"Press-On Nails"for rails?

I haven't tried it, maybe some 0.001" shim stock could work if cut to size and shaped into an inverted U-profile over the tops of the rails?  It would need to be crimped (maybe soldered around the bridge rail ends and loosely formed around the rails that are attached to the main bench.

Something like this may work: Link to 0.001" Type 302 Stainless Steel Shim Stock

Marx used a U rail on their manual crank lift Bridge.

It could be made from extra 027 or 031 track by spreading the bottom for the track and cutting off excess material at the flanges.

photo of my Marx bridge track connection with U rails.

A straight lift could have much tighter connections with upside down rail on the lift sides.

@totrainyard posted:

Marx used a U rail on their manual crank lift Bridge.

It could be made from extra 027 or 031 track by spreading the bottom for the track and cutting off excess material at the flanges.

photo of my Marx bridge track connection with U rails.

A straight lift could have much tighter connections with upside down rail on the lift sides.

I think that this would work and look much better if the "U" rail came down over top of the track pins.

@BobRoyals

What type of track are you using?

-Greg

@Greg Houser posted:

@BobRoyals

What type of track are you using?

-Greg

I'm using MTH ScaleTrax.  Thank You.

@BobRoyals posted:

I'm using MTH ScaleTrax.  Thank You.

Ok, thanks.  I use Atlas and do something with my lift out sections that I've only seen done by HO folks.  Unfortunately, it won't work with ScaleTrax due to the track connectors being soldered in place.

-Greg

Greg,

I'm still curious as to your method.  Much of my track is repurposed, and the straights on my bridge have been modified/cut down such that the connectors for the Scaletrax are no longer in place on the bridge straights and many other sections of my road.

Couldn't you just move (or replace) the fixed rails on either side to get them closer to the bridge rails? Any rail "gap cap" is going to cause a hump and attendant roughness - visual and otherwise - and noise.

Of course, I have no idea what this "bridge" is - your construction? A factory (Lionel, etc) unit? Seems to me working on the fixed trackage is the way to go.

The Lionel 313 bridge used the opposite of the Marx where the track on the bridge had no pins but was opened (inverted U).  When closed the bridge rails just sat on top of the fixed rails with virtually no gap.  This is easy with tubular track.  MTH made the 40-1011 adapter track to convert Scale Trax to tubular.  Maybe you can convert your bridge section to tubular and just cut the lower section of the rail ends to fit over the pins of the 40-1011.

@BobRoyals posted:

Greg,

I'm still curious as to your method.  Much of my track is repurposed, and the straights on my bridge have been modified/cut down such that the connectors for the Scaletrax are no longer in place on the bridge straights and many other sections of my road.

@BobRoyals

I simply laid track as if there was no lift out bridge, with the exception of using smaller track sections to get as close to the point where the lift out section met the main layout.  I then removed the ties on either side of where the track sections were connected.  This allows the track joiners to be pushed to either side when I want to remove the lift out section.  When I put the lift out section back in place I simply push the track connectors back in position.  Here are some pics:

I'm still in the process of completing the scenery but eventually the lift out sections will be ballasted and have ground cover.

- Greg

Figure out where you want the track to go and mark it on the table. Use a single piece of track to span the gap.

On either side of the gap, run some flat head brass screws into the table, leaving them protruding enough that the rails rest on top of the screws. Check it repeatedly that the ties are sitting flat on the table. Adjust the screw height as necessary. If the track isnt flat, you'll end up with a bump.

Flux and solder the rails to the screw heads.

Then using a razor saw, jeweler's saw or a dremel cut off wheel, cut the track across the joint.

Since the track is fixed in place, its not gonna go anywhere and the gap is small enough that the wheels wont care. This is C148 Micro Engineering track, but scaletrax works the same way with slightly taller rails. You dont need to solder the center rail down, just the running rails is fine.

@Boilermaker1 posted:

Figure out where you want the track to go and mark it on the table. Use a single piece of track to span the gap.

On either side of the gap, run some flat head brass screws into the table, leaving them protruding enough that the rails rest on top of the screws. Check it repeatedly that the ties are sitting flat on the table. Adjust the screw height as necessary. If the track isnt flat, you'll end up with a bump.

Flux and solder the rails to the screw heads.

Then using a razor saw, jeweler's saw or a dremel cut off wheel, cut the track across the joint.

Since the track is fixed in place, its not gonna go anywhere and the gap is small enough that the wheels wont care. This is C148 Micro Engineering track, but scaletrax works the same way with slightly taller rails. You dont need to solder the center rail down, just the running rails is fine.

I am going to be dealing with a situation like this, and that is a really clever solution. Even if track is held down by ballast there still can be some movement, I like this approach. I was thinking of other ways to keep the joint stable, this is a lot simpler.