# TRACK JOINERS



## CROW1 (Jan 27, 2008)

Did anyone ever use the NMS rail joiners? I'm going to swith my track to some sort of rail joiners I like the AML joiners but tonight I noticed the NMS.

Opinions needed, thanks 


http://choochoostuff.homestead.com/NMSDJ.html


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice idea, but they look too big for me, appearance wise. I'm sure they would be sturdy. Not easy to use when the track is in place, have to remove the track to drill. OK if you do it from the start. 

Regards, Greg


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

I've not used Norm's particular rail joiners, but that's precisely the kind of rail joiners dad and I used on his railroad. (Boy, that drilling jig sure would have been an improvement over the one we used.) The resulting joints are VERY sturdy, having held up for 30 years! We used aluminum or old code 100 rail, hammered flat for the joint bars. The joints still conduct electricity fairly well, despite the fact that dad doesn't run track power any more. (Hasn't for 25 of those 30 years.) The one difference is that Norm's system uses a joint bar on either side of the rail (as per the prototype) while we used them only on the outside. When we first started, LGB was all there was, and their uber-deep flanges bumped on the screw heads at the joints if we used joint bars on either side of the rail. With the shallower flanges of today's equipment, you could probably get away with it. 

Sizewise, they look very good. BTW, note the tie right under the rail joint. You're not gonna do that with clamps!









Yes, stainless steel can rust, it just takes decades to do so. They'd look even better with a more scale nut, such as those from Micro-Fastener. But even with the larger nuts, they blend in very nicely with the track: 










Personally, I'd ask if they'd sell you just the joint bars, then order hex-head screws and nuts from Micro-Fastener. (You don't need the lock washer.) Or, buy the sets and some additional screws and nuts, use one joint bar per joint, getting twice the mileage out of those and saving you a bit of money there, too. You could probably get your cost per joint down to around $1 to $1.50, which is comparable to more traditional rail clamps. 

Is it worth it? That's up to you. It's really an aesthetic thing. I think dad told me he uses rail clamps for repairs when they need to be done. They are certainly expedient. We went with this system because there was nothing else available when we first started. The aluminum rail had _just_ come on the market. (We were experimenting with milling our own rail up to that point.) In terms of electrical conductivity, I think it's a wash between those and rail clamps. Those joints in the photograph still conduct electricity. If you look at some of Bachmann's promo videos (the original Shay, Heisler, Climax, 4-6-0, 4-4-0, 2-6-0, and 2-8-0), those were all shot on dad's railroad using track power. 

Later, 

K


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