Greetings, all. I am new here, and am just starting a new HO layout -- the resurrection of a long-closeted hobby, now that I have kids. So, a question for the experienced layout builders:
I finally got all my lovely HO code 83 Ni-Ag track from Walthers - their Shinohara stuff. Really beautifully made. I've got loads of turnouts and flex track and am ready to get to work putting it all together according to my plan.
But here's a catch: the track ties are very nice, but continue nearly to the end of the rail, leaving no room for a joiner. I know how Atlas handled this - they made a funny-looking tie on the end, and it does not contact the rail, leaving room for the joiner. but that would be unsightly.
What do I do with this Shinohara track?
I have a couple of ideas:
1. Cut the joiners in half, making them short. Problem is that this is hard to do without crushing the joiner.
2. Cut off the last tie and save it. Put all the track together. Cut each tie to fit under the joiners. This should work, but is definitely labor-intensive. Of course, this hobby IS labor intensive.
So, should I go with option 2?
Or does anyone have other more clever ways of tackling this problem?
Did I mention that this track is beautiful? Wow.
- John
I finally got all my lovely HO code 83 Ni-Ag track from Walthers - their Shinohara stuff. Really beautifully made. I've got loads of turnouts and flex track and am ready to get to work putting it all together according to my plan.
But here's a catch: the track ties are very nice, but continue nearly to the end of the rail, leaving no room for a joiner. I know how Atlas handled this - they made a funny-looking tie on the end, and it does not contact the rail, leaving room for the joiner. but that would be unsightly.
What do I do with this Shinohara track?
I have a couple of ideas:
1. Cut the joiners in half, making them short. Problem is that this is hard to do without crushing the joiner.
2. Cut off the last tie and save it. Put all the track together. Cut each tie to fit under the joiners. This should work, but is definitely labor-intensive. Of course, this hobby IS labor intensive.
So, should I go with option 2?
Or does anyone have other more clever ways of tackling this problem?
Did I mention that this track is beautiful? Wow.
- John