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Hi,
I'm currently adding railbars to my switching layout module. I'm using Detail West code 83 railbars on PECO code 83. So far, so good. BUT, I'm seriously thinking about adding railbar INSIDE the rails and not only outside. I've tested the clearance with various cars and locomotives on a piece of track. I didn't see any problem with wheels hitting the rail bar. RP25 profile wheels clear the railbar just fine, and thus, I'm starting to suspect the accepted fact you shouldn't put railbars inside the rails is again one of those unverified facts handed down over the Internet. 
That said, before going crazy and gluing tons of railbars by mistake  , I'd like to know if any people here tried this and what did they find?
Matt
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Matt I know nothing about ho railbars, but I can tell you the prototype bars fit in the web so if the scale bars do it should not be a problem. I want to add this detail if I ever get to the point I am that hurting for something to do.
Charlie
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Got a pic of want you are talking about?
Mike
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Joint bars that were used to bolt the rail together. They had either 4 or 6 bolts. One inside and one outside the rail. One every 39 foot with standard length rail
Charlie
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Charlie,
Detail West railbars are quite thin and nest themselves nicely against the rail web. I think I'll take the chance, just like the prototype.
Matt
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Matt, I have seen pictures of ho rail with joint bars installed and I really like the looks of them. I don't know what brand they were but for people modeling roads that have jointed rail they are great. The Kiski Junction Railroad in Schenley had 100, 130, 132, and 115 pound rail when I first started there. The 115 was newer rail and was all the standard 39 foot. The 130 that was there varied in length with very little being 39 foot. Most of it had been cropped. Jointed rail tends to get bent at the rail ends so when they take it from the main they would cut 18 inches off either end and then it was a 36 foot section, and it went to branch lines. They would crop it one more time in its life so it would be 33 foot often relaid on sidings to industries and branch lines. The joints are staggered, but more random than you would think, they run different as the rail curves so you will have joints that don't have much stagger at all. Be sure to post some pictures.
Charlie
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Charlie B Wrote:Joint bars that were used to bolt the rail together. They had either 4 or 6 bolts. One inside and one outside the rail. One every 39 foot with standard length rail
Charlie
Thanx, I know what joint bars are just never heard em' called rail bars before.
Mike
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@Tyson: I call them railbars because Detail West call them that way. I remember seeing joint bars too, even fish plates (but maybe that was a misused term).
@Charlie: I installed railbars on 5 feets of track already. Looks quite good. The product is Detail West #933, for Code 83. I think they have some for Code 70. The Code 83 product would probably work fine on Code 100 too. You're right, the staggering is quite random! I used a few MMA pictures I took last year on a stretch of track with 39' rail as reference. I'll try to finish installing them this afternoon and will take pictures. Hope to paint the track during the rainy weekend.
What I found is that you definitely CAN install railbars inside the rails with having problems with wheel. On a few place, the bars were a little bit thicker and I did had some issue of bumping wheels. I easily trimmed the glued railbars using an curved X-acto blade. The stuff removed is about 0.01", very marginal as you can see. According to some pictures over the internet, I'm not the only one to have put railbars on each side of the rail, like the prototype. I'll continue gluing them this afternoon and will take a few pictures. However, this is extremely time consuming, even if gluing process is quite easy.
Maybe I'll start a thread about this small switching layout if there's interest. Progress and track plan can be found at http://theendofsteel.blogspot.ca.
Matt
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Charlie, as promised:
![[Image: IMG_3627b_zps167a4f69.jpg]](http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt111/sailormatlac/St-Pamphile/IMG_3627b_zps167a4f69.jpg)
I glued about 180 railbars at 39 scale feet intervals over a 160" long benchwork. Some people notch the rails to be even closer to prototype... I'll see. 
Matt
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Matt, those look great, What did you use to attach them. Notching the rail would be a breeze with a Dremel cut off wheel and would not only look better, but give you the clickety clack. Do they also make them in 4 bolt?
Charlie
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Wow, I've thought about doing this as well. If I was to notch the rail, I'd simply use a triangular shaped needle file.
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They look great Matt 
I've always heard them referred to as 'fishplates' here In the UK and having seen them installed on a number of layouts, I've admired the effect, but don't much fancy trying it in N scale!
Cheers,
Kev
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nachoman Wrote:Wow, I've thought about doing this as well. If I was to notch the rail, I'd simply use a triangular shaped needle file. The problem with a needle file like that is you would have a notch, in reality it is a gap in the rail usually a 1/4 inch, but I have seen them as wide as an inch, in fact, I had one joint when I started at the Kiski that was 4 inches, they actually had one rail with the first bolt in the second hole. It took a bright sunny hot day and a lot of persuasion to get that joint where it should have been. You can imagine what it felt like running over it. 
Charlie
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If you want 4-bolt railbars, you just have to cut them to the correct length. They are glued in place with CA. Some people use Code 70 railbars on Code 83 for better clearance. If I had to redo this again, I think I would use Code 83 outside the rail and Code 70 inside the rail. That would save some adjustment.
For the gaps, I'll see. I think a file would give more control. A Dremel cutting disk seems a little bit large for this.
Matt
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sailormatlac Wrote:For the gaps, I'll see. I think a file would give more control. A Dremel cutting disk seems a little bit large for this.
Matt If you aren't comfortable with a dremel cutoff wheel, (those thin ones that break when you are almost done and have to change them)  you could use an Atlas rail saw.
Charlie
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