Quick Tip! - All About Joint Bars

[@FunWithHOScaleStuff]

Joint bars are new to me. Interesting to learn about this product. Regards.

[@justn2trains]

Great video! I agree, these track details sure look nice

[@KandWRailroader]

Thank you for this video! This is a detail I was planning to add so your information will be quite helpful!

[@chattanoogasouthernrr]

Wow! I was just looking at the Details West ones for my layout and this vid popped up. Thanx for the info on the Keyser ones. Gonna try them on the inside and the DWs outside.

[@PennCentral99]

Joint bars are cool, especially for still photography on layouts or dioramas, it adds detail and visual appeal. However, it also depends on what/where/when your modeling. Modern rail is a continuous welded rail. If you’re modeling a branch line, they’ll look good! You can also weather them and place them in piles around your layout for visual effects. Thanks for the video

[@lucgagnon5241]

You got everything right here. I'm laying exclusively Micro engineering code 70 tracks and turnouts. Detail West joints are very nice. They may be a bit out of scale but the issue here is when they're glued on the inside. Car's flinges are hitting them. I got some code 55 here and there so it's simply impossible to install some and not having rebounds because of it. Many thanks for introducing Keyser Valley bars. I wont putting them on my layout but I plan to make a smaller fully detailed module on witch I will certainly try them.

[@What_If_We_Tried]

Had no idea that track is made in 39 ft segments. Thanks for the video.

[@1Nanerz]

New rail today comes in 78 foot lengths or 1320 foot lengths.

[@wedelacresdepottrains9060]

They were 39ft because flat cars to carry the rail were 40ft. Nowadays the flatcars are 89ft so new rail is made longer.

[@WhetstoneCreek]

I’ve been adding joint bars to my branch line. They are hard to see but do add detail. I have weedy track making them harder to see but I know they are there

[@MRR_Shadowolf]

Great video and joint bar tips! Question - I understand the 39' placement but wouldn't it look more appealing if just put the joint bars at each rail joiner so don't have multiple 'things' along track? Thanks.

[@Matt_Forcum]

Not really for a couple of reasons. First, they aren’t made for joining rail they don’t have the strength to hold them in place as the track expands and contracts. Second, railroads offset joint bars to prevent segments of track from meeting in the same place. This helps to keep rail straight and prevent kinks in real life trackage as it too expands and contracts. Offsetting joints also makes for smoother running.

[@donaldcarman9117]

You didn't show installed details west version

[@Matt_Forcum]

It is in the thumbnail of the video if you are interested in seeing what that looks like.

[@MFRailroad]

I just posted a picture on my Instagram feed showing the two side by side. Look me up. Username: metaline_falls_railroad