rail gaps

I've been wiring my track for multi feed sections for DCC or most likely RailPro with many districts for short protection and future signalling. I learned pretty quick not to cut gaps in curved sections of flex track. I normally solder any joint in a curved section even before I caulk them down. Luckily there is not much temp and humidly shift in my train room in my Las Vegas home.

Rigid Gaps

G,

I too avoid gaps in curved sections where possible.  I find the plastic joiners are a waste of time.  They are too soft to hold the rails in alignment and look bad.  I lay the track without regard to electrical districting.  I then cut the gaps with a Dremel tool using the thinnest carbide cutoff wheel.  (They come in different thicknesses)  I then fill the gap with black styrene, gluing it in place with CA adhesive.  After allowing it to cure completely, I trim the filler to the rail profile using the Dremel cutoff disk and a small file.  This produces a secure joint that will hold during rail flexing, will not close during temperature changes, and looks good.  Be sure to stagger the placement of the gaps by 1/4" or so when gapping both rails. 

Oh no! I wish I had read this earlier.

Use track nails or spikes.

Rick, I have had good luck using track nails or spikes driven on both sides of the rails.  This would only work with a wood sub roadbed however. PC ties are a good way to go if you have foam sub roadbed and then gluing them in place.

Thanks Nelson, I appreciate

Bread clips will work for filler at gaps.

The plastic bread clips used to hold the plastic bag on new loaves of bread closed are styrene.  You can glue a bread clip into a gap in the rail with lacquer thinner, Tenax, Testors liquid glue, MEK or your favorite liquid glue for plastics.  Once the glue joint is dry, trim the clip with rail nippers to get the plastic close to the size of the rail, and then finish shaping with small files.  Paint the sides off the plastic to match your rail weathering.

curved track gap repair.

I recently purchased Micro engineering rail joiners for some custom track work. They are very low profile and can be slipped in place on micro engineering code 83 rail to repair gaps you cut in a curved section. Unfortunately they will not work on the Atlas flex track I used in most areas. Many of my gaps fall at my Proto 87 switch kits that already have an isolated frog so I just insulate the outer rail at that point. For gaps I forgot to put in during track laying, I also cut a gap and glue in a plastic spacer, but not on a curve anymore.

Thanks

Thanks for the comments. I had tried cutting the gap with a Dremel and gluing in styrene -- used this technique in a few places and found it worked quite well. Still use it where the track is going to be stable over time. In the yard that I am just finishing up I am using those wretched plastic joiners -- as with lots of turnouts in close quarters the chance of having to take something up seemed significant. But they are ugly and will be painted and buried as quickly as possible.

I also found some gap fillers on FastTracks that are laser cut rail profiles in wood. Used these on some turnouts to backfill the Dremel-cut gaps, sliding them in on gap filling CA. Less work than shaping pieces of styrene -- but also around here all the dealers stock is white. 

Thanks, Glatiak for the