Atlas-O track challenges - one question, one solution.

Picture shows how I repair Atlas O rails when the small plastic retainer nub breaks. This can happen due to excessive stress when inserting rail joiners or sometimes just from forceful track cleaning. I cut small pieces of basswood, apply brown stain, and use epoxy to cement the basswood to the plastic tie. The edge of the basswood holds the rail down and in firm contact with the plastic tie. Seems to prevent separation of rail from tie. This repair is at least ten years old. You can see several such fixes in the picture.

MELGAR

Another repair, center picture, two Atlas track screws to hold a broken/dislodged rail in place.  CA was also used. 

I've repaired broken rails by respiking them with HO scale spikes: drill a hole into the tie and insert the spike with a drop of CA.

@Scottyq posted:

By far, I love the look of Atlas-O track.  However I had a few challenges along the way.  The plastic ties are problematic in that they are fragile, and the tiny plastic tabs used to hold the rail in place are very fragile, as I learned the hard way.

1 Question: I have an an Atlas 72 degree turn out that was damaged while deconstructing the last layout.  The center rail came completely loose.  I want to reattach it but most of the tiny plastic tabs are torn off.   I'm thinking a few drops of hot glue where the tabs were will hold it in place long term... thoughts?  Other solutions??

1 Solution:  While attempting to solder power feeds directly to the rails, I could not get the timing right (how long to hold the iron to the rail/solder).  The result was a coupe of "test" rails melting the plastic ties.  I know Atlas sells pre-wired rail-joiners, but I already have rail joiners, so the additional expense seems frivolous.   My solution was to take some scrap plywood and cut a bunch of shallow grooves in it, then pressed the joiners upside down into the wood.  I cleaned the bottoms with the Dremel wire brush and went to work wiring up each joiner by soldering some 18 ga wire to the bottoms.

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For reattaching rails, Slugger has the the solution I would prefer.  HO or O-scale spikes tapped down thru slightly under-sized drilled holes.  Just like the real thing!

For soldering to rails, you might try a trick that's widely employed by HO and N-scalers.  Remove a few plastic ties from where you want to solder.  You shouldn't have to remove more than 2 or three ties at the most.  Do your soldering and cool down each soldered joint immediately with a damp sponge.  Or make use of heat sinks (basically little metal clamps clipped on the rail that help absorb excess heat radiating out on either side of your soldering joint).  After the track sections are mounted on the layout, you can slip the cut ties back under the rails.  Slice the spikes and tie plates off if you have to in order to slide them under the rails.  A little glue to the roadbed will hold them in place if necessary.

Scotty:

Are you saying a plastic tie came loose or the center black rail? If the tie see above posts. If you are saying the rail then I use super glue gel but get the position right the first time or you end up with a junk piece of track.

The easiest way to solder Atlas rail is to use a resistance soldering iron.  This is what we use on the G&O.  We can join a wire to a rail in seconds.  Buying a resistance soldering iron is expensive but it saves time if you have a lot of soldering to do.  A resistance soldering iron can be used for many other applications around the layout.

 The G&O crew uses the HO spike method mentioned above to repair broken rail.  We have a many broken rails because we are stepping on the track all the time and our track has been outside for almost 10 years.   The HO spikes are stronger than the original Atlas track.   NH Joe

All of the track shown below is under repair.  The G&O's O gauge line is being completely rebuilt during the crisis.  

All my power drops on my layout are home made versions of Atlas'.  I also love the look of Atlas track and didn't want to solder to the rail, so I did just as you said, I used a dremel to rough up the surface of the bottom of the rail joiners, and then I soldered a wire to the bottom.  Make sure to 'tin' the joiner and wire before trying to attach the wire to the joiner.  Also, once you go to install it, you may have to cut the middle brace out of the plastic tie connectors so the wire will fit.  The best part is when done there is no visible wires at all.

Solder fed wires to the bottom of the regular rail joiners.

I'm thinking about Atlas track but I was held back by concerns about the challenges discussed on this thread.  Really appreciate the input from those willing to share! 

One question though... why are folks using HO spikes to repair O gauge track, instead of O-gauge spikes?  I don't give a hoot about the appearance, but I would want the repair to be as secure as possible so that it doesn't happen again.  Thanks!

@Ted S posted:

I'm thinking about Atlas track but I was held back by concerns about the challenges discussed on this thread.  Really appreciate the input from those willing to share! 

One question though... why are folks using HO spikes to repair O gauge track, instead of O-gauge spikes?  I don't give a hoot about the appearance, but I would want the repair to be as secure as possible so that it doesn't happen again.  Thanks!

HO spikes are used because the O gauge spikes are too long if the material under the track is too hard to drive a spike into it.  The O gauge spikes extend below the Atlas ties and the HO spikes do not.  The G&O uses either redwood or cement board under the track.  Also, some people feel that HO spikes look more realistic because they are smaller.  

My home layout has homasote under the track.  I find it is difficult to drive the longer O gauge track into it also.   

NH Joe

I used super glue reattach rails to ties.  So far seems to work.

I purchased two items that make it easy as all get out.

1.  Micromark multi holder. Essentially a base with riser and three alligator clips (adjustable)

2. Small pencil soldering iron Cost 5.99 at harbor freight.

Slide connector on track and use dremel tool to clean bottom. Slide off and hold in alligator clamp Apply flux to back of connector and wire. Tin both. then apply wire to connector.

As for the center rail on the switch... clean bottom of rail and SLIDE back in place so as not to break any remaining nubbs on ties then use ca glue and HO spikes. Works out fine as I had several I had to redo.