a man think and accidents happen  ;o)

 

Position the two pieces of rail together, check the fish plate on one side is in line with the track you are to connect to. Then line up the other side. At this stage you are not pushing together just lining them up, ease them part way but keep them straight, do not twist them, check again to make sure they are going together correctly and then you can push them home.

 

You know the problem, one fish plate goes under the rail, not connecting to it so watch for this before the final push.

 

A flat surface is best, but if you prefer to lift them to connect them, just do it in stages to make sure they are connecting correctly before pushing them home.  Once you have got the 'knack' you'll be OK.

 

As mentioned earlier do not twist them, this willl weaken the fish plate and can cause problems later, not just derailment. The fish plate doesn't just hold two pieces of track together it carries the electric current between one rail and another. Weak or badly fitting fish plate will mean weak or bad flow of electric.

 

Good luck

 

PJ

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Good heavens PJ!  I made a comment elsewhere just now about long posts. You get the prize for this one. On a light note without meaning any disrespect to l_s, the answer is "be more careful".

 

And your bad electrical flow reminds me of something I've been meaning to say for ages on gradients - locos go up them fine, even under load, but the electricity has trouble with anything more than 2%, especially on curves!

 

Now, tongue out of cheek and back to normal transmission, or at least as normal or abnormal as usual. 

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Hello late_starter

 

A common problem if you have bad eye sight, or are doing the joining in bad light, I do not have good eye sight so have to be extra careful. 

 

Do the joining on a flat surface. The flatter the better. Don't be in a rush to push, this is a man think and accidents happen  ;o)

 

Position the two pieces of rail together, check the fish plate on one side is in line with the track you are to connect to. Then line up the other side. At this stage you are not pushing together just lining them up, ease them part way but keep them straight, do not twist them, check again to make sure they are going together correctly and then you can push them home.

 

You know the problem, one fish plate goes under the rail, not connecting to it so watch for this before the final push.

 

A flat surface is best, but if you prefer to lift them to connect them, just do it in stages to make sure they are connecting correctly before pushing them home.  Once you have got the 'knack' you'll be OK.

 

As mentioned earlier do not twist them, this willl weaken the fish plate and can cause problems later, not just derailment. The fish plate doesn't just hold two pieces of track together it carries the electric current between one rail and another. Weak or badly fitting fish plate will mean weak or bad flow of electric.

 

Good luck

 

PJ

 

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Hello, pj,

Long or not, youve answered the problem to perfection, you have obviously encountered the problem, so i feel less inadequate now! Its certainly nice to know that good, sensible & experienced advice is just a few taps of the key board away.

O n buying second hand, what kind of features do you look for to ascertain if the loco has been well cared for, or well hammered?

                        Many Thanks kc.

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Hi kc

 

May I ask are you looking to purchase, online in a sale or auction, in a shop or at a show?

 

Once we know what type of sale you are considering, I am sure many members will be able help 

 

PJ

Hello. pj

I would be v interested in a princess coronation class loco, in as good a condition as possible , preferably red, & tested. Dc is fine. Also, a br tanker, i havent got the class no, but the one of Stanier design, bearing a resemblance to a black 5, if that helps, other wise will have to look at my 1960 ian allen!  A good condition Mallard would be good also, but im not the sheik of araby, so costings are important! Many thanks, ps still sruggling with hit & miss track knack, but persevering.

        kc.

 

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Re the track - I found it easier when I put my reading specs on, so I could see what I was doing!  :-)

Hello, Pj

Reading hornbys care advice for loco maintenance, they recommend 3 in 1, which i have, but is there anything wrong with wd 40? To me, it may reach the places 3 in 1 doesnt etc, or if not please advise as to the dis -advantages,

            Many Thanks, kc.

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Re the track - I found it easier when I put my reading specs on, so I could see what I was doing!  :-)

Hello, Pj

Reading hornbys care advice for loco maintenance, they recommend 3 in 1, which i have, but is there anything wrong with wd 40? To me, it may reach the places 3 in 1 doesnt etc, or if not please advise as to the dis -advantages,

            Many Thanks, kc.

 

Hi kc

 

If Hornby recommend 3 in 1 then they must do so for a reason.  It is not for me to advise, your question is best put to Hornby. Guarantee?

 

I wouldn't recommend Heineken either and they say that reaches parts others don't   ;o)

 

PJ

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WD40 is known to soften some plastics, and dissolve others, so it is not a good idea to spray plastic parts with it!

3-in-1 dries out, and leaves a sticky residue that attracts muck, so the motor (etc) doesn't run well, so you lube it with 3 - 1, and it dries out, adding to the sticky mess, until - -

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3-in-One dries up after a while and leaves gunk. I don't have a clue why Hornby recommend it when they use Labelle in the factory. WD-40 stands for Water Displacement - 40th attempt. It hhhhhhdoesn't lubricate.

Hi Poliss, Labelle sounds like swiss watch oil, where can we buy it?

I have had to re sign up to the forum, previous details were not accepted, im confused  already!

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I bought mine from Model Junction Slough. You can buy it from other shops, but I haven't tried them.

They make several types of lubricants and grease for the various moving parts of locomotives and couplings.

One bottle should last longer than you do. :-)

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Hello, gents,

I live near Stockport, Ches: & we have an excellent market, one of the oldest in the uk. A gent has recently set up a stall for all things model railway, & hes going to supply me with such an oil, with the type of oil & injector just perfect for locos.I also bought from a couple of weeks ago an excellent 1995 king class loco, v good runner, & to me it has a more solid feel than some of to days models, a case for returnto the uk, Hornby?   Late Sarter, or more recently, Lacs lad.

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