Nice!

Wow, those look really good in that photo Bill.

I can see how they could really add to the realism of my track.  Ready to start laying track here finally and have never really considered joint bars before this.  I am not even aware of the type CN or CP used. 

Well, plenty of time for research while I am laying said track.

Regards,

Here Take my Money....

Bill,

I have been looking to add joint bars to my Madras Module, but have put it off for other projects. With the new design and best bang for the buck when it comes to joint bars I will be placing an order and get my track up to the standard it should be!!

Thanks fo much!!

"I can see how they could

before gluing them on you can use a jeweler's saw and cut rail joints every 39 feet down to the top of the angle bar, then you'll get the clickity-clack sound old time trains made on jointed rail.....DaveB

Waow!

Nice!

Do you sell to France please?

Yes! France!

We do offer international shipping. It's $12 regardless of order size.

Cheers!

DaveB

You know, I was squinting at the picture trying to decide if there was a split in the rail in the picture or not.  I finally decided there was no split.  The joint bar without a joint would seem out of place, not?

Regards,

Not

If you have to squint at a photo then on the layout no one will notice the split. The joint bars are noticeable though  

i have several of Bill's joint bars. Nice product and I see more in my future. 

Charles

Squinting...

"The squinting was more about

and the joints on real railroads show up more due to their color change. They hold oil and rust that bleeds out to make them appear wider than they actually are ,although I've seen them 1 inch or more wide many times which would probably be pretty easy to see even in HO scale.....DaveB  

joints

Somebody suggested scoring the silver portion of the rail and getting some brown paint into the scratch.

I think this would be sufficient to create the illusion of the joint in the rail head, and it wouldn't wear off.

Makes sense...

Hmm, lots to think about.

Dave, I get the impression that you would add the track joints if you were installing joint bars, am I mistaken?

It does seem like joint bars without a joint to justify the bar (yes I am in HO) could be visually off, but is it worth the time to cut and weather the joints to justify the added detail of the joint bars, and if joint bars are installed without cutting joint lines how many will notice and point it out as unrealistic?  Will anyone say, wow that looks so much better with joint lines?

I have to say one of the first things I noticed in looking at the photo provided, was that it did not look like there was a reason for the joint bars to be where they were.

Regards,

Rail head cut to simulate joints

I used my Dedeco Thin cutoff wheel on my Dremel tool to see if cutting the top of the rail made any visual difference. It was not worth it to me. These fabulous joint bars give the impression of jointed rail enough for most observers. 

Thomas Gasior

It depends

I think it depends on the photo.  If you've got a real close up shot, I think it would be noticeable, but I don't think most would notice in regular photos.  Thomas' original photo was to show the joint bars on the rail, but most photos you take are showing buildings or locos or rolling stock (or trains), so a joint in the rail will be far less noticeable, but the joint bars will still be noticeable.  Many people might fill in the gap that there is a joint there just seeing the joint bar.

joints or not?

    I've added angle bars to O scale track in the past. The method I  prefer is to mark the rails at 39 foot intervals, staggering the joints on the left and right rails by a few scale feet, then cut partial gaps down to the top of the angle bars using a jewelers saw or a dremel if I want larger gaps. Once all the gaps are cut then glue on the angle bars centered on the joint cuts. When weathering the angle bars a bit will seep into the cuts highlighting them. It doesn't take long to cut the partial gaps once the 39 foot lengths are laid out and marked, and it adds a nice sound effect as metal wheels roll over them......DaveB 

Lets be clear!

Thomas,

Nobody in this thread is saying the joint bars are not fabulous.  They are!  My first impression was WOW!

That said, I also think the slice in the rail really sells the look, particularly as Dave notes, in a close up photograph.

I just assume that if I am using joint bar detail, then I am someone who views track as a model too, and as such, I would want my model to appear realistic as iI can make it.

Thank-you for all feedback received.

Regards,

What time era's and

It looks good even with out

It looks good even with out the cut in the rail. The cut in the rail really looks good. Now imagine those clunky 110 width metal wheels spoiling the look. Code 88 wheel sets or semi scale would look lots better. Imagine how that would look with proto 48 or 87 equipment.

Making the joint...

Although marks on the railhead would add that extra zip, especially in O scale, in HO, unless you're looking for it, I think they are hard to notice, unless you are close up and square on.

Here is a photo I spotted this morning on facebook:

Certainly on a module up to maybe 10 ft long, it could be worth the effort to cut the railhead, but faced with 370+ ft of jointed rail on my layout, I have doubts I'll be making these marks.

Maybe I'll have to experiment with scoring the railhead with an xacto chisel blade. hmmm.

Either way, the jointbars are a very distinctive detail.

@Bill

You nailed it with that photo.  The joint bars are quite visible while the joint is pretty well invisible.

Now, scoring the rail with a chisel, that may be an idea worth considring...?

As you say, either way, the joint bars are distinctive and IMO are a fantastic track detail.

Thanks for taking the time to share your insight.

Regards,

cutting joint gaps

    Measuring the 39 feet for angle bar location is the time consuming part. A jeweler's saw will cut the shallow cut in about 5 seconds.....DaveB 

Measuring and cutting joint gaps

You would only have to measure once.  Use a scrap piece of something, styrene, wood or any material cut to a 39' scale foot length and make a template with it to measure.  Make your first cut and then put your template on the rail with one end on the cut.  The other end will be right on 39' and that is where you make your next cut.

If you really want them to stand out...

Paint them blue!

Fouling Point indication.

You bring up a good point, Bill

I see ones painted yellow down here. I always thought it had to do with the twisted wire that's usually bridging the rail joint.

Any insight on why some joint bars are painted a solid color and where they typically are placed?

Charles

don't know...

I see Yellow, Orange, Blue, and White used around here. I'm not sure of all the applications. The orange ones I see are usually 6 bolt insulated joiners near grade crossings.

Maybe somebody else has more insight about this?