# Norm's Model Supply Rail Joiners?



## narrow_gauge (Jan 3, 2008)

Hello all,

I don't post often, but always find discussion here interesting and informative. I have a question today as I research the best way to join my track together. I came across an auction on eBay for a rail joiner system from a "Norm's Model Supply." It has a jig that looks similar to a split jaw type clamp, but it goes over the rails and then has holes to guide the drilling of four 3/32" holes into the rails themselves (two per rail end). The rails are then joined using two stainless steel fish-plates and four hex-head bolts and nuts with lock washers (just like the real railroads do).

Has anyone here purchased or used this system, or done something similar? The realistic look, seemingly secure rail joint, and potential to maintain continuity (I will be running track power) intrigues me. However, it also seems like it would be a very "fiddly" installation, especially on a ground level railroad, due to the tiny hardware involved. 


Here is a link to the auction so you can see exactly what I am talking about. For a starter kit, the price seems reasonable enough. 
Norm's Model Supply Rail Joiners

Any opinions, tips, or comments on this or other methods of joining rail are certainly welcome here! Now that I finally have a yard to put my trains in, I am excited to get started!

Thank you!

Andrew Dean
Springfield, MO


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice looking product and end result, but the seller does not list the fish plates and bolt kits separately. 

How much are they separately?


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## narrow_gauge (Jan 3, 2008)

Found their website via the auction. Apparently they have a large offering of custom g scale items. The joiner bars and bolts are sold in what they call 'sets' which is 4 plates and 8 bolts/nuts/washers... the equivalent of two rail-clamps such as Hillman's. The Norm's brand are sold in a range from two 'sets' up to 100 'sets'. price range is $12.95 for the two and ... (wait for it) about $400 for the 100! Quite a range, but there are much more reasonable mid ground amounts (30 and 60 sets for around 150-250 bucks). And, when compared to Hillman's current pricing, they really aren't all that more expensive. 

Here's the link to that page for just the joiners, and of course from there you can view the rest of the product offerings. 

Norm's Joiners Price List

The more I look at it, the more I like the idea, and being that I plan on using long sections of flex and have only about 100-150 feet of mainline, I should have relatively few joints to begin with (thus no need to spend 400 dollars just for track joiners!)

Also appears they have a nut driver to make installation easier. One small concern, I currently own brass rail. Will the stainless hardware cause any type of metallurgic corrosion when applied to brass? I know in their photos they show exactly this situation, but thought I would ask those on this board as well. 


Thanks!

Andrew Dean
Springfield, MO


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## Allegheny (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow, neat idea, but a real "razor and blade" kind of pricing structure. Even with bulk packaging, those sets of bolts/nuts/fishplates work out to $2.28 per for quantities of 1,000.

Just for the exercise, I went to McMaster-Carr:

Button head stainless steel socket head screws in a 2-56 thread are around $5.50 per 100:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#socket-head-cap-screws/=kadnvp

You can also get undersized 18-8 stainless steel nut nuts for about the same cost:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/118/3185/=kadqh9

That works out to about 44 cents per rail joiner for the hardware. I'd be surprised if you couldn't find these cheaper and in larger quantities elsewhere.

Using the jig itself, I'm sure it would be possible to drill your own stainless steel strips. If I were going to do this, I'd buy two of Norm's jigs - one for the rail ends and the second one would be cannabalized to make a dedicated strip drilling jig that would be bolted to the table of my drill press. M-C also has such strips:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-stainless-steel-sheets/=kadtxs

If you buy a 100' coil, it works out to about 10 - 11 cents per inch, or 20 - 22 cents per rail joint for a total of around 65 cents per joiner. Granted, the stainless steel coil is hardened, so you will either have to use drill bits that can handle it, or you can simply anneal a strip with a MAPP torch to relieve the temper. 

Would this be some work, definitely. But if I had several thousand rail joints on my layout I'd first put in the time to build positioning/drilling jigs to make mass production feasible. I'd then be more than willing to put in the time and use the money saved to buy more locos or something else.

Brian
Taxachusetts


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## thelenster (Feb 18, 2012)

I've decided to go with this system and purchased the jig. The realisim is excellent, but I also decided on this system as I intend on most track to be aluminum due to cost. The joiner kits complete purchased from Norm can be costly, but a bit of inginuity can get around this. The joiner plate are availabe separate or it's possible to fabricate your own. The 2-56 hardware can readily be found online at good prices.

Len Jaskiewicz
Springfield


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## thelenster (Feb 18, 2012)

Other good sources of hardware. Fastener-express offers 2-56 in hex head, both in stainless and brass. Bolt depot is also a good source. McMaster is pricy, but I do buy from them as well. 
Len Jaskiewicz


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## St. Francis Consolidated RR (Feb 7, 2011)

Posted By thelenster on 15 Dec 2012 08:42 AM 
I've decided to go with this system and purchased the jig. The realisim is excellent, but I also decided on this system as I intend on most track to be aluminum due to cost. The joiner kits complete purchased from Norm can be costly, but a bit of inginuity can get around this. The joiner plate are availabe separate or it's possible to fabricate your own. The 2-56 hardware can readily be found online at good prices.

Len Jaskiewicz
Springfield


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## sherrard (Nov 10, 2014)

*Norms Model Supply*

Hi 

Up until some months ago there used to be a company - Norms Model Supply - that sold G scale items including things like jigs etc on Ebay and also by mail order, I think. However, it seems to have disappeared from Ebay /the internet.

Does anyone know if it's ceased trading, or been sold off to another company, or if it will be re-emerging at some time in the future?

Thanks.
Paul


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

gone... no trace


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