# The tie gap between flex track



## SRV1 (Nov 14, 2010)

I figured out that you have to remove some ties to connect flex track and I notice the gap in a lot of videos I watch of unfinished layouts. On a separate programming track it doesn't matter much but what do people do to fill in these gaps to finish the layout? Do people try to re-use the piece that came out? Mine got broken and mangled removing them. The rails don't really want to go back in. They're made to slide out, not snap in place from above or below from what I can tell.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

I cut the top of the old ties smooth and then slid them in from the side just be for I add the ballast.


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## Davidfd85 (Jul 4, 2011)

Just like he said ^^^^^^^. Keep the ties you cut out, I trim one side flat and just the inner of the nubs on the other leaving the outer one intact, a drop of white glue, slide it under the track, flattened side first and butting the remaining nub against the track and then ballast.
If you put them back in with the remaining nub on the show side when your done with the ballast its hard to spot it.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Like Southern said, just use old ties, notch them for the rail joiners if need be and slide them under.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

I cut ties from short discarded pieces of track as well. Ya have to smooth the top of the tie off before sliding it under the rail, otherwise it will cause a hump in the rail that you do not want.


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## SRV1 (Nov 14, 2010)

Makes sense. Thanks guys.

Sent from my SCH-R950 using Tapatalk 2


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## timlange3 (Jan 16, 2013)

I use a razor saw (rail saw) and lay the track down with one end at the edge of a table.
Then laying the saw down flat on its side I carefully saw through the tops of the first one or two of the ties just below the rail. This cuts off the molded spike heads and leaves a gap between the rail and the ties. This gap is then used by the track joiner. This allows the joiner to fit without causing the rail to be higher causing a bump. Since the ties are not removed, there is no tie gap either.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Great tip Tim

Using your method would save a lot of time and
trouble. Where were you when I was laying track?

Don


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