inslulating supersreet sections

By removing steel pins and replacing them with insulating pins, you can make any track by any manufacturer an insulated track.

Larry

Just removing the pin will do it

Ken M

Poolio:

Following up and correcting what has already been posted, no, that’s not ALL you have to do to create an insulated outside rail on a Superstreets track section.  You also have to remove the metal bar on the underside that electrically connects the 2 outside rails.  Otherwise those rails are not insulated from each other even after you remove the pin on one end of one rail. 

Both the D-16 and D-21 curves have that connecting bar.  I know that the full length (10") straights have that bar but I don’t remember if the shorter straights have it and I don’t have a loose one handy that’s not already installed on my layout.  If your short straight doesn’t have that bar, then the advice from the other posters is correct for that section only.

Now I’m not sure what you are planning to do so before you go too far, you might want to search the archives for reports from users with their actual experience running streets vehicles over the sections with insulated outside rails.  I have successfully run larger vehicles such as Railking PCC’s but lighter vehicles usually stop due to insufficient ground when they reach the insulated section.  As I recall Dale H developed an excellent solution to detect the cars using small magnets and reed switches.       

HTH,

Bill

Poolio:

Supplementing what I posted late last night, I was able to find a loose Superstreets 5” straight section and it doesn’t have the bar connecting the outside rails on the underside like the regular 10” sections have.  And neither do the 2½” straight sections called straight-to-curve connectors and curve-to-curve connectors.  I don’t have any 2½” regular straight sections (“straight-to-straight connectors” as they were called by K-Line and Lionel) but I think it’s safe to assume they don’t have the bar either.       

So you will only need to remove the connecting bar from your curved section in addition to removing the pins at the end of the outside rail you want to be the insulated rail.

And rather than removing the bar which would require soldering next to the plastic track base with possible heat damage to the base, you’re probably better off cutting the bar in the center. 

HTH,

Bill