One of the great unsolved mysteries of our time is: Why the deuce did Lionel outfit the center section of its prewar 106 bridge to take an oddball size of track? I'm certain they had valid reasons which are history, but for those of us obtaining a 106 shorn of track, well, the matter is puzzling, not to mention slightly aggravating!
Fear not, though! All you need are a screwdriver/small prying implement, a Dremel with large cutoff wheel, a donor track and, of course, nerves of pure titanium...
1) The problem is readily apparent.
2) Using your prying implement, loosen the rails on the ties in the center and one side.
3) With the ties loosened, they slip readily into place into their appointed places in the bridge. As can be seen, we're about half an inch or so short.
4) The initial idea, to add a half inch to the ends, proved impractical (as the rail clamps didn't tighten well and there were issues with the rail pins).
5) Plan "B" entailed cutting the bridge track roughly halfway between the ties and putting lengths of donor rail in place.
6) A spare tie was clamped down over the join to provide added strength as well as added insulation for the center rail. Note that the edges of the tie have been trimmed so that it lies flat on the bridge deck.
7) The end of the bridge track, ready to be clamped and trimmed.
8) A perfect fit! Note the splice tie sitting flat on the bridge deck.
9) Ready for customers!
Hope this proves helpful!
Mitch
